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.”

“The purpose of today’s meeting was to cast a vision for Crossover and to encourage pastors and ministry leaders to go ahead and get involved, whether that’s going to be hosting, if you’re in that target area, or coming in to serve and bring teams to serve alongside those host churches,” said JJ Washington, national director of personal evangelism for the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

Crossover is an annual effort in which Southern Baptists gather in the annual meeting’s host city a few days early to partner with local churches and blanket the city with the Gospel.  

The 2026 effort will focus on Orlando and the surrounding regions. While Crossover is open to all Southern Baptists, local churches serve as the foundation—volunteering to become host churches that plan and lead ministry events in their communities. Afterward, volunteers from across the nation come alongside them to provide support and resources. 

Tim Wilder, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Kissimmee, said the initiative aligns perfectly with his congregation’s renewed emphasis on evangelism. 

“Recently, my first sermon after sabbatical was about God’s not done and we’re going to focus on evangelism,” Wilder said. “With Crossover coming in June it made perfect sense. I told our church to take that week off before the convention, and we’re going to do a big weeklong mission trip here locally. We’ll be doing a bunch of different things to reach people.”

While NAMB has continued this annual event each summer, leaders emphasis this event is meant to be a catalyst for the local host church.  Once the week is over, the prayer is for local Florida Baptist churches to get an encouraging boost. 

“Crossover would help us to serve the community better, but also, I hope it will excite our members to get involved, to have some more gospel conversation on a daily basis,” said Charles Jones, senior pastor of New Covenant Bible Fellowship. 

Washington said churches that serve as hosts will receive valuable support and opportunities to expand their reach. 

“As a host church you are going to get help from more manpower to kind of do more in your community than you probably couldn’t do if it was just your church,” Washington said. “I would say definitely take advantage of that, and then obviously the opportunity for the Gospel. That’s what we are here to do. That’s what it’s all about.” 

The strategy is in place, but the greatest need at this point is for pastors to pray about becoming host churches. The geographic area for host churches includes congregations in the Greater Orlando Baptist Association, Ridge Baptist Association, Lake County Baptist Association, Brevard Baptist Association and East Central Baptist Network. Churches within these associations are encouraged to participate. 

“I think if a church is located in the open area, where you can host a Crossover, you should,” said Jones. “If a church is at a distance where you cannot host, I think you should join another church. Then we all are pushing for the Kingdom enhancement together.” 

During the 2025 Florida Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Dr. Stephen Rummage, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, announced a bold goal for Crossover 2026: 

• 1,000 participating churches 

• 10,000 Gospel engagements 

• 1,000 decisions for Christ 

“At Crossover, all kinds of people, from all kinds of churches will come together to proclaim one Gospel to every person we can reach in Greater Orlando,” expressed Rummage. 

“In June 2026, Florida Baptists get to participate in a moment that can create a movement right in our backyard where churches partner together,” said Patrick Coats, east regional catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention. “We get to unite on our common mission to push back darkness and reach Florida for Christ. I believe it’s an amazing opportunity.” 

Florida Baptists can participate in Crossover 2026 in one of three ways: 

1. Host a local ministry event. 

1. Serve alongside another church. 

1. Pray for Gospel impact across Central Florida. 

Churches and individuals can express interest by completing an online form. (click here) 

Additional information and resources will be shared in the coming weeks to help churches prepare for the 1,000 / 10,000 / 1,000 goals. 

“I thank God for our convention, our state convention, our local association, our convention that’s going to partner with us in reaching our communities right here,” Wilder said. 

“The whole concept is to help churches either start or sharpen their sending and leadership pipelines,” said Myles Dowdy, missions and ministries lead catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention. “It’s churches coming beside churches, and that’s what makes it so special.”

“Carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus is a kingdom assignment designed for the body of Christ to work together,” Dowdy added. “The Florida Senders Network meetings are so encouraging to participate in, as we get to witness churches coming beside churches as they encourage and strengthen each other in their kingdom work.”

Hosted by Calvary Church and led by Paul Colton, pastor of mobilization and sending, the meeting offered practical sessions on identifying, equipping and sending leaders from within the local church. The initiative, launched three years ago by Dowdy and Colton, aligns with the Florida Baptist Convention’s goal to discover, develop and deploy Great Commission leaders.

Sharpening the pipeline

During the two-day gathering, churches shared models of effective leadership and mission development.

The Grove Church in Titusville, represented by Pastor Barry Russell and Executive Pastor Dustin Sams, discussed their process for discovering and developing leaders. From North Carolina, Mercy Hill Church leaders Jonathan Yarboro and Adam Hatton presented on creating systems that sustain a culture of sending.

Calvary’s own Carl Porter spoke on identifying and developing leaders within the local church, emphasizing the importance of helping members recognize their calling through intentional discipleship and everyday gospel engagement.

“We wanted to gather churches that are sending and create an environment where we could collaborate and sharpen each other to get better at sending across the board,” Colton said. “At the end of the event, we want leaders leaving with something tangible to take home and implement right away.”

Churches helping churches

The Florida Senders Network reflects a growing movement of churches helping churches. While the Florida Baptist Convention provides logistical support and resources, local churches drive the initiative.

“This isn’t a program of the Convention—it’s a ministry of the local church,” Dowdy explained. “Our large churches like Calvary want to help smaller ones learn what it means to send well. They’re not getting anything out of it; they’re just equipping others.”

Looking ahead

This fall’s meeting marked the third gathering since the network began, and plans are already underway for additional meetings in 2026. Colton and Dowdy hope to see the effort expand regionally so more churches can participate.

“Our hope is that churches across Florida will take ownership,” Colton said. “When churches lead, it grows stronger and lasts longer.”

Dowdy agreed, noting that the movement is fueled by cooperation and celebration.

“Missions leads to celebration,” he said. “We want churches celebrating what God is doing because every victory is a kingdom victory.”

A touch of excitement was in the air on a clear and calm Sunday morning at First Baptist Church of Bartow.

Longtime member Janet Pitts and her teammates were busy transforming the church’s ministry center into a beautiful dining setting for a historic occasion.

Outside, smiling greeters awaited the opportunity to welcome guests and members for worship.

The day had come to celebrate the church’s 150^th anniversary with a special service, followed by a churchwide dinner. Throughout the year, Pitts, the anniversary team and others had planned and promoted the event throughout the community. Pitts said she couldn’t have felt more privileged to serve.

Established in 1875 with 10 founding members

The church was founded Sept. 21, 1875, by 10 people as Concord Church, which later was named Bartow Baptist before becoming First Baptist Church of Bartow. The founding of the church came as Bartow was in its formative years. In 1866, Jacob Summerlin, a cattle businessman, wanted to help the town and donated land to establish government buildings, a school and local churches. Twenty acres were gifted to establish the Baptist church.

Elder Jeremiah M. Hayman led the founding members and became the first pastor of First Baptist Church of Bartow. Later, Hayman became a missionary in central Florida and helped start many churches throughout the state.

On Sept. 7, the church unveiled a Polk County Heritage Site marker on its grounds. The marker was sponsored by the church and the Polk County Historical Commission.

The marker is both special and personal to church member Emmett Ferguson Griffin, as he is related to Elizabeth A. Griffin, one of the 10 founding members noted on the sign.

The 85-year-old Griffin and several members of his family attended the anniversary service. They were part of the 333 people who gathered in the 100-year-old sanctuary, where at age 9, Griffin was baptized. He and his wife of 45 years, Margie, were also married in the historic sanctuary.

“I just feel comfortable in this church, and it feels like going home every time that I go,” said Griffin.

‘Lord has blessed this church’

At the beginning of the service, a congratulatory video welcomed the congregation. About 20 people, which included pastors, friends and various leaders from all over the country, sent their well wishes to honor the church’s milestone anniversary. Later in the program, another video was played that featured several members who gave their thoughts on the church’s legacy.

Senior pastor Matt McCraw, the church’s 28^th pastor, stepped forward to thank and welcome special guests such as Betsy Deaton, the widow of former pastor Norman Deaton, and local dignitaries, including Bartow Mayor Tanya Tucker and several city commissioners. McCraw then shared a congratulatory letter from former pastor David Sutherland, who served the church 1977-1982.

McCraw paused and smiled at the congregation.

“The Lord has blessed this church. Amen,” he said.

‘A beacon of the gospel’

“While it is good and right to celebrate all that God has done,” McCraw reminded the church of its mission to develop disciples and to look to its future.

“Our eyes should not only look backward but also should look forward to the future. God is not near finished with First Baptist Bartow. This church is a beacon of the gospel here in Bartow, Polk County, the state of Florida and beyond,” said McCraw.

McCraw then introduced his lifelong friend and guest speaker Aaron Burgner, senior pastor of Lakes Church in Lakeland, formerly First Baptist Church of Lakeland. Burgner and McCraw grew up together in Lakeland. Both men also serve on the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference. Burgner is president of the conference, and McCraw is vice-president.

Burgner drew his message, “An Authentic and Faithful Church,” from 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10. He commended the church for always being faithful and Word-centered.

“It’s important that we know that what we’re celebrating today is not that we’re 150 years as a church but 150 years of God’s faithfulness to a people and a people’s faithfulness to God and His Word.

“For 150 years, you’ve been tethered to the Word of God,” said Burgner.

“And (McCraw) has always had his heart tethered to God’s Word,” he added.

‘Biblical truths alive in our hearts’

Member Sandra Waters said she appreciates how McCraw preaches from the Word.

“It’s really, really wonderful,” she said.

Waters is an advisory board member, and she and her husband of 64 years, Larry, have been members of the church for 50 years.

In September 2017 when McCraw came to serve as pastor, the church was struggling, Waters recalled. Attendance was down, and the church had been without a pastor for about 18 months.

“God had impressed upon my heart that we needed the Word,” she said.

“I knew when (McCraw) came, God had sent him here, and there was no doubt in my mind,” she added.

Waters also admires how McCraw reaches out to people.

“He cares about people, and that shows in what he does. And he cares about reaching beyond the four walls of the church too,” she said.

During the first couple of years McCraw served, he didn’t see much growth as attendance was running about 160-180. Also, several members passed away.

“But the Lord started blessing (us), and we started growing,” said McCraw.

The church grew every year since, except during the pandemic when attendance fell. Now the church averages about 200 in attendance on Sundays and continues to reach new people in the community. In 2025, the church had 12 baptisms.

McCraw gives credit to the Lord and the members for the growth. He said members invite their friends and neighbors to the church.

“I cannot remember a Sunday when we haven’t had at least one guest,” he said.

“And often we have multiple guests from multiple households,” he added.

Don Scarbrough, chairman of deacons, likes how the church is growing under McCraw.

“With Pastor Matt our church is headed in the right direction,” he said.

Scarbrough also thinks people come because they like hearing how McCraw preaches from the Word.

“Matt preaches directly from the Bible, and I think that’s what keeps people coming back,” he said.

“We want people to know that they are welcomed in our church, and that spreads pretty quickly,” he said.

Member Matt Ferrell and his wife Manda and their family felt the church’s welcome when they joined the church four years ago. The family with six children, now ages 13 to 21, had moved from Ohio to Florida.

Matt Ferrell also appreciates how McCraw teaches the Bible.

“Number one is that (McCraw) preaches the Word of God, and second is that it’s very much like being in a family here,” he said.

“As a church, everybody is so loving and caring for each other. We immediately felt like we were loved and taken in by the church. That’s been great,” he added.

Member George Grubbs calls McCraw “Rabbi Matt” because of his Bible teaching.

“Pastor Matt has been a blessing to the church and especially to me. He’s taught me a lot about the Bible and explains verses to me, and I am thankful for that and enjoy that very much,” said the 30-year member.

“The Lord has blessed us with good Christian families and is building the church up with Pastor Matt and his family,” he added.

“Everything is going great,” he said.

Jayme “DeeDee” McKinnish, 31, who serves as assistant children’s ministry coordinator, is also pleased with church growth with the new families and children.

McKinnish, who was baptized at age six in the church, grew up in the church and values all of her church teachers throughout her childhood.

“I am excited about the future of how we can continue to make disciples with these children and really just make a difference in their lives,” said McKinnish.

Member Cherylann McGirt, who joined the church by baptism about four years ago, enjoys working with the youth and with McKinnish.

“I am a new disciple, and I hope people know that biblical truths are alive in our hearts,” said McGirt who was baptized in her 60s.

“I hope that we can share the love of Christ with others and that (it) would explode in our city and that would go out into the world. We are a ripple in the water to let people know who we are in Christ,” she said.

McCraw thinks the future of the church is bright.

“I’m excited because I think the hard work of reunifying ourselves and realigning our church has been done, and we are now ready to be unleashed to make disciples, and I think the future is bright for us to do that,” said McCraw.

The Baptist Heritage Award seeks to recognize and honor those Florida Baptists who have exhibited rare and unusual dedication to the cause of Florida Southern Baptist history. Making a significant contribution can be made through such means as researching and writing Baptist history, teaching Baptist history, preserving Baptist history, and/or promoting the importance of Florida Southern Baptist history.

“In considering a potential candidate to be the 2025 Baptist Heritage Award recipient, the Society’s board of directors determined that Joel Breidenbaugh, for the past two decades, has demonstrated an unusual commitment to the teaching, researching and writing about Baptist history and related fields,” explained Donald Hepburn, managing director of the Florida Baptist Historical Society.

The award is slated to be presented during the annual meeting of the Greater Orlando Baptist Association Oct. 12.

 Breidenbaugh has served as pastor of Gospel Centered Church, Apopka, since August 2017. During the past eight years he has led this congregation from a mission start to a fully functioning church with more than 100 persons in attendance each week. The church is involved currently in a building fund drive to underwrite the construction of the church’s first permanent facility.

 In addition to his local church leadership, Breidenbaugh has been a teaching scholar since 2002, having served as a part-time classroom teacher and as an on-line professor. Those schools have included Liberty University’s School of Divinity, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Baptist University of Florida and Oklahoma Baptist University.

 His subject matter expertise includes a range of disciplines: Baptist history, church history, New Testament, theology, preaching, church ministry and personal evangelism, among other topics.

As a writer, Breidenbaugh has prepared numerous articles for scholarly publications, including a regular series of articles for The Church Revitalizer E-Magazine. He has written more than a dozen topical articles for the Journal of Florida Baptist Heritage. In addition, he has written six articles, including biographical profiles on three historically significant Southern Baptists, which were included in the five-volume compendium, Encyclopedia of Christianity.

 Breidenbaugh has earned three academic degrees, including the Bachelor of Arts from the Florida Baptist Theological College (now known as the Baptist University of Florida) as well as a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

This year, he will conclude his service as chair of the Florida Baptist Historical Society’s board of directors, a position he has held since 2020.

 Since 1997, 29 individuals have been conferred the Baptist Heritage Award by the Florida Baptist Historical Society. These persons represent a broad range of Florida Baptists including pastors, denominational workers, college and seminary professors, and laypersons, all of whom have demonstrated an interest and commitment to researching and publishing Florida Baptist history. The Florida Baptist Historical Society operates under the auspices of the State Board of Missions of the Florida Baptist State Convention, which appoints the Society’s board of directors.

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.”

CLERMONT— On February 10, Primeira Igreja Batista em Clermont (First Baptist Church of Clermont – Brazilian) celebrated its one-year anniversary with a moment of unforgettable joy: the baptism of a man named Marcelo, whose story of salvation has already begun to ripple into his family, the community and the nations.

When Marcelo arrived in the United States from Brazil, he had no prior contact with Christianity and had never stepped foot inside a Christian church before. But on Marcelo’s first Sunday in America, a mother from the young Brazilian congregation invited his son to attend a church gathering taking place in the community clubhouse. Marcelo, his wife and his young son, and little daughter went to the gathering—and they stayed.

“They came for breakfast,” said church planter Wilson Cordeiro Jr., “and they never stopped coming.”

As the family became increasingly involved in Sunday services and small group meetings, Marcelo said that God began to stir his heart. He professed faith in Christ, began a discipleship journey and was ultimately baptized on the day the church marked one year of ministry.

But the story doesn’t end there.

“As Marcelo was being baptized, his mother who lives in Brazil, watched his baptism through the streaming, called to him and said, ‘I want to be baptized too,’” said Cordeiro. “She had also come to faith in Christ, and one month later travelled to the United States, and we had the opportunity to baptize her as well at Clermont Lakefront Park.”

Now, Marcelo is growing in his faith and even leading a Bible study with his mother-in-law, father and father-in-law, who still lives in São Paulo State, Brazil.

A new church with a clear vision

The launch of Primeira Igreja Batista em Clermont began as a whisper from God, said Cordeiro, in September 2023. After sensing a burden for the large Brazilian population in the Oakland/Clermont area, Cordeiro and his wife began to pray.

That burden reflects a growing reality. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, nearly 130,000 Brazilians now call Florida home. The Brazilian immigrant population in the U.S. rose nearly 50% from 2010 to 2019, reaching more than half a million. The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan area, which includes Clermont, is among the top five metro areas for Brazilians nationwide, with an estimated 34,000 Brazilian immigrants—about 1.24% of the total local population. This demographic growth underscores the strategic need for gospel-centered, culturally attuned churches like Primeira Igreja Batista em Clermont.

This burden and this prayer led to a February 10, 2024, launch, but the journey wasn’t without its challenges.

What started with just two families gathering on Fridays quickly grew. By March, the small group reached 45 people—too many for Cordeiro’s two-bedroom apartment. The group visited more than 35 possible meeting places, before an unexpected door opened.

“One day during a house service, someone mentioned First Baptist Church Clermont,” Cordeiro recalled. “We connected with one of the deacons, who passed our contact info to the associate pastor, Pastor Randy. They welcomed us in.”

Since May 2024, the young church plant, whose sending church is PIB Florida, has met at First Baptist Clermont led by Pastor Ben Bond, which has embraced the Brazilian congregation as part of its wider missions vision. First Baptist Clermont is also home to Haitian and Spanish-language ministries and is known for its generosity and gospel focus.

The Brazilian church meets on Family Fridays, beginning with fellowship and food at 8:00 p.m., followed by worship at 8:45 p.m. and Bible studies for every age group until midnight. On Sundays, the congregation gathers at 6:00 p.m. for worship and teaching. Average attendance is about 60, with peaks of 80 or more.

“Our vision is centered on family and the next generation,” Cordeiro said. “We’re investing in children, youth and young adults—and already we see fruit.”

Codeiro is grateful for the generosity of Florida Baptists’ giving to the Maguire State Mission Offering which has undergirded the planting of Primeira Igreja Batista em Clermont as it seeks to reach the growing number of Brazilians moving into his community.

Sending and being sent

Even as a young church plant, Primeira Igreja Batista em Clermont has set its sights on the nations. The Brazilian congregation is already supporting missionaries in São Paulo, Brazil, and Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, reflecting the belief that a missions-minded church is a healthy church.

Cordeiro sees every step of the church-planting journey as God’s doing.

“My only encouragement to other pastors is this: ‘Rest in God; be obedient, and He will do what He needs to do. It’s not because of us—it’s because of Him. I earnestly urge Baptist churches in the United States to embrace what God is doing among diverse cultures. By opening their doors to multicultural Baptist church planters whom God is bringing to this nation, they have a unique opportunity to participate in His mission. This is a chance to use the buildings God has already provided as a powerful tool for advancing His kingdom through cross-cultural ministry.’”

As the church continues to grow, Cordeiro asks for prayer for faithfulness, strength and continued unity between the Brazilian congregation and the English-speaking body at First Baptist Church Clermont.

“First Baptist Clermont has been a phenomenal partner—a true missionary church,” Cordeiro said.

“We’re grateful for the way they’ve opened their doors and their hearts to what God is doing.”

WINTER GARDEN—After seven years of successfully planting in one of the hardest areas of New England—Boston—Jay Mudd is now back in central Florida with a heart to multiply.

With a passion to “create environments that provide an opportunity for people to hear and respond to the love, grace and truth of God’s Word,” Mudd believes we should “never stop praying, dreaming and risking in order to position people and the church to have a front-row seat to seeing God do far more than we can think or imagine,” he said.

Strategically gathering at Hamlin Middle School in Winter Garden, Village Point Church is reaching the rapidly growing area of Horizon West, a master-planned community within Winter Garden in southwest Orange County.

Mentoring and training others

While in the trenches of church planting himself, Mudd is simultaneously mentoring and training the next generation of church planters and seeking to multiply gospel-preaching churches in the Sunshine State.

Understanding that Florida does not have enough local churches to serve its growing population, Mudd is continuously doing his part to train and multiply. It is understood that Florida Baptist churches need to be multiplying at a rate of 4% annually in order to effectively reach and serve growing communities. However, according to Send Network Florida, the current multiplying rate is 2.3%—highlighting a desperate need for more Florida Baptist churches.

“Whenever I am asked why we need more churches I always ask this question, ‘How many people do you know who do not go to church?” he said. “Why do we plant churches? For those people who you know personally who are not currently connected to a local church.”

Mudd is grateful for his Florida Baptist family who, through funds given to the Maguire State Mission Offering, become partners in church planting efforts throughout the state.

The need for local churches compels Mudd to actively coach and train a handful of church planters in the Florida Baptists’ Central region—Kenneth Ortiz in one of them.

More churches draw more people in

“I coach many of the planters in the area and know Kenneth Ortiz very well,” said Mudd. “He is a planter who is working very hard, has seen his share of adversity, and is doing a great job in the state.”

Previously serving as a professor and recruiter at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis and a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, Ortiz relocated from Minnesota to central Florida to plant Horizon City Church.

After gathering in homes for several months, the new church plant officially launched last October in south Winter Garden in a local elementary school. Now gathering at Cinépolis Cinemas, the almost one-year-old church plant continues to fix its eyes on Christ, Ortiz said.

Seeking to “make disciples who treasure Christ,” Horizon City Church seeks to be a “community of believers that treasures Jesus Christ together, finding satisfaction and happiness in him,” said Ortiz.

Horizon City Church champions expository preaching, building relationships among community residents, and growing a deeper relationship with Christ.

“What makes Horizon City different is the church’s high emphasis on being an ‘easy-entry community’ and giving people a simple way to get involved in the church, building new friendships and a deeper relationship with God,” he said.

Similar to Mudd, Ortiz chose central Florida—specifically Orange County—due to its rapidly growing population and the desperate need to multiply Bible-believing churches.

“I am thoroughly convinced, based on numerous studies and surveys, the probability of anyone attending church in a local community goes up significantly as there are more options for a church,” said Ortiz. “The more churches there are, the more likely it is that people will attend church. Someone asked me, ‘Does Winter Garden really need another church?’ Winter Garden needs another 25 churches!”

“I am certain that the longevity of pastors has contributed to the church’s maturity,” said Pastor Hodges, who served on the church staff with his father from 1976 until 1981. After his father passed away in 1981, a young Hodges was called to follow in his father’s footsteps as lead pastor.

The Florida native has led the church to become a sending, Great Commission church. Investing more than 40 years in pastoral ministry, Hodges considers it a privilege to “point people to Jesus and teach them to live dynamic and productive lives for Christ.”

“Our church has always placed great emphasis on evangelism,” said Hodges. “The Great Commission is always presented and emphasized at our church.”

Each year, three weeks are set aside on the church calendar for Hodges to preach the Great Commission, and a prayer board is set up in a prominent space in the foyer as a visual reminder for church members to share their faith. The church also hosts an annual missions conference to challenge and remind church members about the privilege of Great Commission participation.

Convinced that cultivating a heart for missions and evangelism within the church begins with leadership, Hodges personally has invested in missions as he has traveled to more than 35 countries, ministering to missionaries, leading adult and teen mission trips as well as challenging the church to give more than four million dollars to missions.

“When leadership in the church genuinely has a heart for missions and for souls, it will carry over to the church membership,” he said.

And that heart will carry over into giving, church planting and supporting missionaries.

“Our church gives somewhere between 15-20% of our annual budget to missions,” said Hodges. “Our church has planted 20 churches in America and several others through international missions. We support 32 missionaries around the world, with some unlisted as they are serving in restricted-access nations. And our church recently has become the sending church for a Spanish mission work in Polk County.”

In its own community, the church is involved in local public schools, community rescue missions, meals-on-wheels, pro-life pregnancy clinics, and the Florida Baptist Children’s Home in Lakeland.

Located in one of the fastest growing areas in the country—Polk County—Hodges attributes the church’s fruitful ministry and reputation, both at home and abroad, to consistency.

“Our church is unique in that we have been consistent in our message and our ministering to our community,” he said. “That has given us a good reputation and testimony.”

For Hodges, the focus on missions and evangelism emanates from a focus on Scripture.

“Man’s methods, ideas or intellect will lead the church astray if everything is not grounded in the truth of God’s Word,” he said. “The biggest aid to the church is a man of God speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Does Hodges have a secret to his faithfulness and longevity in pastoral ministry?

“Faithfulness,” he said, “is a gift from God. The blessing of faithfulness comes when we have a daily walk with God and yield to His Spirit. Associating myself quite frequently with godly pastors has been a source of encouragement and help in staying faithful.”

Although Pastor Hodges has no plans of slowing down anytime soon, the church is prepared when he does decide to retire. In January 2022, the congregation voted on calling Nathan Braymer, who has served on the pastoral staff of Winter Haven Baptist Church since 2007, as its next lead pastor.

As the church celebrates its 60^th anniversary, Pastor Hodges’ prayer is that God will use him and the people of Winter Haven Baptist Church to continue “loving God, loving others and making a difference.”

]]> https://flbaptist.org/from-father-to-son-church-celebrates-60-years/feed/ 0 https://flbaptist.org/north-river-church-parrish/ https://flbaptist.org/north-river-church-parrish/#respond Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:31:34 +0000 https://flbaptist.org/?p=50201 PARRISH—North River Church in Parrish, an unincorporated community in northwestern Manatee County, is going “above and beyond” to reach its community with the gospel.

North River Church began as a church plant from West Bradenton Baptist Church in October 2010. Within three years, the church became an autonomous Florida Baptist church, and in 2015 the church purchased 10 acres of land for its future church home. After meeting at Williams Elementary for almost 10 years and growing to just under 300, the church moved into its new facility in October 2020.

What launched as a church plant of 10 core people is now a multigenerational church experiencing unprecedented growth in southwest Florida. Within just six months of moving into its new church home, North River knew it would only be a temporary space.

“We saw a little bit of an increase, but within six months it was very apparent that we were going to be going into two services,” said Scott Kerlin, worship and media pastor at the church. “I don’t think anyone expected that. It really was just a God moment in our church’s history.”

What most churches interpret as a problem, North River Church is seeing as an “opportunity.”

In Manatee County, 67% of people are unchurched—that’s more than 200,000 people. With thousands of young families moving into the community each year, North River Church is strategically located to reach the newcomers.

“The Lord in His kindness, His goodness and His providence has placed North River Church in a rapidly growing community,” said Michael Kennedy, the church’s lead pastor. “We have thousands of people moving into the community whose only hope is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and so it’s an amazing opportunity that we have before us.”

Recognizing that people are starving for truth, looking to seize the opportunity to meet a desperate need in its community, and seeking to faithfully equip its church family, the church has launched an “Above and Beyond” campaign in order to build a larger facility to reach its neighbors for Christ.

“When we began to build phase one, our desire was to build a home for family–the people who had been a part of North River already,” said Kerlin. “But now, we’re building a home for our neighbors.”

Phase 2, which broke ground in April, will include a new 25,600-square-feet facility, large enough to include a 750-seat sanctuary, large lobby with seating, an expansion of its children’s ministry space, and offices and counseling space. This will allow the church to go from three to two Sunday morning services, still allowing room to grow as the unchurched in the community are reached with the gospel.

“By God’s grace and for God’s glory, we see a multigenerational gathering of over 2,000 people here every weekend to lift the name of Jesus high in worship,” said Kennedy.

For North River Church, the “Above and Beyond” campaign is more than a building expansion project—it’s an opportunity for people to grow in Christlikeness.

“We want to faithfully point people toward a relationship with God that can only come through knowing Christ,” said Kennedy. “We want to diligently come alongside people as they grow in Christlikeness. And we want to passionately propel people into their spheres of influence to be a force of God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Spirit-filled gospel ministry.”