While the most comprehensive numerical data is typically released in the late second quarter of each year through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Church Profile report, ministry leaders and catalysts have already begun noting encouraging trends across Florida Baptist life. 

68 new church plants across Florida 

James Peoples, director of Send Network Florida, noted that 68 churches were started across the state in 2025. An additional 132 registrants and candidates are currently in the pipeline, working through the church-planting process. 

In addition to tracking new plants, Peoples gathered data from the more than 250 total Send Network church plants in Florida. During the year, these churches reported 2,859 salvations, 1,521 baptisms and more than 21,500 gospel conversations. 

56 new Hispanic Disaster Relief chaplains trained 

For the first time in Florida Baptist Disaster Relief history, chaplaincy trained 56 new Hispanic volunteers, expanding the ministry’s reach for future disaster response efforts. Leaders noted this milestone fulfills a long-standing vision to better serve communities across Florida’s diverse population. 

Disaster Relief leaders also highlighted ministry opportunities to be among the first on the ground after catastrophic Hurricane Melissa swept through Jamaica and other Caribbean nations. Long-standing relationships and faithful cooperative financial support continue to allow Florida Baptists to serve on the front lines during times of crisis. 

Next Gen Baptist Collegiate Ministries sees 81 called to ministry, 125 salvations 

One of Florida Baptists’ four mission imperatives focuses on calling out more God-called leaders. Baptist Collegiate Ministries across the state reported 81 students sensing a call to ministry during 2025. 

BCM student leaders also maintain a strong emphasis on evangelism across college campuses. As a result, 125 salvations were reported through campus outreach efforts. 

Thanks to the faithful giving of Florida Baptist churches, collegiate students are equipped with on-campus facilities and ministry networks to reach the next generation of leaders. 

Community Ministries records significant impact through feeding and mobile dental efforts 

After compiling regular ministry reports from across the state, Marc Johnston, community ministries catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention, reported that feeding ministries recorded 1,119 salvations during the year. 

Through 33 mission appointments, the Mobile Dental Unit also shared the Gospel more than 1,400 times. The unit continues to provide tangible care while opening doors for Gospel conversations in local communities. 

Churches pre-register for Crossover 2026 in Greater Orlando 

Promoted in late fall, churches in the Greater Orlando area have begun strategically planning to host ministry opportunities through the North American Mission Board’s Crossover event, scheduled for the first week of June 2026. Churches can participate by hosting, serving or praying. 

Fourteen churches have already indicated interest in hosting Crossover-related ministry efforts, which convention staff says is the beginnings of a large momentum push towards incredible moments of evangelistic outreach in Great Orlando.  If you are interested in serving next Summer, please click here. 

As noted, this is only the beginning of the numbers worth celebrating from 2025. 

“Thank you, Florida Baptists, for your faithful partnership in the gospel,” said Stephen Rummage, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention. “Your cooperation is making a real impact—across our state and around the world—as we reach people for Christ.” 

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.

This year’s diverse, multilingual graduating class reflects BUF’s expanding mission to prepare global Christian leaders. Students from South and Central Florida, along with Haitian, Hispanic, and English-speaking communities, gathered with family, friends, and distinguished guests to celebrate academic excellence, spiritual growth, and the advancement of Christian higher education.

“This historic class represents the heart and future of BUF,” said University President, Dr. Clayton Cloer, “Their accomplishments stand as a testimony to our founding vision and our continued commitment to train leaders who serve Christ around the world.”

Commencement ceremonies highlighted the growth of BUF Global initiatives and celebrated first-generation college graduates, ministry leaders, educators, and professionals equipped to serve in multicultural settings.

Baptist University of Florida extends its congratulations to the December Class of 2025 and looks forward to seeing them impact churches, communities, and nations with their calling and preparation.

For more information, visit www.buf.edu

Photo Caption: Aramis Rodriguez Coutin (second from left), president of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention, shares with Hispanic Florida Baptists how God is moving through the Cuban Baptist Church during a Hispanic Fellowship Lunch at the Florida Baptist State Convention in Orlando.

ORLANDO–When life becomes difficult, even overwhelming, Cubans are turning in faith by the thousands to the only One who can offer hope amid the despair.

In the past 13 months, the island nation has been wracked by natural disasters, with earthquakes and hurricanes unleashing terror on the disaster-weary Cuban people. In the final quarter of 2024, two back-to-back earthquakes rocked Eastern Cuba Nov. 10, creating widespread damage and power disruptions in areas still recovering from Category 1 Hurricane Oscar, which struck Eastern Cuba Oct. 20, and Category 3 Hurricane Rafael, which made landfall in Western Cuba Nov. 6, 2024. More recently, Hurricane Melissa hit Eastern Cuba, in the Santiago de Cuba province, as a Category 3 storm in late October 2025, causing devastation and power outages due to 120 mph winds, flooding and landslides. 

Disaster relief from the natural disasters has become almost a way of life for Cubans in the storms’ paths. Although, Florida Baptist churches’ generous giving over the years allow resources to be positioned before storms occur. 

As if natural disasters were not enough for the Cubans to experience, a heartbreaking apparent-gas explosion in May 2022 devastated the historic Saratoga Hotel in Old Havana, Cuba, and also rained destruction on nearby Calvary Baptist Church, the first and largest Evangelical church in the country. Originally, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering was the key fundraiser for the purchase of the building, which was also home to offices of the Western Cuba Baptist Convention, organized in 1905. The Western Cuba Baptist seminary was founded in the building. Annual meetings for the convention were held in the spacious historic church, with a membership of about 1,200. 

Although it’s been more than three years since the explosion, the building is still unusable; repair is ongoing, slow and painstaking. Demolition and clean-up are complete; now the rebuild is getting underway.

“These three years (since the explosion) have been really difficult,” expressed Barbaro Marrero, president of the Western Cuba Baptist Convention. “I have this hope that the whole nation will see the rebuilding. And it’s going to be a testimony of the power of God for the whole nation.”

“I can only imagine the celebration when we can go back to that building again with many people, many churches, even unbelievers, to go and see God’s work. I think (the rebuild) is going to be an opportunity for the gospel. Buildings can collapse, but the Church moves on.”

Running to Jesus

In a recent in-person interview in Orlando, Aramis Rodriguez Coutin, president of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention, said, “In Cuba, we have the experience that every crisis results in people coming to the feet of Christ. It’s like those people we’ve preached to for so many years, until they face a difficult situation, it’s as if they’re just not interested. But when they realize that the only solution and the only way out is in Jesus Christ, they have to run to Him.”

Marrero agrees, “God is working; He is touching many people. Many people are realizing the need for God. Many people are finding hope in Jesus Christ.”

He continued, “I think when we are in trouble as human beings, we recognize how fragile we are, which is good because sometimes we think we are immortal, that we have superpower, which of course we don’t have. But when we are in trouble, in trials, in tribulation, it’s easy to realize that we need God, we need to depend on Him desperately.”

Thinking back to the 2024 earthquakes, Marrero said, “When the earth trembles, we have the good tendency to put our eyes on heaven. And I think that’s what is happening in Cuba and in other places as well.”

Marrero stated that the Western Cuba Baptist Convention is reporting “the highest numbers of baptisms in the history of the convention. Most of our churches are packed with people.” Havana Baptist Seminary, which Marrero also serves as president, “has the highest enrollment in the history of the seminary. The Lord is raising a new generation of leaders.”

With the large enrollment, the seminary experiences growing pains, always needing more space and resources.

In Eastern Cuba, “The Baptist work in Cuba grows every year. We have the joy of planting more than 25 churches every year over the past 25 years. It is a work that enjoys the presence of the Lord. I can confidently declare that the hand of God is with us because He works every day and surprises us in a difficult context where there are many problems and many needs, but the hand of the Lord works in favor of His people, His Church and our convention,” Coutin said.

Many of the new churches are launched and continue to meet in homes, even as churchgoers find themselves squeezing into limited space. Some of these homes damaged heavily by Hurricane Melissa still offer a physical and spiritual refuge for Cubans.

Not alone

In facing these crises and the gospel opportunities, Cuban Baptists are not alone. 

Florida Baptists have partnered with the Western Cuba Baptist Convention since 1997 and the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention since 2013. Through the partnerships, Florida Baptists provide resources, send mission teams and pray in an effort to undergird Cuban Baptist efforts at meeting needs while proclaiming the gospel.

“We thank the Lord for the Florida Convention,” Coutin said.

Marrero is grateful for the partnership; he describes the partnership as an encouragement and blessing. “You’ve been an encouragement for us for many years. We don’t feel alone because you are with us. We have been able to continue. Our request will be to please continue by our side. We are blessed with this partnership.”

During the recent 2025 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Orlando, the Western Cuba Baptist Convention welcomed a pledge of financial resources from the convention to help in the rebuild of a new convention building. Also, Mike Orr, pastor of First Baptist Church in Chipley and outgoing president of the Florida Baptist State Convention, pledged financial resources from his church to undergird Havana Baptist Seminary in its mission to educate Cuban church leaders. A team from First Baptist Church in Chipley recently returned from a mission trip to Cuba, with Orr stating, “As a team, we came away spiritually renewed and encouraged by our Cuban brothers and sisters in Christ. Spending time with them and sharing the gospel with others rekindled our fire for evangelism and gospel conversations.”

Prayer ‘gives strength … encourages us to keep going’

Coutin and Marrero know that prayer is the foundation of all that God is doing through His people in Cuba. They urge Florida Baptists to pray for their Cuban “brothers and sisters” as the gospel changes lives.

“Knowing that the Florida Convention, our brothers and sisters in Florida, are praying for us is something that gives us a lot of strength and encourages us to keep going. Pray for strength; pray that God’s grace will continue to be poured out over our lives.

“Pray that we can continue doing the work that God has entrusted to us. Pray that we remain faithful in the midst of the difficult times we are living through. Pray that we do not give into anything or anyone, and pray that we can keep bringing the gospel to people with or without resources, with or without opposition, but that we do not stop because there are so many people who need Christ Jesus,” Coutin said.

Marrero added, “Pray for the Lord to raise new leaders. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest We can see the need of leaders when Jesus said, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’” 

He requested prayer also for “the rebuilding of Calvary Church and the convention headquarters. Pray for the pastors and their families–that they may have a boldness in a time like this (and that) the Lord would continue providing for their needs.”

Looking ahead

Both Coutin and Marrero remain hopeful for the future of Cuban Baptists.

“We believe that the future of the church is in God’s hands; we can understand that the church stands firm. The church keeps moving forward. The church continues to grow, and the Lord continues to plant churches in other places because nothing, no one, can stop the Church of Christ, and circumstances will never be able to overshadow the love of the church,” Coutin said.

“I think that the best day for Baptists in Cuba is in the future,” Marrero said.

To contribute financial gifts to the Western Cuba Baptist Convention or the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention–please send checks payable to the Florida Baptist Convention, 6850 Belfort Oaks Place, Jacksonville, FL 32216. In the memo line on the check, designate either Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention or Western Cuba Baptist Convention. Further designating funds to specifics ministry may also be written.  Please email communications@flbaptist.org with any questions. 

“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.

From the beginning, Margaret approached her work with care, intentionality and a deep love for the mission of Florida Baptists. One of her lasting contributions has been the leadership of the Florida Baptist writers’ network; a group of five writers positioned statewide to cover ministry stories from every region. Through workshops, training sessions and personal encouragement, Margaret helped sharpen skills in storytelling through words, photos and videos, creating a supportive community where communicators could thrive.

Her dedication was especially visible during moments of crisis. Following Hurricanes Debby, Milton and Helen, Margaret’s coverage of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers captured not only facts but compassion. She highlighted the hope of the Gospel and the heart of ministry on the front lines of disaster relief. Those stories went on to receive multiple Wilmer C. Fields Awards at the 2025 Baptist Communicators Association annual gathering—national recognition that affirmed the depth of her craft and her heart for people.

Florida Baptist Convention Executive Director-Treasurer Dr. Stephen Rummage shared these words of gratitude during his opening remarks at the State Board of Missions meeting Tuesday, November 11:

“I want to take just a moment to express our deep appreciation to Margaret Colson, who is completing her service as our Consulting Communications Editor. Since joining us in April 2022, Margaret has brought excellence, creativity, and a real heart for ministry to everything she’s done. She has helped us tell the story of what God is doing through Florida Baptists with clarity, warmth, and grace. Across the Southern Baptist Convention, Margaret is recognized as a respected leader in journalism and communications—someone whose professionalism and integrity have strengthened Baptist life for many years. We’re deeply grateful for the dedication, skill, and spirit she has shared with us. Please join me in thanking Margaret for her faithful and fruitful service among Florida Baptists.”

Beyond her role with the convention, Margaret is widely recognized across the nation as a Christian communications strategist and leader. She currently serves as executive director of the Baptist Communicators Association and executive secretary of the Association of State Baptist Publications. She has written thousands of articles, authored books, trained communicators, led webinars, and continues to serve ministries through her writing.

Those who have worked alongside Margaret know that her impact goes beyond output—it touches people. She believes in the power of words and in the power of encouragement. 

Outside of work, Margaret and her husband, Keith, enjoy life in the Atlanta area and peaceful days on their farm in middle Georgia. They love to travel and reflect on the beauty and lessons found in God’s creation. Margaret is also an avid runner and walker recently having backpacked the 82-mile Georgia Section of the Appalachian Trail.

Her life verse fits the way she has served Florida Baptists these three years:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

—Hebrews 12:1–2

Margaret’s leadership, kindness, and unwavering commitment to telling the stories of God’s work have left a lasting mark and Florida Baptists are stronger because of it.

“We want to put on the full armor of God because we are playing an offensive game (in serving the vulnerable), and we want to pursue,” she said. The biblical passage on the armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18, “never talks about protection on your back. Forward pursuit, right?”

“Listen, trust, be faithful’

Speaking at the 2025 Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference held at First Orlando, Hatch described her personal journey to care for and serve the vulnerable.

“I was blessed to have a mother and father who were God-fearing and raised me in the church,” she said, adding that her parents provided opportunities for her to serve through missions. She recalled one “moment” as she served when she saw words emblazoned on a “big, white concrete wall at the very top.” The paraphrased message was from Isaiah 6:8: “And whom shall I send? And Isaiah said, ‘Here am I, Lord; send me,’” she shared.

“Those words have been seared in my brain and in my heart and, unbeknownst to me, that was a seed that was planted back in my childhood that I believe has woven the path that I’m walking today,” she said.

“And what’s great about that,” she said, “is it’s God’s plan and it’s His design” to call His people to serve.

“It’s my job to listen, to trust and to be faithful to His plan.”

‘Every moment matters’

At Celebration Church in Tallahassee, where Hatch is a member, Pastor David Emmert often challenges the congregation with the words, “Every moment matters.”

Hatch has taken those words to heart, “You don’t know what moment–that interaction with another human being–is going to make all the difference in the world, not only to them but also for future generations. Moments matter.”

To maximize moments to serve the vulnerable, Hatch believes that partnerships are vital.

“Hope Florida works to serve people at the earliest moment possible,” working with churches, not-for-profits and the private sector “to help families get back on their feet,” she said.

“Government cannot nor should not be all things to everyone,” she believes, stating that partnerships with “the church, performing as a body, as the hands and feet of Jesus, serving people every single day” is a key to making a lasting difference throughout Florida, with each partner embracing specific roles and “making sure we do not work in isolation if we want to serve people well.”

Hatch said that “individuals reach out to government many times on one of the worst days of their lives.

“How do we make the most of that moment and be the bridge? How do we as government make sure that we lift up people who need help with people who want to help?”

Since 2019, because of partnerships forged through Hope Florida, statistics indicate significant decreases in children entering foster care, in families relying on public benefits, in criminal justice offenders re-offending and in opioid-related deaths.

The task, now, she said, is to “maximize the moment. We want to put our foot on the gas a little faster. We want to keep going.

“It’s not always easy. We live in an imperfect world.

“Our prayer is that we are ready, as His followers, to try to make that moment matter not just for today but also for future generations.”

For more information on how your church can become a partner in serving the vulnerable, go to hopeflorida.com

ORLANDO– First Orlando, a multisite, multicultural church in Central Florida, has launched a new shared leadership model in which three senior pastors will share church oversight and collaborative governance.

The three senior pastors and their new leadership roles are: David Uth, who has served as First Orlando senior pastor for 20 years, is now senior shepherding pastor; Danny de Armas, who has served First Orlando since 2008, is now senior executive pastor; and Trey Hildebrant, who has served most recently as pastor of ministries at 12Stone Church, a multisite church in greater Atlanta, is now newly elected senior teaching pastor.

In their new roles, Uth will embody prayer, presence and pastoral leadership; de Armas will steward operations, ministries and organizational leadership, and Hildebrant will provide pulpit leadership, biblical instruction and doctrinal clarity.

Uth stated that he believes the shared leadership model “lines up more appropriately with Scripture,” citing numerous New Testament passages (Acts 13:1, 15:28, 20:17; Titus 1:5 and 1 Peter 5:1-2) in which early church leadership was built around a plurality of leaders rather than a single leader. The shared leadership model, he believes, also complements the giftedness of each leader.

He said he first became acquainted with the idea of shared church pastoral leadership as a doctoral student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

During Uth’s tenure at First Orlando, the church has grown from one location and two services to six locations and 13 services.

“It’s not the same church,” he said. All measurable church health numbers at First Orlando, such as baptisms, attendance and giving, are on an upward trend.

Still, he sensed some kind of leadership realignment was needed, and he wanted to move forward with care and prayer, acknowledging the church’s rich past while preparing the church for a future of continuing to reach individuals with the gospel of Christ.

“This is the Bride of Christ,” he said. “These are the people I love.” He stated he would not want to do anything that would harm the church in any way. “I was thinking about what’s best for the church. What’s best for us, where we are in this city, but also what’s happening in the country?”

 Uth began to explore the possibility of shared pastoral leadership more than three years ago.

“Danny (de Armas) and I began to dream a little bit,” he said, and they discovered a few churches using a shared pastoral leadership model, which First Orlando is describing as a “table of three.” Many corporations, he added, have also moved to a plurality of top leaders sharing responsibilities.

When Uth presented the shared pastoral leadership team model to the church about a year ago, he told the congregation that God was “moving us in a direction of a model that’s going to bring strength and greater possibilities for this church.”

He expected “some pushback because this is not very common among our Baptist churches, but the room was silent,” with only a few good questions, Uth said. Church members were ready to move forward and seemed pleased that the new leadership model meant that both Uth and de Armas would continue to serve the church they both loved.

Such shared pastoral leadership in a church, he said, provides accountability and stability.

A team was established to begin the search for a new teaching pastor, and Hildebrant became the unanimous decision of the search team.

Hildebrant, a third-generation pastor with rich Southern Baptist roots, joined Uth and de Armas for a short presentation to the church on Sunday, Nov. 9.

As the three sat around a table and spoke, Uth said that the shared leadership model is an answer to his prayer that First Orlando would be the “biggest small church” that anyone would ever come to. His prayer is that those who walk through the doors of First Orlando would find a “family. That’s what we want for the city of Orlando and beyond.”

De Armas added that as word about the leadership transition and Hildebrant’s election as senior teaching pastor has begun circulating, “The excitement about us doing what we believe God is leading us to do is really strong, and we believe this is a beautiful way forward.”

Hildebrant affirmed, “I could say this over and over again, but thank you to both of you because certainly your years of leadership and care and discipleship and shepherding have helped get First Orlando where it is today, and I feel unbelievably honored to step in and be a part of that and to lead alongside both of you. It isn’t what ‘was,’ it’s what we continue to do together.”

He added, “I love to preach the gospel. I want all of Orlando to hear the gospel.”

Uth continued that, as he walked into his office on Nov. 9, he read Psalm 139:15-16, which states that a person’s days are ordained by the Lord. The Lord knew this day was coming for First Orlando, he said. “This is the day the Lord has made, and we are going to rejoice and be glad in it, and welcome our new senior teaching pastor, Trey Hildebrant,” he said as the congregation applauded.

Minutes later, Hildebrant stepped up to preach his first sermon at First Orlando. He read 1 Thessalonians 2 and shared his core convictions, which he described as promises to the church: “I will preach for God first. I will give this work all I’ve got. I will honor you by how I live, in public and in private. I will care for you.”

He continued, “We are going to preach the gospel of Jesus here so clearly and so compelling that one day we are going to stand before God and thousands and thousands of people will be standing there with us. We will be soul-winners.”

Because Hildebrant is in his mid-thirties, Uth acknowledged that he and de Armas would help mentor the young senior teaching pastor. When Uth first accepted the call to First Orlando 20 years ago, then-senior pastor Jim Henry continued to serve the church for nine months as he helped Uth get settled into his new role. He remains grateful for Henry guiding him during that time of transition.

“We’re going to be able to really help Trey, build him up, resource him and build around him everything he needs to succeed,” Uth said.

As the younger generation is becoming more open to the gospel, Uth is pleased that Hildebrant is a young man who understands the world and culture of young adults and can speak gospel truth in that context.

“I think he’s the perfect one,” Uth said.

For Uth, the change is real as he will not be preaching each Sunday, which has been his role, he said, for the past 49 years. With the transition, he said he is looking forward to becoming “better acquainted with our church” that he has pastored for 20 years. “What an incredible people they are,” he said.

The most common question that Uth says he has received about the new leadership model is: “What happens if the three leaders disagree?” For Uth, “That was never even a question. I’ve done collaborative leadership all my life.”

If someone asks, “Who is the pastor?” Uth answers, “There are three of us, but really the top is the Lord Himself.”

ORLANDO— Herb Reavis, pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church, delivered a stirring message during the second day of the 2025 Florida Baptist State Convention in Orlando. Preaching from the story of John the Baptist, Reavis proclaimed that “Jesus is a Way Maker”—a Savior who works even when His people can’t see or feel it.

He began by reminding listeners of John the Baptist’s remarkable ministry. “John was the greatest preacher of his day,” Reavis said. “He had no facility, no staff and no social media. He preached in the wilderness, and yet people rushed out to hear him.” Crowds gathered as John called them to repentance and pointed them to the coming Messiah, declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

But in the passage found in Matthew 11:1-6, the scene was different. John was no longer preaching by the river but imprisoned by King Herod for condemning his sin. “He had confronted the king for taking his brother’s wife,” Reavis explained. “Now, instead of crowds, he faced cold walls and darkness.”

In that isolation, Reavis said, doubt crept in. “The greatest enemy of a Christian today is doubt,” he told the audience. “Doubt leads to discouragement.” John, the same man who had baptized Jesus and seen the heavens open, sent word from prison asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Reavis empathized with John’s question. “His circumstances had changed,” he said. “He was used to preaching under the open sky; now he’s cooped up in a cell. The crowds were gone. He went from hundreds being baptized to silence.”

Reavis challenged pastors and ministry leaders who might be feeling similarly forgotten. “Maybe you’ve fasted and prayed, and still you’re leading a church that feels like ‘Night of the Living Dead,’” he said to knowing laughter. “But success in ministry is not measured by visible results—because God is working in places you never thought He’d work.”

He shared a story from his own experience. Years earlier, he had pastored what he described as a “dead” church. “I thought nothing was happening there,” Reavis said. “But years later, I got a letter from a young man who told me I had baptized him in that church as a child—and now he was serving as a youth pastor preparing for seminary. God had been working all along.”

Reavis was careful to make a key point: “Doubt is not a sin,” he said. “The difference is what you do with it. John took his doubts to Jesus—and that’s what we must do.”

He then turned to Jesus’ response to John’s question. He told the disciples: “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” Reavis unpacked the depth of that answer. “The miracles of Jesus give us a foretaste of what’s to come,” he said. “They show that He cares, that He wants to relieve human misery, and they reveal the supernatural power of the gospel itself.”

“The miracles of Jesus,” Reavis continued, “carry a message: Just because you can’t see, feel or hear Me working doesn’t mean I’m not working.” He urged pastors to hold on to that truth in discouraging seasons. “Be encouraged. Keep sharing the gospel. Even if you can’t see Him working, be assured that He is.”

Closing with a word of hope, Reavis reminded the crowd that Jesus still makes a way where there seems to be none. “In your doubt, in your discouragement, in your disappointment—He is working. And one day, you’ll look back and see that the Way Maker was there all along.”