The Starke Church of God by Faith was born out of the Church of God by Faith in Gainesville, FL under the leadership of Bishop James E. McKnight, Sr. The Lord led Pastor James McKnight, Jr. and his family to Starke, FL where he founded and held the first service on March 13th, 1987.  After meeting in a small rented building , the Church was relocated to an abandoned storefront at 721 Old Lawtey Road; infamously known as the “Possum House” as shown on the left.  The Church remained faithful despite many challenges including a number of burglaries, various types of pestilences and woefully inadequate facilities. During that period, only a few souls were added to the church. However, Pastor and Lady Delois reached beyond the walls by going door-to-door to share the Gospel.

The Pastor and Lady DeLois traveled all across the community transporting members to and from the church. They would sometimes pick-up three van loads of saints before church and get to service on time. With just 13 members, the Church purchased property and erected a new sanctuary at 730 Old Lawtey Road. It was dedicated in March 1994. The Church currently worships at this location where its membership has grown tremendously.

In the fall of 2005 the Church purchased the “Possum House” and several adjacent lots. This old building was transformed into a 5,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Community Youth Center that includes multi-purpose rooms, a game room, several classrooms, a computer lab and much more. It was dedicated January 27th, 2007.

In January of the same year, the Church purchased an additional 14 acres adjacent to its present location which it plans to develop in the future. The new campus will include an innovative worship center, educational space, children and youth complex, counseling center, administrative wing, book store and recreation area.