Pastor Lee Osborne was called  to serve as Harmony Baptist Church's Pastor following the retirement of Pastor Vance Catlin on February 25, 2018.  Prior to that, he had served as Associate Pastor since September, 2015, and teacher since 2011. Previously, he had been active in several independent Baptist ministries since 1973, including planting and pastoring Victory Baptist Church in Upper Heyford, England (while stationed there in the Air Force). As a teen, he was licensed to preach by Eastside Baptist Church, Plant City in 1971. His new life in Christ began with salvation at East Thonotosassa Baptist Church in 1965.

Pastor Lee was born in West Virginia to Buster and Merkie Osborne, July 25, 1953 and has 5 siblings ( 1 brother, 4 sisters). The family moved to Plant City in 1960.

He met his true love, Diane, while attending Plant City High School, and they married right after graduating July 31, 1971. They have two daughters; Angela, married to George Harris, with 6 children, and Christa, married to Kerrwyn Richardson, with 2 children. Pastor Lee retired from the Air Force in 1992, and spent several years in other works, including driving over a million miles in a 'big rig'.                           

Pastor Lee's passion is to lead Harmony Baptist through teaching, preaching, and counsel; to grow in Christ as a loving family fellowship, bearing witness to the world of the amazing grace and power of God.

One of his favorite Bible verses is Romans 1:16 " For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;..."

Pastor Lee and Diane Osborne

Brother Catlin was born in Alma, Michigan on October 10, 1946 to Mr. & Mrs. John H. Catlin. While in elementary school, his parents answered the call of God to full time service and his father became a church planting missionary with Hiawatha Land Independent Baptist Missions, (now known as Continental Baptist Missions). He spent his teen years in Curtis, Michigan where his father pastored Curtis Baptist Church. He accepted Christ as his Savior after an evening chapel service while attending Summer Bible Camp as a 16 year old teen.

After graduation from high school, Brother Catlin satisfied his military obligation with service in the United States Marine Corps. After his discharge from the military, he came to Tampa, Florida to visit some friends and while in Tampa, applied to become a police officer with the Tampa Police Department and was hired after a few weeks. Shortly after being hired by the Tampa Police Department he met his future wife, Sandra. They were married on September 6, 1968. Brother Catlin and his wife have one son, John, and daughter in law, Erika, with three grandchildren, Julia, Haley and Jack.

He has said his role model in life was his father, who never had the chance to hear him preach as his father went home to be with the Lord in January of 1972, but his mother Elaine was very supportive and encouraging to him until she went home to be with the Lord in 2003. Prior to founding Harmony Baptist Church, Brother Catlin and his family were active in Good Shepherd Baptist Church, where he served on the Deacon Board, taught Sunday School, and served as music and choir director for several years. It was during this time that the Lord began to deal with him about full time ministry, and after surrendering to whatever the Lord wanted him to do, the Lord called Brother Catlin to Preach in 1992, and he was ordained in April of that year.

From March of 1994 until June of 2000, Pastor Catlin held down a full time job with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and also pastored Harmony Baptist Church. But in June of 2000, after 32 years in law enforcement, Brother Catlin retired to become a full time pastor. Pastor Catlin retired as Pastor of Harmony on January 21, 2018, and was bestowed the title of Pastor Emeritus.

Brother Catlin’s life verse is Philippians 2:16: “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”