Florida United Methodist Review Online

Bishop not asking for charity for Mozambique
Bishop João Somane Machado of the Mozambique (Africa) Area of the United Methodist Church was in the Florida Conference May 11-14 to visit churches, the Florida United Methodist Children's Home and Bethune-Cookman College.
The trip was part of the process of exploring a partnership in ministry between the Florida and Mozambique conferences through the Council of Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty and Hope for the Children of Africa. The two conferences are working together to build the Bishop Cornelius L. and Dorothye Henderson Secondary School in Muxungue, Mozambique, and are discussing ways to further develop that relationship. Full Story

Miami hires Inner City Initiative director
     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.
    Betancourt has worked in ministries addressing addiction and immigration issues. 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. He will begin working in the Miami District July 1.    Full Story

Melbourne starts first Filipino mission
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The Filipino people became the newest members of the Florida Conference when First United Methodist Church, Melbourne, opened its doors to the conference's first Filipino United Methodist congregation.
    The Rev. Sol Madlambayan, an elder in the West Middle Philippines Annual Conference, is the pastor of the congregation, which now has 30 members and as many as 70 people in attendance on Sunday.
    The Filipno mission is using the Melbourne church's facilities, but is keeping its own financial and membership records to facilitate becoming a chartered church, according to the Rev. Brice Harris, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church. Full Story

Orlando, Bethlehem become sister cities

Orlando, Fla., and Bethlehem, Palestine, seem to be as diverse politically and economically as they are geographically. But the home of Mickey Mouse and the Cradle of Christianity have many things in common, including a new relationship with each other to develop closer political, educational, economic and spiritual ties.
    Glenda Hood, mayor of Orlando, and Hanna Nasser, mayor of Bethlehem, signed a twin-cities agreement May 7 here and agreed to be sister cities.
    Nasser and Dr. Bishara Awad, founder and president of Bethlehem Bible College and brother of United Methodist missionary Alex Awad, joined a group of more than 50 Orlando clergy May 8 for breakfast to discuss the spiritual aspects of the agreement.    Full Story

Rabbi rocks youth missions

"The Rock & the Rabbi," a musical theatrical production based in the Tampa Bay area, is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in new ways and recently helped Palm Harbor United Methodist Church raise more than $10,000 for its summer youth mission trips. Full Story

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News at a Glance

Bishop names new cabinet member

Children’s Home receives national accreditation

Pastor preaches at graduation

Personalia

Notices

Counselor considered for Counseling Network

Opportunities

Secretaries hold institute

Jurisdiction offers material for disability awareness

Volunteers needed abroad

Lesson teaches kids they can feed the poor, hungry