The Florida Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America was established in 1951. The Florida Conference campground was located in Kissimmee from 1938 until the property was sold in 1958. After that, various sites were used for summer camps and annual conference, hosted by Lakeland First, St. Petersburg First, and Sunshine Gardens, Orlando.

At the annual conference of 1964 a decision was made to search for a new campground site. Pastor Gordon Smith of Lakeland First and Florida Conference Superintendent Elmer Hood located a forty-acre site at the west end of Deeson Road in Hillsborough County. In February 1965, the conference “Camp Meeting Committee” met at Lakeland First Church and considered a proposal for purchase of the property. The decision was made to recommend to the annual conference to purchase the property at a cost of $30,000.

Youth camp, family camp, and annual conference sittings were all held at the campground in summer, starting in 1966. The services and annual conference were held in the newly-built dining hall “Hood Hall”. Campers and delegates stayed in tents, travel trailers, and the few cottages which had been constructed, and in homes of members of Lakeland First Church. During the first few years following the purchase of the grounds, in response to appeals from the Camp Meeting Committee, persons from Florida and from several states and provinces in the north leased property which had been subdivided. There were two general areas: the trailer section and the cottage section. Later, when larger trailers (called mobile homes) began to make their appearance, another area was developed for travel trailers. 

Reverend Howard C. Duncan was the first pastor appointed to the Light and Life Free Methodist Church at the camp. The building of the church was started in 1971 and first used in 1972. For seven years, Howard Duncan pastored the church, during which air conditioning, new pews, carpeting, and other improvements were made. The church was used for a regular schedule of services from September to June during these seven years. During July, August, and September the church was used by the summer camp program.

A parsonage was constructed in 1981 under the supervision of Mr. Bill Gilroy, a resident and retired contractor, as plans had been made to have a year-round pastor. Reverend Glenn E. Hughes was appointed by the Florida Conference with James Hecocks serving as assistant pastor during the winter months.

In 1985, an addition was built on the east side of Light and Life Church, called the “annex”. It includes a secretary’s office, two restrooms and additional seating for approximately 150 people. Additionally, at this time a steeple was added to the south peak of the church. After Glenn Hughes’ retirement in 1987, Bishop Emeritus Paul N. Ellis was appointed as interim pastor and James Hecocks continued as part-time assistant.

Sensing the need for an office for the pastor, a larger office for the church secretary, and an enlarged space for the choir, plans were made for an addition to the church structure in 1994. Construction began, following several months of negotiations with contractors and with Hillsborough County, on January 4, 1995.