We are indeed fortunate to have Terrell as our lay leader. He is a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and a counselor to governors and senators. Most important he is a dedicated Christian who has a dream for Florida Methodism.

As Terrell travels around the state he sees large communities growing up in many areas. He wonders if we are working at developing new United Methodist congregations in all the new places. He wants our laity to have a vital part in organizing new churches.

Terrell says the preachers were right after all. (Much of this he learned as a boy growing up and as a student at the University of Florida where he participated in the Wesley Foundation of that day.) Clergy preach that if people come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and seek to live a Christian life they will treat their neighbors with love and respect, and we will have a more sane society.

One of Terrell’s other concerns is helping struggling congregations learn to reach out to what is basically a different and more secular society. We are going to have to learn new ways of evangelism and empowering the laity.

In an effort to do the above the Board of Lay Ministry and the cabinet met on March 10 in a day-long retreat to develop ways of working together more effectively. Please pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit in the endeavors of these two groups.