Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ sits along Periwinkle Way on a narrow barrier island off Florida's Gulf coast. The congregation is a member of the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ and calls itself an Open and Affirming and Creation Justice church. Members describe it as a community shaped by the island's natural setting and by a willingness to welcome anyone walking through the door.
Rebuilding After Hurricane Ian
In September 2022, Hurricane Ian struck Sanibel hard. The church sustained severe damage to its sanctuary and fellowship hall, and the congregation pushed through more than two years of recovery, holding worship in temporary quarters at Refuge Church in Fort Myers before returning to its own campus. Services moved into Fellowship Hall in 2023, and by 2024 the sanctuary was ready to host worship again with its minimal amenities in place. The congregation's Green Team used the rebuilding period to ask, in its own words, "Can we build back greener?" - and reset practices around recycling, paper products and water use to reduce single-use plastic on the campus.
Roots on Periwinkle Way Since 1977
SCUCC began as a mission church of the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries. The Rev. Dr. James W. Lenhart was appointed to plant the church on Sanibel in 1977 and held the first gathering at the Lighthouse Point Condominium Club House. Services moved to the Dunes Golf and Country Club before settling into the Sanibel Community Association building on Periwinkle Way. In 1979, the United Church Board purchased 21 and a half acres along Periwinkle Way and deeded four acres to the new congregation. Thirty-eight charter members signed the charter that year, Donald R. Manchester was elected the first moderator, and the first Christmas Eve service with carol singing on the Lighthouse beach was held in December.
The Rev. Dr. Theodore Holland became the church's first full-time minister in 1980, and the Rev. Richard Stein was called and formally installed a few years later. After the congregation was recognized as an institution under Sanibel zoning in 1983, members launched the first building fund campaign in 1984. Groundbreaking followed at the Periwinkle site - members drove gilded spikes into the pilings - and the present church building was dedicated in 1986. Additional Sunday school rooms were added in 1994, and choir and office space was expanded in 1998. The church marked its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2002 with 657 members.
Sunday Worship at Ten
The Sunday Worship Celebration begins at 10:00 a.m. and is identified as a traditional service. Communion is usually served on the first Sunday of each month during worship. The service is held in Fellowship Hall while sanctuary finishing work continues. Worship is livestreamed on YouTube, and a video archive of every recent Sunday, along with midweek Scripture and Message reflections, is available through the church's online media pages. Members can also join a Zoom Bible study and other adult classes from home.
Worship leadership is provided by Senior Minister Rev. Dr. Mark Boyea, with visiting preachers stepping in from time to time. The church also maintains a Prayer and Meditation ministry and offers a "First Saturday" style alternative worship experience in its broader programming.
Music and the Choir
Mackenzie Albert, a professional opera and orchestra conductor who recently moved to Florida from the New York City tri-state area, leads the music program as Music Director. Her work focuses on rebuilding the choir and the broader music ministry. The choir sings every Sunday throughout the season from November through April, with featured performances on Palm Sunday, Easter and Choir Sunday at the 10 a.m. service, plus additional concerts and special events during the year. Rehearsals are held on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. New singers are welcome, and interested participants do not need to commit to the entire season - they are invited simply to come to the next rehearsal.
Children, Youth and the Safe Sanctuary Commitment
Children are a visible part of SCUCC life. The congregation is a "Safe Sanctuary" church: every employed staff member with contact with children and youth is required to authorize a criminal background check, and both staff and volunteers receive annual training in the Safe Sanctuary policy and in recognizing and preventing signs of abuse. Pastor Deb Kunkel, who previously served the congregation as Associate Pastor with a focus on children and youth, remains a point of contact for families.
From May through October, children in kindergarten through eighth grade are invited to Sunday School during the 10:00 a.m. service. From November through April, the Sunday School hour shifts to 9:00 a.m. Children begin in the sanctuary and leave for class after the Children's Moment. A staffed nursery for infants through preschool is offered during worship each Sunday year-round - during the 10:00 a.m. service in the summer and during both the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. services in season. The church also operates the Sanibel Christian Preschool, founded in 2013 under Preschool Director Ana Abella, which offers a high-quality early childhood education for children ages two through pre-K in a loving environment.
Adult Formation: Bible Study and Spiritual Exploration
Two recurring adult offerings anchor the church's formation ministry. Thursday morning Bible Study meets on Zoom from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m., with Rev. Dr. Mark Boyea guiding a structured, discussion-based conversation around the texts that will appear in the following Sunday's worship. The passage list and Zoom link are sent by email the day before.
Spiritual Exploration, also held on Zoom, meets Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. and follows a short-term course format covering Biblical Studies, Spirituality, Church History and current events. Past units have included a survey of women in the Hebrew Scriptures, with each session standing on its own so newcomers can join at any point. Additional adult offerings have included a Watercolor Class on Tuesday mornings at 11:00 a.m., a Dinner for 6 to 8 small-group program, and a Chair Yoga series - each designed to bring members together around shared interests.
The Open and Affirming and Creation Justice Covenants
The congregation has formally adopted an Open and Affirming Covenant declaring that "you will be loved, accepted, supported, and affirmed regardless of your age, class, ability, race, ethnicity, gender identification, or sexual orientation." A companion Creation Justice commitment, embedded in the Church Covenant, pledges members to "do all we can to protect as well the birds, animals and plants on this fragile barrier island." The Green Team carries that promise into practice through recycling, careful purchasing of paper products and napkins, and reduced reliance on single-use plastics. Together these covenants give shape to a church that wants its welcome to extend to people and to the island ecosystem alike.
A Wider Mission: From the Food Pantry to Colombia
Outreach is part of the rhythm of the church. Members support the Gladiolus Food Pantry with regular donations of canned goods, children's cereal, pasta and pasta sauce, as well as paper towels and toilet paper, dropped off in the narthex on Sundays. The church is associated with missionaries Alex Maldonado-Lizardi and Xiomara Cintron-Garcia, who serve in Colombia. The Hurricane Preparedness Committee also keeps the congregation ready, sharing resources from F.I.S.H. of SanCap and a regional hurricane preparedness packet with local motel and hotel information.
On the social side, a Men's Group and a Women's Group host monthly luncheons - now open to all SCUCC men and women regardless of where they live. The Santiva Islanders Cardio and Strength Class meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall, and a Choir Sunday each spring and a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service round out the year. Visitors who need a ride from Shell Point or Cypress Cove can ask the church office for help by noon on Thursdays.
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
Rev. Dr. Mark Boyea serves as Senior Minister. Before arriving at SCUCC in 2022, he spent eighteen years as Senior Minister of First Congregational Church UCC in Westfield, New Jersey, and as Lead Minister of First Parish Church, Congregational UCC in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. His earlier career included two decades as a coach, athletics administrator, faculty member, counselor and sport psychologist at institutions including the University of Maryland, George Mason University, Daniel Webster College and Thomas College. He and his wife Cindy make their home in Cape Coral.
The church is also blessed by two Pastors Emeritus. Dr. Ran Niehoff retired in 2008 after forty-one years of pastoral ministry, including seventeen years as Senior Minister of SCUCC, and continues to write on religion, science and consciousness for regional publications. Dr. John H. Danner retired in 2022 after twelve years as Senior Pastor, having previously served churches across New England, New York and New Jersey; he trained at Bangor Theological Seminary and Boston University and now lives in North Carolina. The Parish Nurse is Linda Convertine, R.N., B.S.N., a former nurse manager at Lee Memorial Health System. Renée Rawe directs Information Technology and Audio-Visual work, supported by Tech Assistant Kirsten Smith, an honorably discharged U.S. Army veteran. Terri Czeczotka serves as Finance Manager and Tammy Flatley as Church Administrator. Frank Palaia is the Moderator and Norm Boyd the Vice Moderator.
The church office is regularly open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the main phone line is 239-472-0497. Worship on Sunday mornings, the Thursday Bible Study on Zoom, the Tuesday Spiritual Exploration class and the music program each reflect the congregation's commitment to follow its long-standing mission: to love all people, grow in faith and work toward God's vision of justice, healing and joy.