Sweet sounds emanate from the stage, accompanied by giant smiles from the musicians.
On the last Sabbath of August 2025, spouses Frank Niranjan and Zhouping Zhang took a life-changing step as they were baptized and officially welcomed into membership at Restoration Church in Orlando, Florida.
The moment marked the culmination of a 12-year journey that began when the couple first met Keith and Claudette Harding at Beryl Wisdom Adventist School, where Niranjan’s and Zhang’s son was a student. Their connection soon grew into a lasting friendship that shaped their spiritual path for over a decade and led to their baptism. Keith Harding, pastor at Restoration, was filled with joy when baptizing them. “Over the years, we never lost contact and always encouraged them,” said Harding. “It was a friendship that brought them to Jesus.”
Their baptism also marked a significant milestone for Florida Conference, as their names were among the last ones entered into membership records before the Conference membership reached 75,000.
As membership coordinator for Florida Conference, I am privileged to witness each new name joining our family. Behind every number is a story of faith, hope, and love, a person whose life was transformed. Looking back, we stand in awe of how God has led and blessed us.
From Humble Beginnings to a Thriving Conference
Florida Conference’s journey began in 1885, when 22 believers near Tampa formed the first Seventh-day Adventist church in Florida after evangelistic meetings led by E.G. Rupert, an evangelist and church planter from the General Conference. This first congregation was the forerunner of today’s Palmetto Church.
In 1892, members in Barberville and DeLeon Springs built the first church structure dedicated to Adventist worship. A year later, in 1893, the Florida Conference was officially organized with six churches, three ordained ministers, two licentiates, and 139 faithful members. They likely could not have imagined how their small gatherings would blossom into a vibrant Conference spanning most of the state. But, they stepped out in faith, trusting God’s leading, and He has been faithful.
Growing Through Every Season
In the decades that followed, the Conference grew steadily. By 1903, membership doubled, and 27 churches were organized by 1913. Important ministries were born to serve our growing field: the Florida Sanitarium (today Advent- Health) was founded in 1908; Forest Lake Academy opened in 1918; and the first Book and Bible House (ABC) launched in 1928.
In 1953, a group of members established Camp Kulaqua, which has grown into a year-round ministry hub and retreat center for all Florida Conference members and many others.
By the 1970s, the Conference reached 100 congregations and launched a Spanish-language Ministries Department to serve our expanding Hispanic community. Today, we are blessed to have congregations representing many nationalities and communities, including African American, Caucasian, Romanian, Vietnamese, Korean, Luso-Brazilian, Haitian, Hispanic, Filipino, Slavic, and many more. This diversity reflects the nature of the Gospel, and gives us a glimpse of the heavenly family God is gathering from every nation, tribe, and people.
Membership grew rapidly from 20,000 in 1980 to 40,000 by 1996, reaching 50,000 in 2001. By 2010, we celebrated 60,000 members, and we moved into our Altamonte Springs headquarters in 2014. By God’s grace, we grew to 75,000 by September 2025, with 237 churches, 51 companies, 20 mission groups, and 38 schools and early childhood education centers.
Lee Bennett, who has served in Florida Conference his entire career since joining as an intern in 1992, remembers seeing this rapid growth. “In the 33 years I’ve worked at Florida Conference, I’ve had a front row seat to three different office locations, large advances in technology and procedures such as eAdventist, church congregations growing from fewer than 200 to more than 300, and membership growth from slightly more than 30,000 to 75,000! There can be no question of God’s hand in the tremendous and impressive growth in Florida Conference.”
Every Ministry Working Together
This milestone is also the result of the tireless work of our pastors, lay pastors, educators, leaders, faithful members, and every ministry across the Conference. I am especially grateful for our dedicated church clerks, whose behind-the-scenes work ensures that every member is seen, celebrated, and supported. Their quiet, faithful work ensures every baptism, profession of faith, and transfer is recorded and acclaimed.
Together, these ministries help our churches stay strong and keep Florida Conference moving forward in sharing the Gospel.
Looking Ahead with Faith, Hope, and Love
We continue to share the Gospel, just like those early believers in Palmetto, who gathered in homes, planted churches, and dreamed of reaching Florida with the message of Christ. Today, our churches are places of hope, our schools shape the next generation of disciples, and our ministries bring healing and encouragement to our communities. As we move forward, our focus remains the same: walking together in faith, hope, and love, until His second coming.
Florida | January 2026
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