Midway Baptist Church sits on Gulf Breeze Parkway in Gulf Breeze, Florida, just a short drive from the Santa Rosa County shoreline. Known across the Panhandle as a "Family of Families," the church has been pastored by Dr. Dennis J. Brunet since 1991 and stands firmly inside the Southern Baptist Convention. Midway's ministry centers on three rhythms: Sunday morning worship and Sunday School, a wide-reaching children's and youth program, and a Wednesday night hour designed for the whole family to grow together.
What to Expect on a First Sunday
Sunday School for children and adults begins at 9:00 a.m. Worship follows at 10:30 a.m., and guests are welcomed the same way regular attenders are: warmly. Midway's greeters wear church lanyards and two Welcome Centers stand in the Family Life Center and Education Building lobbies. Dress runs the full range, from jeans and t-shirts to suits, so newcomers can come as they are. Copies of the Bible are available at the Welcome Center for anyone who wants to follow the message through the Scriptures.
Musical worship is Christ-focused and God-honoring. A choir and praise band lead the congregation in traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs. Youth in sixth grade and older attend the worship service with their families. Children in first through fifth grade go to KIDZ Church, children ages three through kindergarten go to Kingdom KIDZ, and infants through two-year-olds are cared for in Nursery KIDZ.
Midway's aim is that all worship be Bible-based, Christ-centered, God-glorifying, Spirit-filled, and people-oriented. The preaching aims to be life-applicable, with messages intended to prepare people for Monday as much as for Sunday. The church puts it this way: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for all who will repent of their sin and place their faith in Him as Lord and Savior. All are welcome to worship the Lord Jesus."
Wednesday Night: An Hour for the Whole Family
Wednesdays are a second front door at Midway. At 10:10 a.m. the Senior Adult Bible Study gathers in the Family Life Center Lobby for adults fifty and over. They work through book studies such as "Happy Today," exploring what Scripture says about a Christian's possibility for joy.
Wednesday evenings begin at 6:30 p.m. and run age-appropriate ministries at the same hour so families can worship and learn together. The Adult Bible Study meets in the Chapel for prayer, praise, preaching, and personal testimony. J.A.M. youth gather in the Family Life Center, beginning with a game, then moving into musical worship and Bible study. Power Surge serves first- through fifth-graders and Spark Plugs serves three-year-olds through kindergarten. The nursery opens at 6:15 p.m. for infants through two-year-olds. After the programs, kids head outside or to the gym while parents linger over coffee or lemonade.
Awana, a children's Bible program for ages three through fifth grade, meets Wednesdays from 6:10 to 7:45 p.m. Awana is open to families throughout the local community, not just church members. Midway describes it as Christ-centered and Bible-believing, grounded in God's truth, and led by a loving church family that values every child. The church sits about a mile west of the Gulf Breeze Zoo, and every leader and volunteer is carefully vetted, including a background check. Registration is handled through an online system called Approved Workman.
Midway Kidz: Birth Through Fifth Grade
The Midway KIDZ ministry partners with parents to help children know, love, and serve Jesus. The values that guide the work are threefold: impacting children and their families with God's unconditional love, cultivating a passion for Scripture, and equipping children to share their faith and serve others. Midway KIDZ comes alongside parents to provide tools, tips, and opportunities for spiritual development at church and at home.
Sunday morning is structured around three age groups. KIDZ Sunday School meets at 9:00 a.m., with classes located upstairs in the Family Life Center and in the Education Building. During the 10:30 a.m. worship service, Kingdom KIDZ serves three-year-olds through kindergarten, KIDZ Church serves first through fifth-graders, and Nursery KIDZ serves infants through two-year-olds. The nursery opens at 8:45 a.m. on Sundays.
During the summer, Wednesday nights shift into Super Summer KIDZ, an activity-loaded, worship-filled program with weekly themes. All Midway KIDZ ministries use KidCheck, a secure children's check-in system, with check-in computers in the Education Building atrium.
J.A.M.: Jesus Alive in Me
The youth ministry at Midway is called J.A.M., short for "Jesus Alive in Me." The name comes from Galatians 2:20: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." J.A.M. exists to see the truths of the Bible become reality in the daily lives of teenagers. The ministry lists four goals for its students: Saved, calling on the Name of the Lord; Surrendered, completely committed to the Kingdom of God and the cause of Christ; Sanctified, compelled to become like Christ through study of His Word; and Sharing, communicating the experience of a loving God to a lost and looking world.
Wednesday nights are the regular meeting time, gathering at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center for a game, then musical worship, then Bible study. Once a month, J.A.M.-In brings the youth together on a Sunday afternoon from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center for games, food, and fellowship. Two retreats a year, one in the spring and one in the fall, pull students away from everyday distractions for a few days of games, worship, preaching, prayer, and bonfires. Youth Camp is the centerpiece of the summer: a week-long camp with games, new friends, dynamic worship, applicable teaching, and impactful preaching.
Adults Growing Together
Midway's adult ministries are organized around Sunday School, midweek Bible study, and gatherings for men, women, and seniors.
Adult Sunday School meets at 9:00 a.m. and focuses on biblical principles easily applied to daily life. The atmosphere is friendly and informal, and classes are arranged by age and stage. Visitors can stop by the Welcome Center in the Education Building Lobby to find the right class.
Men's ministry centers on the importance of Christian manhood, accountability, humble family leadership, and serving in the local church. Anchored in Proverbs 27:17 ("As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"), the men meet Mondays at 6:30 p.m. for Bible study.
Labor of Love is the women's ministry, named for 1 Thessalonians 1:3: "work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope." Through fellowships, retreats, Bible studies, and other activities, the women minister to one another in the love of Jesus Christ. Labor of Love gathers on the last Friday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
The Senior Adult Ministry also meets for Bible study in the Family Life Center Lobby on Wednesday mornings at 10:10 a.m. Young Women's Fellowship is another regular gathering for the women of the church.
What Midway Believes
Midway is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention and stands firmly on a list of doctrinal convictions.
The church affirms one God, manifest in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin, wholly God and wholly man, who lived a sinless life, died as a substitutionary sacrifice, was buried, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended into Heaven on the third day. The Bible is the Word of God without any error and the sole authority for life. Man is a special creation of God, made in His image; mankind fell through Adam's sin, and all are sinners by nature and by choice, in need of salvation.
Salvation is a gift given through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Persons who die in their sins spend eternity in Hell, and those who die with their sins forgiven spend eternity in Heaven. Baptism is in obedience to Christ's command and is by immersion after salvation. The church is a local body of baptized believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as the head, and each believer has direct access to God through Him. Midway also affirms the separation of church and state, but not the separation of God and government.
The church uses a four-fold outline of how a person comes to know Jesus Christ: admit your need as a sinner, abandon self-effort, acknowledge Christ's payment on the cross, and accept Jesus Christ as Savior by faith. The Gospel is for all who will repent and believe.
Reaching Beyond Gulf Breeze
Midway takes the Great Commission seriously and supports a wide network of ministries both locally and around the world. The church gives through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering of the Florida Baptist Convention, sending resources to more than 3,600 missionaries through the International Mission Board.
Locally, Midway supports the Pregnancy Resource Center of Milton and its Life Options Clinic, which offers free and confidential medical services to women facing unintended pregnancies. Internationally, the church partners with Advance International, whose schools in China, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, India, Japan, Kenya, Namibia, Nicaragua, Taiwan, and Thailand graduated 78 students in 2024. Other global missions Midway supports include Africa Inland Mission, Ed Lacy Ministries, Good News in Action, World Baptist Fellowship, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where Pastor Dennis received his PhD in 1994.
The Team Behind the Church
Dr. Dennis J. Brunet, known to everyone as Brother Dennis, has pastored Midway since 1991, walking with the congregation through the highs and lows of life. He received his PhD from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1994. He married his high school sweetheart, Rebekah Hanberry, in 1977, and they entered full-time ministry together two years later. After forty-seven years of marriage they have nine children and a growing number of grandchildren. Brother Dennis and Rebekah enjoy carpentry, crafts, fishing, and evening coffee on their back deck. His life verse is 1 Corinthians 2:9: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
Dave Jeffers serves as Discipleship Director. He graduated magna cum laude from Liberty University with a bachelor's degree in religion and received cum laude honors at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary with an M.A. in Theological Studies. Dave also serves as the Awana Commander.
Rebekah Brunet serves as Interim Music Leader. She holds a music degree from Nicholls State University.
Kerry Christopher serves as Director of Operations. The pastoral and church office team round out the staff, supporting the ministries and the day-to-day life of the church.
Worship Archive and Where to Find Them
Midway maintains a deep sermon archive going back years, with messages from Brother Dennis and a rotating team of guest preachers including Brother Don Livingston, Brother Brad Lowery, Brother Greg Wilton, Brother Rob Wilton, Brother Mike Perceval, and Brother Dave Jeffers. The archive is organized into series such as Sunday Sermons, Wednesday Night, Beatitudes, Foundation Builders, Hope, Life of Joseph, Psalm 23, Acts of the Holy Spirit - Revival, and Revival: It's Heart Work. The Wednesday Night series walks through studies like the Beatitudes and other midweek messages.
Midway Baptist Church is located at 5471 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563. The front office is open Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (with Wednesday closing at 3:00 p.m.), and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The church phone is 850-932-6549, and giving can be made online, by mail, or in person at the office.