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No one knows for certain when the Baptists set foot on Florida soil, but historical evidence indicates that some of the first Baptists in Florida were Southern slaves who had escaped to promised freedom under Spanish rule (1783-1821). Many early settlers entered the state by boat, which resulted in a diverse geographical distribution. Along the coast, they came to Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Key West, Tampa and Pensacola. Although some preaching and organized worship may have occurred earlier, the first established Baptist church in Florida was the Pigeon Creek Baptist Church. It was organized on January 7, 1821, in Nassau County near what is now Callahan. The Spanish flag still waved over Florida. Subsequently Baptist churches were established at Campbellton and Sardis in 1825, and in Jefferson and Leon Counties in 1829.