In spite of being enslaved, Black people in Tampa formed a church in 1863–Mt. Sinai African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church–located in the Scrub. In the following decades, other Black congregations grew along Tampa’s Central Avenue, Tampa Heights, and Bealsville, Fla. By 1899, freed men and women had organized more than 40 churches in the Tampa Bay area. Near The Cross: Tampa’s First Black Churches explores the community’s fascinating history and will be followed by a performance of inspirational gospel music, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, at St. James at ENCORE!