provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Captiva’s Chapel by the Sea will hold its first service of the season at 11 a.m. Nov. 10 in the yard. Pastor Doug Dortch has a theory: “This is a time when worshiping together helps the community to heal from the two hurricanes in October, plus the residue of sadness from 2022’s storm.”
The Chapel is very comfortable with “outside services” where the minister can be seen and heard, in addition to the peace of nature with breezes, Ospreys, Pelicans, and the sound of the Gulf enhancing the hour of worship.
Anyone who has attended a service from 1948 until 2024 has seen how many attendees prefer the outside seating to the small, 90-seat Chapel building.
The Chapel building’s 122-year existence (first as a schoolhouse) has withstood many storms and avoided most damage. In 2022’s Hurricane Ian, the wet sand beneath the floor necessitated the replacement of the floor and prevented its use for 80 percent of that November to April season.
So, while damaged, we will work to restore a level Chapel building and perhaps raise it a bit for future prevention of this same situation. In the meantime, we will provide a worship experience each Sunday until the end of April 2025.
The Captiva Chapel by the Sea is an interdenominational church where all are welcome to share the worship experience of Jesus Christ for 24 Sundays in the winter season. The Chapel’s pastor for these three seasons is Reverend Doctor Doug Dortch, who lives on the sea by the Gulf next to the Chapel and enjoys all the islands offer its residents and tourists alike.