Over 325 people rose to their feet in a chorus of acclamation as concert organist Dr. David Hurd played his final note. “Tonight surpassed my wildest hopes and expectations,” thought the Rev. Canon Ellis Brust, rector of St. Andrew’s, Fort Pierce, as he joined the applause for the church’s inaugural organ concert, held on April…

On Friday, April 21, 170 people gathered for a retirement party to celebrate the ministry of the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer and his wife, Mrs. Laura Lee Brewer. For almost 47 years, Bishop Brewer has served the Lord as a deacon, priest and for the last 12 years, as bishop of the Diocese of…

While the mission of Good Shepherd, Maitland, is to “make disciples of all people who are confident in their faith, filled with God’s Holy Spirit, and totally in love with Jesus!,” the congregation also recognizes the importance of its history. On its campus stands the church’s  historic chapel, built in 1883, the same year the…

When God called him as rector of St. Michael’s, Orlando, seven years ago, the Rev. Rick Luoni had a question for his new congregation: If St. Michael’s ceased to exist tomorrow, would anyone other than our members miss us? The Orange County Public Schools answered that question on Friday, March 31, at its Crystal Awards…

On Saturday, April 15, the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, continued his path toward ordaining more than 200 people before the end of his episcopacy with the ordination of four men to the priesthood at All Saints, Winter Park. The four responded with joy and gratitude to God,…

Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee, is known for its loving outreach ministries that begin with needle and thread. One of these involves sewing bright, cheery pillowcases for Ryan’s Case for Smiles, a volunteer organization dedicated to helping kids with cancer and other life-changing illnesses “feel better to heal better.” On Saturday, March 25, the church held…

To say that The Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican Communion have faced challenges in recent years regarding their official positions on same-sex marriage would be a broad understatement. But the Diocese of Central Florida has a continuing voice in the conversation around this topic, and the Rev. Phyllis Bartle, rector of St. Jude’s, Orange…

A lot has been said about the perils of social media, but without it, one Canadian priest might not have transitioned to the Diocese of Central Florida. The Rev. Jonathan Turtle, new rector of Emmanuel, Orlando, first met the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, diocesan bishop, through social media platforms more than six years ago….

Mr. Tim Hanes has a wealth of experience in music, church music, education and musical theater. But the director of music at Resurrection, Longwood, credits the Rev. Joe Sitts, a former rector at the church, with the initial vision for a ministry that has become a long-standing outreach tradition: Resurrection Players. When Hanes began at…

How does one communicate the essence of a life well-lived for Christ? Those who conduct funerals and memorial services for fellow believers must answer that question. But when the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer preached and celebrated the burial Eucharist for his longtime friend the Rev. Thomas “Tom” Comstock Seitz Jr., rector emeritus at Good…