Dear Florida Conference Family,
Filled with Gratitude
At the beginning of 2024, we made it our mission to amplify the Gospel of Jesus Christ more than ever. From conference-wide initiatives and departmental events to every church, school, community, and home, we set out to resonate the voice of Jesus.
Looking back, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude. Our Florida Conference family grew to more than 73,500 as we celebrated 3,387 souls welcoming Jesus into their hearts through baptism or profession of faith. Though we faced trials, including two powerful hurricanes, we saw God’s grace and guidance every step of the way. Like the vibrant hues of a stained-glass window, each moment contributed to the beautiful mosaic of our shared experience.
We have already begun 2025 in full force, energized at seeing God’s faithfulness in times of difficulties and times of rejoicing. Florida Conference is excited to take part in Pentecost 2025, a movement to hold 3,000 or more proclamation events throughout North America. Please join us in prayer for all the evangelistic efforts that will take place across our conference this year.
The following pages are a testament to His unending faithfulness and a thank you to our members, workers, churches, schools, entities, and everyone who played a part in amplifying His Gospel. In this special edition of Florida Focus, you will see just a few of the highlights from the past year.
Amplifying the Gospel: Our theme, “Amplify the Gospel,” resonated throughout the year, inspiring countless acts of service, evangelism, and outreach. From Easter baptisms to community initiatives, we witnessed the power of the Gospel to transform lives.
Responding to Needs: Within just a couple of weeks, we were hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton, and our conference rallied to provide aid to those affected. Our Disaster Response team managed a warehouse in Ocala in conjunction with Southeastern Conference and the State of Florida, managing more than one million dollars of donated goods. We were blessed with more than 34 volunteers who gave 4,680 hours of service. Many departments, from Administration to Property Development and Risk Management, worked tirelessly for
our affected churches and schools. And so many of you lent a hand to a struggling neighbor or friend, exemplifying the love of Christ.
Nurturing Growth: We celebrated the organization of new mission groups, companies, and churches, welcoming them into our growing family of believers. Each new congregation represents a beacon of hope in its community.
Empowering Leaders: From the Rise Pastors Convention to lay leadership training programs like FCLIFE and FIEL, we invested in equipping our leaders for effective ministry.
Strengthening Families: Marriage retreats, men’s and women’s conventions, and family-focused events provided opportunities for fellowship, spiritual growth, and connection.
Engaging Youth: Our young people shone brightly throughout the year. I was encouraged to see young leaders at Pathfinder and Adventurer events and Youth and Young Adults initiatives like Digital Missionary Lab and Global Youth Day. They have demonstrated their passion for serving Christ and shown that they are not just the future of the church but active participants in its present.
Innovus Innovation Center: The opening of Innovus provided a unique space for young people to explore their talents and develop skills in technology, arts, and many other fields. This initiative reflects our commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders.
In this issue, you will also read stories of praise from some of our pastors and churches. I love seeing our congregations reach out to their communities and grow as they amplify the Gospel.
It is my prayer that we continue to walk together in faith, hope, and love, as a Florida Conference united and unwavering in our commitment to building the Kingdom of God.
May the Lord bless you always,
Allan Machado, D.Min. Florida Conference President
CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS
Our congregations grow every year. A new church begins as a mission group, grows into a company of believers, and culminates as an official Florida Conference church.
Wekiva Spanish Mission Group
JesusSpeaksEasterEvangelism
HURRICANE RESPONSE
EVANGELISM
We praise God for 3,387 baptisms and professions of faith in 2024. Florida Conference membership is now more than 73,000.
Spanish-language IMPACTO
We were impacted by two powerful hurricanes, yet we never lost sight of God’s guidance. Our Disaster Response team provided aid after hurricanes Helene and Milton, in conjunction with the State of Florida. The team of 34 stored managed a warehouse and more than $1,000,000 in goods
GRAND OPENING: INNOVUS INNOVATION CENTER
A dream years in the making: Innovus Innovation Center opened its doors in 2024, becoming a hub for technology, STEM+C, coding, art, and so much more.
WHERE WE GATHERED
Just a few highlights from some events we enjoyed in 2024.
Women’s Convention and One-Day Retreats
Keys Camp Meeting
Men’s Convention and Rallies
Portuguese-language Ministries
Adventist Robotics Championships
Haitian Ministries
Marriage Retreats
Camp Kulaqua Summer Camp
Student Literature Evangelists
Jumpstart and Fit Together
Youth & Young Adults College and High School Retreats
Camp Meeting
Campestre
RED ZONE, INTERNATIONAL CAMPOREE, PATHFINDER BIBLE EXPERIENCE AND ADVENTURER BIBLE GAME
International Camporee: 3,800 Pathfinders attended from Florida Conference and 48 were baptized. The Florida Conference All-Star Drum Corps played for the opening performance, and many clubs won first place in the drill competition.
PRISON MINISTRIES VOLUNTEERS
Our dedicated Prison Ministries volunteers reach out to our incarcerated brothers and sisters year-round. We praise God for their service. We also mourned the passing and celebrated the legacy of Frank Barton, who heeded the Lord’s calling in 1979 to set up a prison ministries program in Florida. Through this ministry, thousands of inmates accepted Jesus as their Savior.
Praise & Worship from our pastors
Steven Jencks
Umatilla
Gave three messages at the Umatilla church for FCLIFE evangelism, where three people responded for baptism and two others to prepare for baptism. Hundreds recommitted their lives to Jesus. I spoke on surrendering to Jesus and living for Him.
Felipe Antao
Palm Coast Portuguese
We worked on study series throughout the year, with a notable focus on stewardship, structured a new Pathfinder Club set to begin early next year, and held evangelistic events for Portuguese and Brazilian communities. All of this has strengthened our church to amplify the Gospel.
Felipe Antao
Jacksonville Brazilian
We worked on important sermon series throughout the year, especially in the area of stewardship. We carried out a major renovation of the church, launched a new Pathfinder Club with great growth potential, supported families in need, and are committed to continuing to amplify the gospel in the coming year.
Channing
W. Allen
Northwest Dade
Every third Thursday of each month the Community Department distributes food to hundreds of people. Door of Hope Evangelistic series.
Samuel B. Pethiere
Dr. Newton Hoilette
Lehigh
Acres
The highlights of our church year are multiple: youth and adult baptisms, Bible Bowl Team won first place at NAD, 100 plus attendance at VBS in person each day, education extravaganza & back to school giveaway to 400 students (community & church), enhanced worship services through ministry of praise teams and communication media, innovative adult sabbath school & kingdom kids programming.
Salem, Eden, Jerusalem, Emmanuel & Tampa Haitian
As a Seventh-day Adventist Church, we actively embrace the core principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, including a dedicated ministry of prayer, open communication, passionate gospel preaching, faithful tithe-returning, responsible church administration, and most importantly, showing deep respect for one another! Together, let’s live out these values and experience God’s abundant blessings!
Rene Sanchez
Redland Spanish Gratitude fills our hearts: we were able to pay off our mortgage! Joy of serving the Lord in our community is greater every day. Food Bank every Thursday serves near 300 people... Souls come to the church and get baptized and discipled for the kingdom...
Philips Mompremier
Apopka Franco Haitian
Acquired a building and met all the criteria to become an organized church.
Rene Sanchez
Mark Monreal
Orlando Filipino
Mission Trip to the Philippines last June resulted in baptism of 460 new members. Evangelism series last October (whole month) for four weekends. Fifteen new members baptized.
Homestead Spanish Homestead Spanish keeps working and spreading the gospel. Population surrounding the church growing exponentially. Last Saturday of the year, was once again “baptism day.” New paint on church inside and out, including the parking lot, gives a refreshed and shiny new look to the first Florida Conference Church coming from the south in the Florida Keys. A new “red cross” perched on top of the church shows with joy the heart of the gospel message. Come visit Homestead Spanish Church! Praising God for a beautiful building and a beautiful church!
Willie Iwankiw Apopka
Intentional friend building across the Apopka Church family encouraged by our new pastoral team has led to deeper and more meaningful relationships plus 25% attendance growth.
Dan Schiffbauer
Titusville
Abner Rodriguez
Jacksonville First and Argyle Forest
At Jacksonville First and Argyle Forest, we have been very busy developing outreach programs and Children’s Ministry this past year. We look forward to expanding and raising the bar in bringing others to the feet of Jesus.
Dan SchiffbauerCocoa
Evangelistic meetings with Amazing Facts resulting in 10 baptisms and 14 baptisms overall.
Increased involvement with youth and young adults in the church including a young adult praise team, two young adult elders elected, young adult director and assistants in VBS (others helped too), young adult leadership and assistance with the church A/V and streaming.
Fritznel Bruno
Hope Springs and Marion Oaks
This year has been a remarkable blessing for our district. Following our evangelistic series, we witnessed 39 baptisms, including 13 at Hope Springs and 26 at Marion Oaks, where an additional three individuals made professions of faith. This significant growth at Marion Oaks has necessitated the recent purchase of 1.65 acres of land to build a new facility that can accommodate the expanding congregation. Furthermore, we have seen a considerable increase in tithes, reflecting the growing generosity and spiritual vitality of our district. We are truly grateful to God for His abundant blessings and the evident movement of His Spirit among us.
Mark Swaisgood
Plant City
We ministered to children through weekly Sabbath school classes and our annual VBS, wrapping up the year with a baptismal preparation class; whereas, the adults in this bilingual congregation focused on bringing people to our English and Spanish worship services, resulting in an end of year baptism class.
Pedro Alberteris
Westchester Spanish
This year was a resounding success! Pathfinders and Adventurers saw record participation with more than 100 children involved. A revitalized LifeGroup program fostered new leaders and welcomed many new people. Generous giving from the congregation supported our mission, and we are thrilled to have welcomed 40 new members.
Delroy Hamilton South Brevard
The year began with officer training sessions for both churches. South Brevard adopted a new mission statement: “To present Christ Jesus to our family, community, country, and the world.” Key initiatives included international Bible studies, outreach programs, and Bible School training for Bible Workers. The year culminated in a powerful three-weekend revival, resulting in 11 baptisms.
Delroy Hamilton Victory
Hubert Wilkie
Maranatha
We launched a two-week series in July with a Student Pastor from Andrews University. It was a big change in the Church, we closed with 10 baptisms. We are still working on prospects for baptisms in both churches.
2024 was a year of ascending to new heights together in faith, service, and impact. Our theme “Elevate” truly defined our journey.
Mark Swaisgood
Lakeland
Our ministry to kids this year included a week-long evening VBS, a baptismal preparation class, our Pathfinders went to Gillette, Wyoming, and we had a well attended one day VBS Sabbath. For the adults we had a Sabbath afternoon Bible study series on the Three Angels’ Messages of Rev 14, we began our Wednesday night prayer meeting again (not having an on site one since COVID), we had an international week of prayer in November, and saw significant growth in numbers of those coming to our weekly Wednesday food pantry.
William Earnhardt
Inverness
A community health fair and an Easter weekend revival centered around the cross, which attracted several from the community as well as a fall revival series on the Three Angels’ Messages in light of the cross which also attracted several from the community.
William Earnhardt Homosassa
We had a series on the Three Angels’ Messages in Light of the Cross which attracted a few people from our community as well as some non active members.
Jonathan Pastor
Miami Spanish
2024: A year to witness God’s goodness as He works through us to bring hope and joy to our community.
William Earnhardt Bushnell
In 2024 the Bushnell church did a mass mailing resulting in several Bible study requests, and also went door-to-door in the community praying with people as well as sharing literature, resulting in a family in the neighborhood visiting our church.
Vanessa Hairston
Miami Temple
Miami Temple had highlights in three areas: spiritual, physical, and relational. In 2024, we saw growth in the church spiritually both with active members and new additions. Physically we saw God’s faithfulness as our Sanctuary renovation was completed. And relationally we saw individuals grow deeper as they overcame challenges throughout the year including the Pathfinder camporee.
George P. Williams
Cooper City
Two Tuesdays in November, we prayed with, commended, and presented plaques and gift bags to the Fire Fighters and the Police Officers of Cooper City; and supplied them with catered lunch, for which they were extremely grateful.
George P. Williams
Hollywood
We revived the Community Services Department and, in conjunction with the Hospitality Department, carried out food and clothing distribution every Thursday to the community, a gesture which continues to be overwhelmingly successful.
Paul Campoli
Midport
In 2024, the Midport Church was very active in community service/outreach, specifically through our Food Pantry and our Fall Festival which had over 500 attendees from the community. We also had successful evangelism as part of a joint initiative of five Adventist churches in Treasure Coast, including both Florida Conference and Southeastern Conference churches.
Rolando Morgado
Lake Worth Spanish
This year, our church experienced significant growth and outreach through active small groups and conducted a successful tent evangelism week, resulting in several baptisms. Our commitment to serving the community extended beyond our walls, as we provided weekly meals, showers, laundry services, and haircuts to the homeless. Additionally, our soccer academy for children aged 4-12, created opportunities for both spiritual and physical development.
David Pires
Brazilian Temple West Palm Beach
We celebrated the first anniversary in our own building with a tremendous increase in attendance, tithes, offerings, and baptisms.
Alex Harter
Spring Meadows
This year, RISEN children’s ministry thrived. VBS was a huge success with 350+ children and nearly 200 volunteers. MOMCo & KIDCo served families, and the new Garden of Learning COOP engaged over 25 kids. The Adventurer Club boasted over 100 members, and the Kid’s Choir had 40+ participants. We also enjoyed a significant increase in outreach opportunities for all ages, with events occurring almost monthly.
Kevin Messina Clearwater
We have launched a number of new ministries (including both youth and young adult Sabbath Schools, women’s ministries, personal ministries, a visitation ministry, and even a mission board); we allocated thousands of dollars and resources to assist church and community members alike in rebuilding their lives after being hit by back-to-back hurricanes; and perhaps the most significant impact is the implementation of an intentional pathway of discipleship that includes a permanent baptism class that has produced 16 baptisms for Jesus!
Amado Luzbet
Kissimmee
The highlight of our year at KSDA was seeing the rapid growth in both our congregation and Osceola Adventist Christian School. At our school, we’ve increased to 124 students. Our Sabbath programs often have more attendees than our facility can hold. As a result, our school frequently needs to rent or borrow space, such as a sanctuary and fellowship hall, from other facilities. We also enjoy the diversity in our attendance from so many different backgrounds and the added number of young people making decisions for the kingdom of God through baptisms and professions of faith.
Dolphy Cross
Windermere & Emmanuel
We have embraced a new approach in soul winning and retention. It is called the Paradigm Shift in Evangelism and Church Growth. It was implemented in the Emmanuel church and we baptized 33 souls in two weeks in the month of August. We followed up with another two weeks in Windermere and baptized 10 souls. The district has baptized 49 souls with one more baptism to close out the year. To God be the glory!
Benjamin Shurtliff
Port Charlotte
The Port Charlotte Church has continued to grow this past year. We completed renovations on our community service center and it is up and running beautifully. We have four congregations meeting on our campus each Sabbath. Two are our Spanish and Slavic language groups that have grown exponentially. The fourth is our sister church from Punta Gorda, FL that was displaced due to flooding this past Hurricane season. Our school is growing, and to top it off AdventHealth is buying of the local hospitals in the first quarter of this year. We look forward to a lot of growth and potential in 2025.
Marcus Bates Palm Coast
Timothy Jemly
Coastal Christian Fellowship Mission Group - Jacksonville
We are a small group that is dedicated to making a difference in our community and showing God’s love. This year God blessed our efforts with seven baptisms and professions of faith.
Shane Davis
Our church had a busy evangelistic and event calendar for 2024. We held five Bible prophecy weekend series’ (in February, May, two in September, and in November), and had several baptisms that resulted from these meetings. We also had several other special events, including a Senior Appreciation Banquet, an AdventHealth Hospital Sabbath, a three-day Winter VBS program, two Youth/Young Adult weekend emphases, and a “Seven Last Sayings of Jesus” Easter weekend series. We have an extremely active church in terms of both social and evangelistic outreach programs. We’re looking forward to an exciting calendar of evangelism and events in the coming year of 2025.
Daniel Catangay
Orlando Filipino
Spring Meadows
This year, our church made significant strides. We established the Sanford Chapter of SALT, launched an official Men’s Ministry, and hosted the first Greater Orlando Men’s Ministry Conference at Spring Meadows Church. We also continued the tradition of spreading holiday cheer through hospital caroling at AdventHealth Altamonte.
Robert St Fort Sarepta French Boca Raton
The Holy Spirit is keeping the church in the Boca Raton community. Please pray for us!
Robert St Fort
Maranatha French Lauderhill
Maranatha is a church where young people are involved and create a lot of activities
We went to the Philippines for a mission trip last June. There were six teams from the church who conducted nightly evangelistic series and resulted in 460 baptisms. We also held four weekends of evangelism last October and November which resulted in revival of members and the baptism of 16 souls.
The Deltona Seventh-day Adventist Church has made lasting impact on the community of Deltona through our Food Pantry ministry and various bridging events.
Timothy Jemly Palatka
The Pakatka church has been reaching out to our community through our community services center, healthy cooking schools and public evangelistic series on Daniel and Revelation and five precious souls joined us through baptism and profession of faith.
Roosevelt Marsden Deltona
Christian Castellanos
Margate Spanish
This year, the church experienced continued growth through a renewed focus on community service within its congregation.
Omar Palmer
Palm Springs
In its 24 year history, Palm Springs has seen the greatest numerical success and community impact culminating with a two-week revival, yielding 34 precious souls and increasing our membership to over 450, a 12.5% increase.
Alexandre Vaz
Clermont
This year was marked by significant spiritual growth. We witnessed 12 baptisms, a testament to the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we observed a renewed commitment from our leaders, inspiring greater involvement and dedication. Notably, young adults played a vital role in our ministry, actively participating in both mission and outreach initiatives.
Rodny Aquino
Carol City Spanish
An inclusive church, a missionary church, engagement from leaders.
Alexandre Vaz
South Orlando
This year saw several significant advancements within our church. The TMI- Total Members Involvement project was successfully implemented, fostering greater participation and engagement among our members. Our Pathfinders achieved a remarkable milestone by attending the international Camporee, and the Adventurers Club continued to flourish, expanding its reach within the community.
Ray Pichette
East Pasco
The Lord has blessed us this year with over 20 baptisms. This is the most in the history of our church.
Jonathan Peinado
New Port Richey
This year, we embarked on a journey to become an emotionally healthy church.
Fritznel Bruno
Theophilus Roberts
Royal Palm
We had a Thanksgiving service where we thanked members of our church and community. We also had Women’s Ministries weekend that attracted women from many countries. This was very special.
Hope Springs and Marion Oaks
This year, Indigo Christian Junior Academy celebrated a significant achievement. The school’s Lego Robotics team secured an impressive fifth place in overall achievement, earning them a well-deserved spot at the NAD Robotics Competition in May. We are incredibly proud of this dedicated and enthusiastic team, and extend our sincere gratitude to Coach Kyle for his exceptional guidance and to all the families who provided unwavering support.
Furthermore, the church hosted a successful Education Sabbath, honoring the invaluable contributions of the ICJA staff, students, volunteers, and friends. The event was a resounding success, featuring captivating music, inspiring words from Principal Sandra Maddox, and moving testimonies from former ICJA students.
Finally, we celebrated National Teacher Appreciation Week, recognizing the tireless dedication and selfless service of our esteemed educators, Cecy, Sarah, and Kyle. Their unwavering commitment to nurturing our young people, fostering a love of learning, and instilling strong faith values within our students is truly commendable. We are deeply grateful for their tireless efforts in shaping the lives of our children and inspiring hope within our community.
