MIAMI — The Miami District hired the Rev. Gustavo Betancourt, a native of Puerto Rico and pastor in the Wisconsin Annual Conference, to lead the Miami Inner City Initiative, a ministry to establish new ministries in the urban areas of south Florida.

The Initiative is a model ministry based on the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry and designed to develop new faith communities in urban areas where there are large concentrations of unchurched people. It is funded for three years by a $665,000 grant from the General Board of Global Ministries’ Millennium Fund and an additional $250,000 from the Florida Conference New Church Development and Church Redevelopment committee and Miami District Board of Church Extension and Missions.

Betancourt serves El Buen Samaritano United Methodist Church, in Waukesha, Wisc. He brings a variety of gifts and experiences to the position, including starting a new Hispanic church and serving as chairman of the Wisconsin Conference Commission on Religion and Race, according to the Rev. Clarke Campbell-Evans, the Miami District’s superintendent.

Betancourt will begin working in the Miami District July 1. He says his experience in ministry has prepared him to meet the challenges of inner city ministry there.

Betancourt was involved in the House of Mercy ministry, an addiction-recovery program for young men, and worked with the United Methodist Committee on Relief to start Justice for our Neighbors, which helps immigrants adjust their immigration status in the United States. He has trained lay missioners under the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry, taught Lay Speaking Ministry courses and worked with local hospitals to provide health care to undocumented aliens.

Betancourt said he has also worked with English-speaking churches to help them start Spanish-language Bible studies and small-group ministries.

The ministry in Miami is an important model for the church in the United States, Betancourt said. "One of the largest Hispanic populations in the United States is in Florida, and we keep hearing in the media about the growing Hispanic populations in Florida, Chicago, California and New York," he said. "We need to concentrate all those efforts in the inner city. There’s a big need there, but with the Lord’s direction and his grace we can…reach this community."

Betancourt said he has a "burning patience" about going to Miami. He is excited about ministry, but wants to take time to learn about the community.

"I want to learn about what’s going on down there and go from there," he said.

Campbell-Evans said the search committee considered five candidates, three from the Florida Conference, and voted unanimously for Betancourt.