about us
our story
Stepping out in faith is never easy. It’s a process we live daily as followers of Christ. However, at Grace Wesleyan, we can bear witness to the faithfulness of God when we step out in faith for Him. Our path to planting Grace Wesleyan has been full of joy and promise…and God’s just getting started! Read about our journey below.
the 12
It all began in middle of a Florida winter, in 2019, with a meeting of twelve committed Christians who wanted to start a fresh expression of church. They met in a local home, and for the first six months, they studied scripture, prayed and worshipped God.
rented space
By the following spring, they were meeting at a local church in rented space with a group that had grown to 30 people. They were led in worship by a retired local minister as they sought to discern God’s plan for their little group.
needing a pastor
Fall of 2020, the church was still growing and made a decision to hire a full-time pastor to minister to the congregation. A nation-wide search began. Weekly attendance had reached 40 people.
...a team!
Soon within the new year of 2021, Rev. Myron Rhodes, Jr. was hired as the first full-time pastor of what is now called Grace Wesleyan Church. Mr. Freddie Colloca, Music Director, was added to the staff as well. A weekly Pastor’s Bible Study was started on Tuesday evenings with all being welcome to attend.
momentum
By early spring, a second worship service was started and our primary outreach ministries were officially engaged at Grace Wesleyan.
come on, youth & family
Right before summer, weekly attendance was averaging 80 people. Mrs. Mimi Rutherford was added to staff as Director of Youth and Families. Youth events began being held weekly, with service projects for high school students to earn service hours and to do outreach to the homeless and needy in our community.
tech support
Summer brought the talents of Mr. Robert Beckey who was added to staff to manage the growing IT needs and to develop our digital presence. Additional study opportunities were added for men, women, and a special Wesley study was planned to focus on the doctrines and teachings of Mr. John Wesley.
what's next?
We continue to see a growing number of people joining our worship services, study groups, and service opportunities and we expect that God will not only keep bringing seekers to our group, but also will lead us to a facility that we can call our own!