ORLANDO — Of the 25 churches in the West Palm Beach District holding Celebrate Jesus missions this summer, almost all have requested culturally-diverse visiting teams.

"The neighborhoods there are so diverse," said the Rev. Joe MacLaren, executive director of Celebrate Jesus. "Almost all of the West Palm Beach churches have asked for ethnic diversity on their teams, even if they have an all-Anglo church. One church asked for five different nationalities on their team."

Those requests present a problem for the evangelistic ministry, which has had trouble attracting ethnic minority volunteers in the past.

A Celebrate Jesus Mission is a weeklong evangelistic effort. Local churches involved in the mission set their own goals, design their campaigns and recruit members to participate. A visiting team of laity and clergy, coordinated by Celebrate Jesus, assists members of the local church.

Last year, McCabe United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg had a scaled-back mission because not enough African-Americans volunteered to work with the African-American congregation.

This year, two African-American and two Hispanic churches are planning missions.

"This is an incredible opportunity to integrate our church," MacLaren said. "They’re wanting this to happen so they can reflect their neighborhoods."

MacLaren said he is working with the Rev. Kevin James, superintendent of the St. Petersburg District, and the Rev. Aldo Martin, superintendent of the Lakeland District, to identify and recruit ethnic clergy and laity. He is also planning to ask the Cuban Methodist Church to send missionaries to help with the Hispanic teams.

"I’ve got to find ways to recruit ethnic diversity on the teams," he said.

While MacLaren is planning this summer’s Celebrate Jesus missions, he is also helping the ministry prepare for new leadership.

Karen Taylor will become executive director of Celebrate Jesus April 15. MacLaren is resigning to accept an appointment as pastor of a local church.

MacLaren said he knows his calling is to be pastor of a church. "This position [with Celebrate Jesus] requires somebody with the gift of administration," he said. "I’ve spent so much time behind a computer and on the phone. I can do it, but it’s not my gift."

Taylor first became involved with the ministry when she and her husband, West Palm Beach District Superintendent Kendall Taylor, participated on a mission team.

She says she has the gifts and skills to lead the ministry. "I have the skills for developing things and bringing things together," she said, adding her experience organizing the West Palm Beach District mission has been an enjoyable one.

Taylor said she thought Celebrate Jesus was "just a fad" when she first got involved. When she noticed how her participation had changed her life, she changed her mind.

"Celebrate Jesus is not just a surface thing," she said. "It is really changing lives and changing churches."

MacLaren said he is relieved to be returning to where "I’m supposed to be," but is glad he had the chance to lead Celebrate Jesus. "If I had not stepped in and it had fallen apart, I’d have regretted it for the rest of my life," he said.