Mississippi roots fuel Florida church plant’s growing Gospel impact

By Tanner Cade

“Rob and his church are highly evangelistic.” 

Those words from Chad McCord, missions mobilization director for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, reflect a shared passion among Rob Jones, pastor of Redemption Church in Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Mississippi Baptist leaders who recently gathered to hear an update on the church plant during Connection Meetings over lunch. 

Jones, who has deep roots in Mississippi, planted Redemption Church in 2025. He most recently served as pastor of Ingomar Baptist Church in northeast Mississippi before sensing God’s leading to plant a new church in Florida’s panhandle after learning about the spiritual lostness in the area. Jones also has a heart for ministering to the region’s large military community, having previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps. 

McCord regularly hosts Connection Meetings across Mississippi to introduce church leaders to new missional opportunities at the local, national and global levels. 

Jones spoke at two Connection Meetings — one in Hattiesburg and another in Pascagoula — with the goal of encouraging attendees to take steps to mobilize their congregations for missions, both locally and beyond state lines. 

“Rob is growing his church, not through church transfers, but by getting out and meeting people in everyday places and sharing the Gospel,” McCord said. “My hope is that our churches, who all want to grow, will see that this is the way. 

“We must be sharing the gospel with the people we pass on the way to church — those who don’t even consider Sunday church attendance an option.” 

After officially launching in October 2025, Redemption Church recently celebrated moving from a school meeting space into its own renovated building in late January 2026. 

“I would summarize our church plant status in one word: favor,” Jones said. “God has certainly shown favor on our plant. We have baptized seven in the past couple of months and average 65 to 70 in Sunday morning attendance.” 

Redemption Church is located near Pensacola and is part of the West Region of the Florida Baptist Convention. 

“I met Rob about 18 months ago as he was preparing to lead a team from Mississippi to plant a church in the Gulf Breeze community,” said Brian Nall, west regional catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention. “Since then, it has been exciting to see his Gospel focus and kingdom-minded heart as he mobilizes a growing core group to launch Redemption Church and make an impact in the greater Gulf Breeze area.” 

In a recent post on the church’s Facebook page, Jones emphasized the church’s mission-driven identity. 

“We aren’t the fanciest church in the world,” Jones said, “but we are a group that loves Jesus and wants to make the kingdom known to the ends of the earth — starting right here in Gulf Breeze.”

Cade is Communications and Events Manager at the Florida Baptist Convention.