How it all started...
In 1876, a woman named Hettie Austin arrived in the area that is now DeLand, FL. Hettie raised the funds for a new church to be built, and on August 1, 1880, the First United Methodist Church of DeLand was established, the first organized church in the area. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Howry donated the land for the church, and in February of 1883 the building was finished. A new structure was built around the existing church and was finished in 1920. In 1959, ground was broken on the Education Building to accommodate a still-growing congregation. This building was complete with 3 floors, a full kitchen and many classrooms. The growth of the city as well as the church prompted another building for multi-purpose use with a gym. The Life Enrichment Center (LEC) was completed and ready for use on July 4, 1999.
Expanding the vision...
Since 2011, we have doubled our property size by purchasing a two-story office building on Georgia Ave and a building on each side of Alabama Ave. God has richly blessed us in our past, and He continues to bless us today. If we follow His direction, there is no telling the things He will call us to accomplish. We would love for you to join us on our journey as we continue walking in the path God would have us lead.
Where we are headed...
We want to be a resource for families, to help them meet physical needs so they can experience Jesus in their spiritual needs. We have established and partnered with several ministries to focus on helping the family unit in different aspects that they deal with on a daily basis. We continue to strive towards finding new ways to share the hope of Jesus Christ with families in our amazing community!
