That prayer was answered in November when Disaster Relief hosted its inaugural Hispanic Chaplain Training School, an initiative leaders see as the start of a new chapter of ministry growth.

Fifty-six men and women completed the one-and-a-half-day training, preparing to serve as spiritual and emotional support in the aftermath of crises and natural disasters. The training sessions were conducted in English by chaplain leaders Dale Simmons, John Long, and David Coggins, director of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief. At the same time, Moises Bermudez provided simultaneous Spanish interpretation through a live-voice translation app, ensuring full participation for Spanish-only-speaking attendees.

Before the event, all Florida Baptist Disaster Relief chaplaincy training materials were translated into Spanish using artificial intelligence and then thoroughly reviewed and corrected by bilingual volunteers. This team effort ensured the content was accurate, clear, and accessible for future Hispanic-led trainings.

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief leaders expressed deep gratitude for God’s provision and for the partnership that made this initial training possible. Coggins highlighted the importance of building a multilingual chaplaincy team, saying, “Disaster does not differentiate between languages, peoples or cultures, so we must have volunteers who are ready to serve everyone no matter the language. Having Hispanic chaplains helps us bridge the gap that sometimes exists between Spanish-speaking communities affected by disaster and the relief available to them.”

Hispanic pastors and ministry leaders played a crucial role in supporting the event, and Disaster Relief leaders are now identifying and training Spanish-speaking instructors to lead future chaplaincy courses.

As Florida Baptists continue responding to crises across the state and beyond, adding trained Hispanic chaplains enhances FBDR’s ability to minister in people’s heart languages, offering hope, prayer, and compassionate presence when it is needed most.

“I would describe the hurricane season this year as a relief,” said David Coggins, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief director. “We were prepared and ready to respond if needed, but we are grateful for a quiet season.” 

After an active 2024 season, the pendulum swung the other direction in 2025. The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30, concluded without major impact on the U.S. mainland. Although catastrophic Hurricane Melissa brought historic destruction to parts of the Caribbean, FBDR volunteers were not needed for a full-scale domestic response. 

“The biggest event this season would have to be the Category 5 hurricane that hit Jamaica, eastern Cuba and Haiti,” Coggins said. “During that same time period, there was some flooding in central and southeast Florida that we responded to and assisted with cleanup.” 

“I would describe the hurricane season this year as a relief,” said David Coggins, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief director. “We were prepared and ready to respond if needed, but we are grateful for a quiet season.”

David Coggins, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief director

Florida Baptists were among the first responders in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa moved through, beginning what has become a long-term recovery effort. Coggins said FBDR’s primary partnership on the island is with the Jamaica Baptist Union. Teams continue to work alongside volunteers from Tennessee, Ohio and North Carolina, as well as Send Relief. 

“We will continue that work through late December and then revisit plans with the leadership of the JBU, Send Relief and the IMB,” Coggins said. “Our teams have been able to minister to communities around these churches as they work, and many from those churches have joined in rebuilding their community church.” 

With the hurricane season now closed, FBDR leadership is preparing for the year ahead with planning meetings and additional training opportunities. 

January will include regional leadership and coordinator meetings, followed by multiple volunteer training dates set for early 2026. 

Coggins noted the next weather-related threats come with spring tornado season, which often brings severe storms across the state. 

“We always want to be prepared for any event that gives us the opportunity to meet the needs of people impacted by disaster or tragedy and bring the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are hurting,” he said. 

For more information about upcoming trainings, visit flbaptist.org/events. Additional details about Florida Baptist Disaster Relief can also be found online. 

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief and Send Network remain committed to supporting recovery efforts in Jamaica following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. The Category 5 hurricane was among the most powerful storms ever to tear through the Atlantic.

Billy Ray, a retired international missionary and minister who attends First Baptist Church Wildwood, and JD James, a member of Central Baptist Church in Monticello, were among the first Florida Baptist Disaster Relief team members to set foot on the ground in Jamaica. Joining Send Network in partnership with the Jamaica Baptist Union, volunteers worked to repair roofs on local churches.

Local churches have become sources of hope and help for people who are displaced and without access to daily necessities such as clean water and food. Functioning as relief centers, churches are distributing food and supplies to community members.

The team has faced challenges due to widespread infrastructure damage. With only one main road open, heavy traffic has hindered progress. Volunteers leave their hotel at 5:30 a.m. and make multiple trips to transport team members between the hotel and the church. “Traveling in hurricane-affected areas is always challenging, but Jamaica brought it to a whole new level,” James said. “Our group had to turn around several times after hours of travel because roads were washed out or flooded.”

Supply chain disruptions have also made sourcing materials difficult, with many suppliers out of stock on construction items needed for repairs.

“Serving was a great reset for me,” James said. “It was amazing to see storm survivors praising God for their lives being spared. Instead of looking at all the material things they had lost, they were grateful for the gift of life.”

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief plans to maintain a presence in Jamaica through December and potentially into 2026. The primary goal is to help local churches reach a place of healing so they can continue serving those in need in their communities.

James encouraged others to pray, give and serve in the affected areas “even after the news stories end. This will be a long recovery in heavily impacted areas, with rebuilding continuing for years to come.”

Editors Note: To provide financial gifts to aid Hurricane Melissa response efforts, visit the FLDR giving page.

On Saturday, Nov. 1, even as damage assessments are ongoing, FLDR will send a two-man team to Jamaica to partner with Send Relief/International Mission Board and local leaders in disaster response. The following week, a four-person Florida Baptist team will join in response efforts. Additional FLDR teams will continue to respond in the coming days, weeks and months.

Hurricane Melissa, with high winds, deadly storm surge and torrential rainfall, left a trail of devastation and death in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti. A Category 5 hurricane when it hit Jamaica on Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa is one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Caribbean.

“Florida Baptist Disaster Relief is grateful for our partnership with Send Relief and appreciative of the opportunity for ministry to join in the effort of responding to this devastating storm,” said David Coggins, FLDR director.

“Our volunteers are eager to minister to the people of Jamaica and beyond with all that we can do to help in this tragic time. They are eager to serve and to help bring the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ to these countries. These Florida Baptist volunteers did not hesitate at all when asked to step up to the challenge. Even with a lot unknowns, they are prepared to do whatever it takes to minister to the communities impacted and devastated at this time,” Coggins said.

After these first two assessment and response teams, FLDR “will continue to send teams and work with partners in Jamaica to bring ministry and hope to those impacted families,” he said.

To provide financial gifts to undergird Hurricane Melissa response efforts, visit the FLDR website.

According to the GHC website, the conference was “established in order to provide a vehicle to present lessons learned and other important information about hurricanes to public and private officials, especially local emergency management professionals, and those involved in preparedness, planning, response and recovery at all levels of government, industry and private interests,” with first-line responders being the primary target audience. More than 2,000 attendees are expected to attend the 2026 GHC, which includes general sessions, workshops, an exhibit hall and more, all designed to ensure best practices in hurricane preparedness and response efforts throughout the state. The GHC is considered to be the largest hurricane conference in the United States.

Those serving alongside Coggins on the program committee include, among others, county and state emergency management individuals s as well as representatives from various relief agencies and the National Weather Service.

As a first-time member of the committee, Coggins said, “I am thankful for the invitation and opportunity to be part of the program committee for the GHC. I look forward to learning and working with the committee to make the 40^th annual GHC a great success for the larger emergency management community across Florida and beyond.

“I think this invitation to be involved in the planning is a reflection of how our Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers have continued to serve our state over the years with critical service at times of need. This is a great opportunity to represent our volunteers, other non-profits and especially the faith-based community.”

Now, one year removed from weathering three storm surges—Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, Hurricane Debby in August 2024, and Hurricane Helene in September 2024—the people at First Baptist Church in Horseshoe Beach have learned more about God’s presence and His goodness in the midst of storms.

“You find out that God never really abandons you,” said Jack Cook, longtime church member and chairman of deacons. “We have more than doubled in size, and we’re unified all while rebuilding … He is good.”

The heartbeat of the northwest congregation, the only church within a 20-mile radius, remains laser-focused on rebuilding their sanctuary, searching for a pastor, and continuing to be a lighthouse for the community.

After Hurricane Helene’s 140-mph winds and 20-foot storm surge devastated the region, the church renovated its fellowship hall and began holding worship services within three weeks. “We knew that gathering together and worshiping the Lord was important,” said Cook.

Though the fellowship hall and parsonage are complete, the church’s sanctuary sustained extensive damage to its structure, as reported by the Florida Baptist Convention. Church members are still attempting to obtain a federal grant that would allow them to complete renovation efforts to their beloved sanctuary space and also are continuing to meet with county officials as they seek to address the structural concerns and repairs.

Church member JD Nobles, a sitting town council member since 2021, said that meeting with Dixie County officials and repairing the sanctuary is their “key focus” as they continue to “move forward” and rebuild.

“We desire to be back in the sanctuary, and we’re trying to secure a federal grant that will help us do that,” said Nobles.

At the time, it was reported that the hurricane trifecta had wiped out nearly half of Horseshoe Beach’s homes. Brett Selph, a church member and longtime fishing guide in the community, claims that it is a miracle that there was no loss of life within the close-knit community.

“We’re grateful that we had no loss of life in our community,” said Selph. “Everything else we can build back.”

Though the rebuilding and countless repairs seem to be a lingering process and uphill battle, the sentiment of church members is excitement as they continue to celebrate new guests weekly­– resulting in doubling their attendance–the launch of a new men’s morning Bible study, and an overall revived interest in the neighborhood church.

“The destruction has brought people closer to the Lord,” said Cook. Selph echoed Cook’s sentiment by adding that “this is an exciting time” for the church.

Also highlighting the goodness and kindness of God is local church cooperation. The Florida Baptist church is grateful for City Church in Tallahassee partnering right beside them and providing an interim pastor as they continue in their pastoral search.

As church members reflect on God’s goodness, they also recognize the beauty of good old-fashioned Baptist cooperation and prayer. The local church is asking for Florida Baptists across the Sunshine State to pray that the Lord sends the congregation a doctrinally faithful man to be their next pastor and for continued resources to complete the rebuilding process they began almost one year ago.

For senior pastor inquiries, contact David Hoffman, the chairman of the pulpit committee, at rdhoff419@gmail.com.

“We’re outside with the sand gnats, but God has given us good weather and that’s amazing,” said Henry Cannington, associational missions strategist for Taylor Baptist Association who is serving as interim pastor. “It can be pretty hot this time of year, but we’ve had just the right wind, and God is blessing us.”

While holding services outdoors may not seem ideal – due to the heat and the bugs and all – Cannington said the “come as you are” atmosphere is very attractive to area residents in the Big Bend area of Florida, which include vacationers and those with second homes.

“Being under a pole barn in a new location is sort of exciting,” he said “People show up who normally don’t go to church. They see that we’re not a so-called ‘normal’ church – the old traditional kind – and they see us as being flexible. We are not confined by four walls. We don’t have any walls. We’ve got open air out here. We’re not worried about stained glass and stuff.”

And while this is in the Keaton Beach area, this is not the typical Florida beach that tourists think of, Cannington said, noting it’s not like the beaches at St. George Island or Panama City to the west. “Our beach is a different kind of beach. It’s not a wavey beach. We call it the flats because it’s not really deep. When you do baptisms at this beach, you got to make sure it’s high tide.”

When Hurricane Helene struck in September 2024, it was the third storm to hit the area over the course of 13 months and the most damaging, with an estimated 90% of homes in the area destroyed. The reported 10-12-foot storm surge brought in about eight feet of water, flooding the former church building up to the ceiling and destroying everything, including all of the church’s written history. In the days after, church members and volunteers came in to help with cleanup, pulling all the furniture, office equipment, supplies and more outside into large piles, resembling what you see at a landfill.

To rebuild or renovate that building was deemed too expensive because the property is in the flood zone and building codes require any new construction to be high off the ground.  The church began holding services beneath a pole barn on a church member’s property.

When people learned about the church’s misfortune due to social media and this story from the Florida Baptist Convention, volunteers came to assist with cleanup efforts and donations came pouring in from churches, Christian and charitable organizations, and individuals from throughout Florida and beyond. The church was able to use some of those funds to buy 14 acres of land located about six miles away that is not in the flood zone and does not have the same building height requirements as the original property. They built a new pole barn on the property and began holding services there in the spring.

Now the church’s building committee is pushing ahead with plans for the construction of a new building on the property. They are hoping to start construction next summer with a mix of professional and volunteer help from churches and Christian groups like Carpenters for Christ and Campers for Christ. The church has raised about $300,000 from internal and external contributions toward its goal of $500,000 for this project.

While church members are excited about the future, Cannington said change is not always easy.

“It’s almost like God speeded it up for us to see great things happen,” he said. “We would have been stuck there because you fall in love with your facilities and you wouldn’t want to move. But you’ve got to enlarge your space so you can reach people. That’s what God has done. He has opened the doors for us, and this will probably be the largest church in the area.”

The church is currently averaging about 70 in attendance, but often it’s more like 80 or 90. “We had over 100 on Labor Day weekend,” he said. “We have visitors coming every week, like first-time guests. Not every church can say that.”

The church has a trailer near the pole barn that is used for its young children. Half of the space is used for a nursery, and half is used for children under third grade. Meetings for small group Bible study are currently held in members’ homes, but soon they may begin meeting in the parsonage at their former location, which is high above the ground. Members are still discussing how they will use that facility or if they might sell the property. They have also started the process of searching for a new pastor.

Cannington said he has often used these verses from Ephesians 3:20-21 to encourage members:
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.”

“The One who parted the Red Sea, who fed the Israelites in the wilderness, who rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls with Nehemiah, He’s the One who can rebuild the church right here,” he said.

“They have really latched on to our great God. He’s the One who is able to do it. He’s the One we’ve got to look to! So, there’s that spirit of expectation and it has unified them. They are excited and looking forward to reaching their community.”

With Florida being right in the middle of hurricane season, these updates are coming at a great time, according to Mark Weible, mission strategist for the association, who only got his ham radio license about a year ago. Since then, he has discovered the many applications of this technology and a new community of people who are practitioners.

“A year ago when I started studying for my ham radio license, I had no idea that I would get this far deep into it. Or that it would be this practical,” he said.

Establishing a network

In pursuing his license, Weible is hoping to establish a network of ham radio operators among all 67 churches in the association. The idea is for each church to have its own ham radio operator so that all the churches can communicate with one another and relay information in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster.

“My number one reason for doing this was simply to reach out to our churches,” Weible said. “If we were to have a hurricane, I’d need to know which churches have power, which churches are not damaged and which churches can host disaster relief teams. I’d need to know which churches need help and which ones can help.”

He has asked local pastors to help find ham radio operators in their congregations, but they’re not always so identifiable or forthcoming about their hobby. And it’s not something that a pastor would typically know about members of his congregation. So far he has about 13.

After passing the test to become licensed, Weible joined the Silver Springs Radio Club to get to know more ham radio practitioners. The club has about 160 active members, including three from local Baptist churches.

He also joined the Marion Emergency Radio Team, or MERT, to help him understand how to use ham radio for emergency purposes. The team operates the ham radio at the county’s Emergency Operations Center during disaster situations. Joining the team resulted in the donation of telescoping ham radio antenna – it goes from 7 feet to 30 feet – to Marion Baptist Association. It was being replaced at the Marion County Division of Emergency Management, and Weible asked if he could have it for the association.

Volunteering with that team led him to develop an Emergency Communications Plan for the association using the letters PSA. P is for “Primary,” such as the cell phone and office phone. S is for “Secondary,” such as the Starlink satellite internet service, which allows you to text and call from your cell phone via Wi-Fi calling. A is for “Auxiliary,” or amateur radio.

Tools to use during emergencies

“If the phones are not working, if Starlink isn’t working, then we have amateur radio we can turn to,” he said. “Cell phones, land lines and Starlink depend on infrastructure that you can’t control. Ham radio is just two people with radios. There is no required infrastructure.”

He’s also learned about Winlink, an important tool that amateur radio operators use to send emails via radio waves. A church could use Winlink, for example, to get an email to the county’s EOC letting them know how many people they are feeding each day during disaster relief or what type of supplies are needed.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA even uses Winlink to send various templates or government forms to those needing assistance after a hurricane.

Radiograms are another form of communication that amateur radio operators can use to send messages across the airwaves. They’ve been around since the founding of the Amateur Radio Relay League in 1916. Radiograms are often used for day-to-day messages, birthday greetings and more. But during disasters, operators can send radiograms to and from areas hit by storms or hurricanes for wellness checks.

Serving alongside Florida Baptist Disaster Relief

Weible plans to combine his newfound radio skills with the chaplaincy training he completed last year with Florid Baptist Disaster Relief. As he’s checking on people impacted by storms and engaging in spiritual conversations, he can also help them get messages to friends and loved ones in other areas to let them know how they are. That type of communication can be vital during a crisis.

“If they are emotionally distraught because they have not heard from their family members or vice versa, they may be so upset that they can’t eat,” he said. “As a chaplain I can take that message and get it to our communications team right away with my radio. This can have immediate impact and an immediate benefit because communication is a basic human need.”

That’s the type of service churches could be providing to the public after disaster hits if they have a radio room set up with a communications team of volunteer radio operators.

Many ham radio operators enjoy this as a hobby or sport, Weible said. They compete in contests and win certificates and awards for things such as making contact with someone from around the world.

“Some people do it purely for fun, just like some people watch college football all day on Saturday,” he said. “There’s science in it; there’s math in it. There’s the sense of adventure and exploring. There’s the sense of problem solving. That’s why it’s a hobby that once people get into it, it kind of becomes consuming.”

Sometimes these enthusiasts may just need a little direction, Weible said, an invite or a push in the right direction to see how they could be using their talents to help others.

“They have all the knowledge; they have the equipment but no one saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you use this for emergency communications. Why don’t you do pass along radio grams or WinLink messages? Why don’t you do this to help the people in your church communicate with their family members who might be in a disaster themselves or in another location?’”

Now that the association has its radio room set up, Weible plans to show it off to local churches and ask them to consider setting up their own rooms.

Getting his ham radio license and joining the local radio clubs has exposed him to a whole new community of people. When they ask why he got into radio, he tells them about his role at Marion Baptist Association and how he wants to help churches communicate with one another and help each other during times of disaster. He even keeps a radio in his car now.

“Now they know about Florida Baptist Disaster Relief and now they know there are Christians who live out their faith by serving others as volunteers during times of disaster,” he said. “It helps them to see the very positive side of what it means to be a believer, what it means to be a follower of Jesus and what it means to be a church member. This has allowed me to have a positive witness with a group pf people that I would never have had access to before.”

There had been no disaster in Sarasota in late April. Why the obvious disaster relief presence?

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers showed up in Sarasota on Good Friday as “fair-weather” friends–ready to serve in times of joy, when skies are blue.

Disaster relief teams served thousands of community residents who gathered for First Sarasota Downtown. As disaster relief volunteers partnered alongside volunteers from  First Sarasota Church, the event included worship, baptisms, an Easter egg hunt, more than 5,000 hotdogs, and a special message from Florida native and College Football Hall of Famer Tim Tebow.

This day’s festivities were just one of many “blue-sky” events for Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers to share their skills, training and love for God and neighbors.

Blue-sky events are opportunities for trained disaster relief volunteers to serve Floridians in non-crisis times—something that energizes Rich Rigdon, associate director of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief.

“So often, our volunteers are only serving during very high-pressure and fast-paced situations,” said Rigdon.

With a background in the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, over the past four years Rigdon has learned to be “flexible” as he and David Coggins, director of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, seek to serve Florida Baptists well. Looking for more creative and effective ways to serve churches across six regions, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief is using its equipment and resources in a more multipurpose capacity.

“We want to be good stewards of the giving and resources we have to serve the convention of churches,” said Rigdon. “Our goal is to keep the box trucks empty in order to pivot and be ready to mobilize.”

Regional disaster relief teams are not only trained and available to serve in triage mode, but also to offer assistance and training to churches as a tool and resource for ministry and community-wide events. Whether cooking hot meals, delivering dry goods, or working with a variety of ministries, disaster relief teams are utilizing more modular and multi-use equipment.

Blue-sky events include serving at Next Generation summer camps, feeding the National Guard, offering national disaster relief training, assisting at associational meetings and more.

“It’s the very definition of missional—loving on people and interacting with people,” Rigdon said.

‘Right beside’ local churches

While the blue-sky events help train new disaster relief volunteers and local church volunteer teams, allowing teams to serve in more joyous ministry occasions, the events also champion the Florida Baptist Convention motto of being ‘right beside’ local churches.

“Our goal is not to be there as disaster relief; we want to represent the church, for the local church to be the beacon of light in the community,” said Rigdon. “This is why we don’t set up in school parking lots or parks; we want to champion the church.”

Not wanting to be in competition with churches, but rather to be in cooperation and complementing what Florida Baptists are doing in their communities, Rigdon said the blue-sky events are a “win-win” for his team.

“These [blue-sky events] are a win-win for us,” he said. “They are things that we can do well, with the supplies that we already have, and we can highlight churches and come alongside churches at the same time as we serve and participate with them.”

“Florida Baptist Disaster Relief is blessed to work alongside our amazing churches,” he said.

“When Hurricane Helene came through, we got hit with three feet of water … we lost about 90% of everything we owned,” said Rentz. “I couldn’t even get into the house at first because all the water had picked up our furniture and jammed it against the door. And then when I finally got in, it was sobering. The fridge was flipped over, baby dolls were floating by—I just sat there for awhile before I called my wife. And all I could say was, ‘It’s bad. What do we do now?’”

The answer to his question, ‘What do we do now?’ was quickly answered the day after Rentz returned home when the beauty of the local church was on full display. Teams of Florida Baptists from Covenant Life Church in Tampa—Rentz’s sending church—immediately jumped into action, helping the pastor wade through what was left of his family’s belongings.

Reflecting on the “beauty of the local church,” Rentz recalled how teams of more than 30 people worked tirelessly to salvage clothing and toys, dry out documents and photos of memories, and have his wife’s jewelry professionally cleaned mere days after the Category 4 hurricane made landfall.

“We had people coming out of the woodwork to pray, encourage, call us, and really seek to care for us,” he recalled. “They started grabbing clothes, toys, anything they could save. We had a crew in the backyard cleaning Legos. We had a lady who owns a jewelry shop take what she could salvage of my wife’s jewelry to get it professionally cleaned. They worked in shifts—morning, afternoon and evening—it was amazing to see.”

Not only did Covenant Life Church step in to help, but also Rentz’s home church—First Baptist Church Quincy. The West region Florida Baptist church hosted a spaghetti dinner, that matched funds of $5,000 to help the Rentz family “get back on their feet,” he said.

“These two churches are perfect examples of what it means to be a loving church,” said Rentz. “In these moments it is wonderful to see the church shine bright, not a building but a people, united in its love for God and love for others.”

Clinging to the “Right Beside You” mantra, Rentz is grateful for local churches and Florida Baptists who refused to let him feel alone.

“More important than money and resources, is the feeling of never being alone,” he said. “These are people who really do care about your soul and your family, and who love you in Christ.”

Unwavering faith

“This church planter and young family were rocked to the core by the hurricane, but unmoved and unwavering in their faith in the Lord,” said Jeffery Singletary, Florida Baptists’ Central region catalyst. “They were even more committed to rebuild and relaunch … This is the type of faith all church planters must embrace.”

And rebuilding and relaunching are exactly what they have done.

After relocating to central Florida from the campus of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, Rentz and his family became faithful members at Covenant Life Church in Tampa. After planting themselves there, Rentz became a lay pastor and then completed a residency program with the Florida Baptist church. In 2022, Rentz, his family, and 17 people moved to plant a “healthy local church over the bridge” in St. Petersburg.

And a healthy, local church is exactly what Rentz is cultivating in central Florida.

‘Vast need’

Now—four months removed from the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene—Rentz is not skipping a beat as the church planter is looking for fresh new ways to serve the unique community of St. Petersburg.

Describing the region as “not heavily churched,” Rentz is convinced that the gospel need is great and the “opportunity to love and reach people” is even greater.

“We exist to glorify God by building community that treasures Christ as king and displays His truth, beauty and love to St. Petersburg and the nations,” he said.

The two-year church plant recently changed its meeting location from an established church fellowship hall to a more centrally located city recreation center. Seeking to be faithful and reaching all people with the gospel, Rentz led his congregation to be “on the frontlines” of serving college students at a newly established Baptist Collegiate Ministries group at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus.

“We’re in an area where it is driven by consumerism, a Sunday funday mentality, living for themselves, desiring to come down here and live their best lives,” Rentz explained. “We want our church to be able to speak into that.”

Describing himself as a “missions-minded pastor,” Rentz is thrilled to be able “go somewhere, stay somewhere, and serve somewhere” long-term. Settling in and planting roots has really allowed him to see the beauty of a local church in a city “where there is a vast need,” he said. With this in mind, Rentz and his wife, Christina, are excited to be closing on their first home. After several months of their two-year-old daughter saying “I want to go home” every day, Rentz is excited to be closing on the family’s first house at the end of this month, once again, a testament to what Rentz calls “building our dependence on God more.”

“In our suffering, God has allowed us to build our dependence on Him more,” he reflected. “It was a testimony to others that our faith is real … We don’t just love God because our lives are comfortable.”