Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa on April 5, 2026. Credit: MCCTampaFL / Facebook
Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa is celebrating 55 years of ministry next month.
Founded in 1971, MCC Tampa is the oldest formal LGBTQ+ organization in Hillsborough County. Over the years, the church has served as a spiritual home and community meeting space for everyone who has felt unwelcome elsewhere.
For Rev. Mark A. Ferreira, MCC Tampa’s acting Sunday Pastor, the anniversary is a celebration of the past and a reminder to keep going.
“Fifty-five years is a long time for any LGBTQ+ organization to reach.” Ferreira told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We stand on the shoulders of people who came together to create a safe place for queer people to worship. They built something beautiful, and we carry that legacy forward.”
Fierra said throughout the church’s history it has dealt with protests, vandalism and arson, but its central message has always stayed the same: “God’s love is for everyone.”
“Our work is far from over, and we’re arguably more needed now than ever,” he said. “Basic human rights are under attack, and we are determined to advocate for the marginalized, particularly our trans and immigrant siblings during this time.”
For MCC Tampa member Dorian Mayorga-Kennedy, the church—at 408 E Cayuga St. in Seminole Heights—played a major role in his life, helping him reconnect with his faith.
After growing up Southern Baptist, Mayorga-Kennedy told CL he struggled to reconcile his faith with teachings that rejected LGBTQ+ people, causing him to eventually stop attending church.
Years later, he found MCC Tampa and decided to visit saying “When I arrived, I was instantly welcomed and reminded that God has a seat at the table of grace for me and others like me.”
Since joining the congregation, Mayorga-Kennedy has volunteered in the church’s food pantry and married his husband.
The church’s 55th anniversary, he said, is “a little bittersweet.”
“It means that we’re still needed, but that our resilience and faith will not fade,” he said. “Our work will continue so long as other churches keep failing to live up to Jesus’ message of God’s universal love for all”
MCC Tampa will commemorate its 55th anniversary with a worship service on Sunday, Aug. 9, followed by a lunch celebrating the congregation’s history and future.
“Our anniversary celebration is a great time to visit or return to MCC Tampa and experience community,” Rev. Fierra said. “All are truly welcome. Come as you are, there is room at the table.”
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This article appears in July 23 – 29, 2026.
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