March 2021

By PAUL GUZZO, Tampa Bay TimesTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A church service has not been held at the 115-year-old First Congregational Church building in decades.But it still feels like a place of worship, with the deity being Arturo Fuente, the…

Crammed between an aging bus station, fire station and the Salvation Army, the Ridge Street storefront of the former Mount Zion Baptist Church is easy to miss despite its soaring spire and large for sale…

The wooden benches rest comfortably on the green carpet, which covers the entire floor of the sanctuary. The walls are lined with stained glass, and the sun shines through the windows, dazzling the purples, blues, and yellows that make up…

TAMPA — A church service has not been held in the 115-year-old First Congregational Church building in decades.But it still feels like a place of worship, with the deity being Arturo Fuente, the Tampa-rooted international cigar…