<div>Cody Church is a story of true faith and resilience. This church has been a cornerstone of the community for over 100 years, where many have called home over the generations. A place known for love and community, that started as a brush arbor in a field - but has since then become the beautiful church home it is today. Throughout the generations, Cody was known as Cody Pentecostal Holiness Church - a member of the International Pentecostal Holiness Conference and the SonShine Network Ministries (Florida PH Conference). The members of Cody have faithfully given to these conferences, without ever relying on the conference for funds. Cody has always made due on their own. Recently, it became clear that the conference leadership no longer had Cody's best interest at heart, and were acting for their own gain. The congregation was ran off, denigrated, and publicly shamed by the very men and women whom they had faithfully supported as leaders. In June of this year, the doors were shuttered and the people were TOLD that a new campus was coming to Cody. It was clear something was not adding up. After researching the conference superintendent and the new "preacher" who was going to "rescue" Cody, it was shown that these "men of God" had engaged in stealing churches for their own personal gain, and were now using Cody as their newest endeavor. "Men of God" mortgaging churches to themselves, kicking out faithful servants who had never questioned them, all for the "valuable property that is Cody" - the value of over $2 Million Dollars of assessed property value.
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<div>The people of Cody would not stand for this and took back their church on September 11 of this year. But not before the state conference Bishop managed to get ahold of the bank accounts, seat himself and his executive council as the Board of Directors of Cody, and transfer funds to the conference from Cody as a "special general offering" - after the doors were closed and no members attending. Needless to say, the faithful people of Cody and the community would not stand for this and in just one short month we have reopened the doors and are working hard every day to return Cody to the place of love and community it once was, many years ago. But, we need help! Over 100 years of hard work and finances were wiped out in the blink of an eye. The church itself had not been maintained, and is full of issues we are working on every day - Sound System, broken air conditioning units, termite and water damage, electrical damage, you name it we probably have it! And all the money - well it went with the "bishop" and his "preacher". We are actively pursuing legal recourse against these individuals, however that also takes money and time. So instead of waiting, we have been blessed with the generosity of the people of Cody, and have so far been able to begin making repairs. A lot of the damage itself, directly caused by individuals the "bishop" allowed to run roughshod over the place.
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<div>The parsonage - completely destroyed, appliances removed, furniture taken, flea infested, doors and walls busted.
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<div>The sign - ripped out by hand by the "preacher" - broken, for no reason.
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<div>The church itself was left in utter filth, uninsured for months, water leaks, broken AC's, electrical damage.
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<div>Our motto very quickly became "one day at a time..." because every day we were in the building, something else would be found that was a problem!
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<div>Starting from ground zero, we were quickly able to insure the grounds, pay off outstanding bills that were left (even though they had the funds to pay it, but took the money directly instead), fix multiple AC issues, start working on fixing the piano, professionally clean the carpets, and much more. We are on our 5th week of holding services and making sure the doors stay open and the lights stay on.
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<div>That first day, we said - we don't care if there is only 2 or 3 people in the place, as long as we are here! That morning - just 3 days after getting back in the church - we had 32, that night we had around 60. With just a short week, the following the Sunday we welcomed home over 200 members of the community for a Homecoming Service. People who had never been to Cody, people who grew up their and hadn't been back in over 20 years, and some who never left until they were literally ran out the door.
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<div>This past month every person who has been blessed enough to come to Cody, have all said the same thing - there is a renewed spirit in this place. A feeling of home that hasn't existed in many, many years. Something great is happening here, but we need help. It is our goal to make Cody once again, the home away from home for any and everyone - if you come faithfully every week, or only come once a year - it is a place of refuge, comfort, family, togetherness, and most of all LOVE!
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<div>What has happened to Cody, is not unheard of, and is silently happening across many denominations, in the churches across the country. It is easy to forget that our "faith leaders" "men of God", are still human and will do very human things, all under the auspices of being a "Man of God". This bishop, used the faith to destroy not only the physical house of the Lord, but the spiritual faith of so many. And we are not the only ones he has done this to, we were just lucky enough to say NOT THIS TIME, and NOT HERE! We plan to fully pursue every legal avenue against these individuals, and to make this story known to help others never have to experience what has happened here.
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<div>Any donation helps, financially - spiritually - volunteering, we were at literal GROUND ZERO 5 weeks ago. And we are acting day by day in faith.
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Beth Boyd

Stephen Musgrove

Angela Simmons

Danielle Stephens

COME HOME TO CODY CHURCH - Returning Cody to the Community

Still $4,625 to go. Help us build momentum.