WELCOME TO FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
We are so glad you are here!
Whether you are Member, Guest or Visitor we want you to know
YOU ARE LOVED!
Mission:
To alleviate poverty systematically.
F.R.E.S.H. (Our Definition of Poverty):
We understand poverty as Financial, Relational, Emotional, Spiritual, and Health-related.
How We Live Out the Vision at Faith United Methodist Church:
We systematically seek to alleviate poverty by offering services that address each of these areas in practical and holistic ways.
Who we serve:
Faith Community Methodist Church serves the Union Park area of East Orlando, a culturally diverse neighborhood of about 10,000 residents where nearly 50% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, approximately 13–14% identify as Black or African American, and additional families come from Asian and Caribbean backgrounds.
Many households face economic vulnerability. In ZIP code 32825, the per-capita income averages around $34,000, and approximately 14–15% of residents live below the poverty line, which is slightly higher than the national average.
There is a large number of unhoused individuals living near the church, including a homeless encampment that has been historically known within the community, with an estimated 20–30 people residing in this location within walking distance of the church.
Faith Community Methodist Church serves a neighborhood considered a food desert. The USDA describes food deserts as communities where residents face barriers to healthy food access due to income, transportation, or distance from supermarkets.
This reality deeply affects families and children in the Union Park area. Approximately 18–19% of residents are under the age of 18, and the nearby Union Park Elementary School serves nearly 500 students, with more than half of families qualifying for free or reduced lunch programs.
Theology of our Vision:
The theology of our vision is inspired by our Wesleyan roots and Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community and Liberation Theology.
We are a United Methodist organization, which means that our doctrine is Wesleyan. John Wesley was the founder of our church, and his theology had a strong focus on grace and discipline. He was also known for helping to alleviate poverty in England through his work in the New Room and by teaching financial disciplines. Historically, many people became Methodists as a way to improve their lives and move out of poverty.
Our mission is also inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community. For Martin Luther King Jr., the end goal of his writings and the civil rights movement was to build an all-inclusive community that came together to alleviate poverty systematically in the local community.
Liberation theology started in South America with Gustavo Gutiérrez and taught that God has a preferential option for the poor. For us, that simply means that our work must be focused on systematically alleviating poverty in our community.
With these principles, we teach Wesleyan theology, Kingian nonviolence, and Liberation theology. We have created a community of diverse peoples, diverse faiths, and non-faiths coming together to help alleviate poverty.