April 25,  2003

Edition

WEST PALM BEACH — Mayor Joel Daves of West Palm Beach named the Rev. Pam Cahoon, director of C.R.O.S. Ministries here, recipient of the Mayor’s Golden Palm Award for Humanitarianism. The award was presented Jan. 30.

Cahoon was recognized for her leadership of the ecumenical organization that works in much of Palm Beach County to eliminate hunger through food pantry, hot meal and after-school ministries. The ministry logged nearly 27,000 volunteer hours during 2001.

Cahoon was the first recipient in the humanitarian category. The award program is two years old.

LAKELAND — Two Florida Conference lay people were elected vice chairpeople of the Southeastern Jurisdiction (SEJ) Administrative Council. Frank Furman, a member of First United Methodist Church, Pompano Beach, was elected to lead the Junaluska Team, which supports hospitality, infrastructure and buildings and grounds efforts at the Lake Junaluska center in North Carolina. Yolanda Macon, minister of children at Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, was elected to lead the SEJ’s Division of Ministry, which offers guidance, support and direction for SEJ’s ministries and agencies.

LAKELAND — The Rev. Brett Opalinski, a Florida Conference elder, was one of five United Methodists to receive a Dempster Graduate Fellowship for the 2003-2004 academic year. The fellowship is named for 19th-century Methodist preacher John Dempster, who helped found three demoninationally-related seminaries, and helps graduate students move toward careers in theological education.

The $11,000 fellowship is awarded by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry and is the largest award offered by a Protestant denomination. The award is based on intellectual competence, academic achievement, promise of usefulness in teaching careers, personal qualities and clarity of spiritual purpose and commitment.

Opalinski is enrolled at Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

Top of this page

© 2003 Florida United Methodist Review Online