Our Pastors
Pastor Bill and Joyce Burkhalter
Pastor William Burkhalter was raised in Orlando from the age of seven. He attended Florida State University, completing a Bachelor's degree in religion. He then earned both Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
After seminary, Pastor Bill served with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He was a missionary for seventeen years, primarily in Bangladesh and Indonesia. He served there in the fields of evangelism and seminary education. Pastor Bill was called by God to serve at First Baptist Church of Pine Castle in 2001. He and his wife, Joyce, have two grown children.
Brother Daniel and Brittany Basak
Brother Daniel is a native Floridian. He grew up in a Christian family and, when he was a junior in high school, he gave his life to Christ. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Christian Education from the Baptist College of Florida and also earned his Master of Theological Studies degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently, he serves as our Minister of Education, Youth and Missions.
Daniel and his lovely wife, Brittany, became part of the First Baptist Church of Pine Castle family in 2008. They have two school-age daughters, Adleigh and Camlin, and a family dog named Goldie.
Brother Richard and Karen Wagoner
Brother Richard began his lifelong walk with Jesus at the age of twelve, when he came to understand how Jesus’ sacrifice secures our salvation. He became active in church ministry at the age of nineteen, leading worship and Bible study. Richard came to First Baptist Church of Pine Castle in 2016. In addition to leading the music ministry, he is also involved with church administration and senior adult activities.
Richard and his wife Karen have lived in the Orlando area most of their lives. They have three grown sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandchildren. Richard is dedicated and enthusiastic about his roles at Pine Castle Baptist and he is eager to proclaim what a great church this is!
Our Beliefs
The Bible We believe the Bible, consisting of 66 books, to be the inspired Word of God. It is without error, the revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.
God We believe in one God existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God has always been and will always be the only God. There were none before Him and shall be none after him.
The Father We believe that the Father created all things in heaven and on earth. He created human beings out of a love for us and he desires a personal relationship with each of us.
Jesus We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, according to the Scriptures. Furthermore, He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven.
Holy Spirit We believe that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts people of sin and brings them to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, he regenerates, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living and service.
Salvation We believe that man was created in the image of God and sinless, but fell into sin and is therefore lost and subject to judgment. We believe that the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ provides the only way of justification and salvation for all who believe.
Our History
The First Baptist Church of Pine Castle was founded in 1887, when several families felt the need for a place to call their spiritual home. The church consisted of twenty-six members who met in homes and school buildings. In about 1900, the Baptists joined together with the Methodists and Christian Missionary alliance members to build the Union Church at the corner of South Orange Avenue and Wallace Street.
In 1913, the Baptists moved into their own building at the corner of South Orange Avenue and Hoffner Avenue. They remained there until 1962, when a five-acre lot was purchased on Hoffner Avenue. In 1964, the sanctuary was dedicated, with an educational building added in 1979. This was the location of the church at the time of the 100th anniversary, celebrated in 1987.
Our current sanctuary was built in 2010, with 500 people attending the opening service on May 2nd. Pastor William Burkhalter was the senior pastor at that time, and he has continued to bless our church with his leadership since then.
