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For many, retirement is a time of excitement and anxiety. That’s something the Rev. Dr. Luz Maldonado understands well. “I know for sure, when I retire, everything is going to change, financially especially,” she said. Maldonado has been a pastor for 36 years — a journey that began in Puerto Rico, where she served for […]

The Rev. Jeff Bennett could tell you a thing or two — or even three — about the Florida United Methodist Foundation. That’s because the pastor at First United Methodist Church in Stuart has taken advantage of the foundation’s financial programs in three ways — for his church and on a personal level. As both

What started out as two projects at Isle of Faith United Methodist Church became five. And then members started funding others. The Rev. Will Clark said it was like a loaves-and-fishes miracle. The catalyst? A $225,000 loan from the Florida United Methodist Foundation’s Development Fund, coupled with the congregation’s creative hard work to stretch the funds even further.

It’s a Thursday evening under the wooden pavilion at Clearview United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg. The pleasant scents of food cooking on the grill fill the cool December air. Hungry, masked faces make their way toward the table, and people young and old sit on wooden pallets and folding chairs before a movie screen. It’s the

Thanks to COVID-19, 2020 has become the year of Zoom. It and other video conferencing platforms have become the go-to venue for workplace meetings, classroom lessons and Bible studies, while Facebook live streams have taken the place of in-person worship and events. It’s been a mass rethinking of models and resources among all kinds of

When Dr. Judith Pierre-Okerson passed the Florida United Methodist Foundation’s information table during the Florida Annual Conference one year, she did something she had been wanting to do for years. With staff at the ready, the South Florida resident opened a Development Fund account. “I had known about the foundation for a while, but it was

When the Rev. Dr. Latricia Scriven arrived in Tallahassee as a visiting professor of mathematics at Florida A&M University (FAMU), she was looking forward to checking out the school’s United Methodist campus ministry. To her surprise, the Wesley Foundation had closed in late 2014. Scriven, who received her Master of Divinity degree from Gammon Theological

Trust is pivotal to a successful relationship, especially when it comes to money. That’s why the Florida United Methodist Foundation worked hard to maintain its Investment Steward Certification from the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX). Renewed this month for a second year, the distinction marks the foundation as a trusted fiduciary that puts clients’ best interests first. “Being

It hasn’t been an easy road for the Rev. Geoffrey Lentz since becoming pastor at First United Methodist Church in Port St. Joe eight years ago. First, he led a fund drive and capital campaign for a sorely needed 5,000-square-foot multi-purpose addition that would connect the sanctuary and another building. The much-anticipated $4 million “Great Hall” was dedicated

A few years ago, First United Methodist Church in Sanford was in a different place. The congregation faced the difficult decision to close, merge or reimagine its calling. For 12 weeks, church members took turns praying for guidance on what they should do. In the end, they discerned a way for the 145-year-old church to