| By
Michael Wacht
LAKELAND — Florida Conference Bishop Timothy
W. Whitaker announced two new appointments July 1.
The Rev. Kendall M. Taylor, superintendent of
the Broward Palm Beach District, formerly the West Palm Beach
District, has been appointed director of the Office of Congregational
Transformation.
Taylor will be the first director of the new
ministry, which was approved at this year’s Florida Annual
Conference Event here.
“The primary purpose of this office will be to
lead in the transformation of declining and stagnant congregations
into vital congregations of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ,”
Whitaker said in a recent release. “The Rev. Kendall M. Taylor will
be an excellent director…because of his experience, evangelical
spirit, knowledge of congregational systems and vision for
congregational change.”
The Rev. Debbie McLeod, associate pastor of
Christ Church United Methodist in Ft. Lauderdale, will be
superintendent of the Broward Palm Beach District.
“Superintendency is a vocation that requires
particular temperament and certain skills and abilities,” Whitaker
said. “The Rev. Deborah A. McLeod possesses the gifts to be an
excellent superintendent. Her experience as the former president of
the Board of Ordained Ministry will be an asset to the cabinet.”
Both appointments are effective Sept. 1.
The Rev. Kendall M. Taylor
Taylor has served the United Methodist Church
for 32 years as a pastor and district superintendent.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Georgia
Tech and a master of divinity from Candler School of Theology.
Taylor was dean of the cabinet and served on the
Missions Ministry, Church Development and Communications teams. He has
been a leader in the Celebrate Jesus and Walk to Emmaus ministries and
has participated in Lay Witness Missions. Taylor has also served on
the Committee on Ordained Ministry in two districts and the Council on
Ministries in four districts and currently serves on the conference’s
Information Systems Advisory Committee.
Taylor is a native of Atlanta, Ga. He and his
wife, Karen, have two sons, Brian and Brett.
The Rev. Deborah A. McLeod
McLeod has served the United Methodist Church
for 17 years as a pastor in Coral Gables and Tampa.
She is a native of Amherst, Mass., and a
graduate of Boston University, where she earned both a bachelor’s
and master’s degree with a concentration in Biblical Studies. She
received a master of divinity degree from Duke Divinity School.
McLeod is currently serving as co-chair of the
Broward Coalition on Poverty. She is a member of the Florida
Conference Capital Commission, the Committee on Investigation and the
Council of Bishops’ Task Force on Fair Process. She has served as
chairperson of the Florida Conference Board of Ordained Ministry,
Miami District Council on Ministries and Psychological Guidance
Committee of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. She has been a
member of the board of directors of Epworth Village Retirement Center
and Miami Campus Ministry. She was a delegate to the 2000 General and
Jurisdictional Conferences.
McLeod is married to the Rev. Thomas H. McLeod,
a Clinical Trainer for Spiritual Care for VITAS Hospice in Miami. They
have two sons, Will and Jack. |
