Serving unique needs in South Florida

MIAMI (FBC)—South Florida, continues to be the destination for people who have immigrated from around the world and those who have migrated from across the nation. The region also presents a complex and challenging setting for Florida Baptists who hope to flood it with the light of the Gospel message.

The three counties of this highly urbanized region—Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach—have a combined population in excess of 5.4 million, or 30 percent of the state’s population of 18 million. Yet Florida Baptists, which number 120,000 in these three counties, comprise only two percent of the population.

The three Baptist associations—Miami, Gulf Stream and Palm Lake—that cover this region consist of 573 churches and missions. However 49 percent of these congregations have less than 75 members.

Because of the unique needs of the Southeast Florida churches and their leaders, in 2005 the Florida Baptist Convention established a physical presence in that urban setting to customize and contextualize resources for the urban church field.

The South Florida Urban Impact Ministry strategy has three min­istry responsibilities, said Director Al Fernandez: “urban leadership development, urban evangelism and urban church planting.”

“We give oversight and work closely with our Florida Baptist Convention church planting directors. We have a unique relationship with all Florida Baptist Convention staff in that we work together across [program] division lines. This approach has been very productive and we have great cooperation.”

Additionally, the South Florida office now is located in the First Baptist Church of Hialeah, which donated its churches facilities to the Convention, and serves the needs of the Convention’s consulting staff and support personnel. The UIM office is expected to be a long-term presence in South Florida.

In the past two years, the UIM has focused on pastoral leadership development, which has taken the form of pastor coaching and an expanded formal theological education program.

One of the most significant outcomes to date has been the starting of 44 new congregations in three associations during 2007. Those new starts represent nearly one-third of the 140 churches started in Florida last year.