It is safe to say First Baptist Church of Midway won’t find another pastor quite like the Rev. Mitch Weissman.
His Sunday best hides a proud collection of tattoos that snake around both arms and legs. And just a few years ago, before he injured his back in a four-wheeler accident, it wasn’t out of the ordinary to see Weissman rumble up to the church on a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy.
But, after 18 years leading the Plant City Church, Weissman has stepped down from the pulpit. His last sermon was Nov. 17.
The Great Recession has been particularly harsh on FBC Midway. In 2008, the church had changed its name from Midway Baptist Church to First Baptist of Midway. It was a strategic decision to position the church for anticipated housing boom in North Plant City. The church also expanded its facility, adding an entirely new building to accommodate growth.
“We’ve been here for 115 years,” Weissman said. “And we wanted to make sure people knew we were the church down the street. We wanted to get ahead of the curve.”
But, so far, the growth hasn’t come, and the church still owes $1.4 million on the expansion project.
Weissman, 57, said after much consideration and prayer, he decided his resignation was in the best interest of the church.
“Originally, my thought was that I would stay until it (the building) was paid off,” he said. “In my mind, it was resolved. But, I prayed and prayed, and I had a stirring in my heart. I thought, ‘Maybe the next guy can come in with a fresh perspective and take this to the next level.’
“I never wanted to be the guy who you had to pry his fingers from the pulpit,” Weissman said.
Throughout his 33 years in ministry, Weissman has debunked any and all Southern Baptist preacher stereotypes. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he was reared in a traditional Jewish household. His family later moved to Florida. After two years of college, he joined the U.S. Navy but ended up homeless in the 1980s on the streets of San Francisco. He begged for money, smoked pot and dropped LSD.
He later returned to Florida and, with the help of the GI Bill, enrolled at the University of Central Florida as a music major. He spent his nights performing blues guitar at local bars, washing it all down with alcohol and more marijuana.
Then, God intervened. A friend convinced Weissman to attend an evangelical revival by promising to get him high beforehand. But, despite the haze of the drugs, the preacher’s words began to make sense.
Weissman bounced around several churches of various denominations and finally pulled his motorcycle up to a Baptist church in Orlando.
For the first time in his life, he felt welcomed. He began attending regularly and reconnected with a woman who later became his wife. Weissman switched his major to education and graduated. He then enrolled into a Baptist seminary in New Orleans. He first served at a church in Vineland, N.J., before returning to Florida.
“I’m a biker/hippie/redneck who loves the Lord,” Weissman said.
The week before he preached his last sermon at FBC Midway, Weissman flew halfway around the world on a missions trip to Africa. There, he assisted longtime friend Pastor Emmanuel Eli Fiagbedzi, who leads Liberty Centre Assemblies of God Church and The King’s Voice Ministries.
“I feel like the Lord is moving me to do other things like missions trips,” Weissman said. “I’ve been in ministry a total of 33 years, and I want to see as much as I can. I want to see what God wants to do with me, and I am excited for the next half of my life.”
Weissman said he also has a few books he’d like to finally put down on paper, and he’s always open to opportunities to preach.
Outside of ministry, Weissman, a Walden Lake resident, said he also will enjoy spending more time with his three grandchildren.
And, as the economy continues to recover, Weissman is confident the church will enjoy success as the community grows.
“The future is good,” he said. “At FBC Midway, our focus has been an openness to irregular, non-traditional church people. I don’t care if you have tattoos, purple hair, chew tobacco or are a race car driver — we embrace everyone.”
Still, although Weissman said he is at peace with his decision to step down, he will cherish the memories he made at FBC Midway and the time he was able to serve.
“I’ve buried the old, blessed the young and married them in-between,” he said. “It’s been a great ride.”
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
PULPIT SEARCH COMMITTEE
First Baptist Church of Midway has formed a Pulpit Search Committee to find its next leader.
To submit a résumé, email Jack Westenbarger, Jack@fbc midway.org.