Missionaries are an extension of our love and ministry in Jesus’ name, to places where we cannot go and serve. Pasadena has a covenant to support each of these missionaries. We support these missionaries with our gifts and prayers.
Rev. Garcia has a Professor of Theology, at the Quessua School of Theology in Angola and serves as pastor and mentor for the Central United Methodist Church there. He is also a Doctor of Medicine (internal) with the Quessua Mission Health Center. His Cuban wife, Dr. Cleivy Benitez Garcia, Doctor of Medicine (Pediatrics), serves at the clinic and with the church, since she too, is ordained clergy. They feed their family of 500 village children after worship every Sunday!
The Groves left Orlando to be missionaries in Africa. After 8 years in the Congo, they were relocated to Zambia, where they started the New Life Center, with a focus on evangelism, print shop, and PET industry (Personal Energy Transport).
Delbert is an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Provisional Conference of Zambia. Sandy Groves, with a medical background, is serving at the Center in community health, evangelism, and teaches English. They have 4 adult sons and 4 grandchildren.
Rev. Mulemena formerly served with the Groves at New Life Center. When commissioned missionary with Global Ministries, he was assigned to Belem, Brazil, where he is the coordinator of the Council of Christian Churches in the Amazon Rain Forest region! Currently, he serves as pastor for 2 Methodist churches in Corozal, Belize. Charles and his wife, Barbara have 4 small children.
Our own Pasadena missionary is Director for South East Asian Relief, Inc. (SEAR, Inc.). His mission ministry over the years has stretched from refugee families in Pinellas County to children and youth in Vietnam! Much of his outreach overseas has been reduced, due to recent new restrictions, but his ministries with local Southeast Asians continue!
Pasadena Community and Park Temple Methodist Church in Jovellanos, Cuba
Pasadena Community United Methodist Church is the sister Church of Park Temple Methodist Church in Jovellanos, Cuba. Jovellanos is located east of Havana in the Matanzas District of the Methodist Church in Cuba.
The pastors of Park Temple Methodist Church are Carlos Raul Macias, Sr. and Arlenys Miranda Mesa. Their children are Carlos Raul Macias, Jr. and his spouse Miranda; their daughter Rebeca Macias Miranda and their son Carlos Ruben Macias Miranda.
Park Temple Church is a regional teaching church and home of the Matanzas District Methodist Seminary. The church goals for 2023 include:
And to,
Pasadena Community United Methodist Church is has participated in the Florida Conference’s Florida – Cuba Covenant, “Methodists United in Prayer” since 1998. There are seventeen districts in the Cuba Methodist Church with 536 churches, 1,212 missions, and 2,710 cell groups. From 2019 to 2022 there was a 12% growth in conference with churches located in 89% of Cuba’s municipalities. There are forty churches in the Matanzas District with 3,077 members.
“I hearby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NRSV)
