On Tuesday, we received this appeal from Bishop David Simpson who is not only the Bishop of Florida but also oversees the Charismatic Episcopal Churches in the Caribbean Sea as well. Please read Bp. Simpson’s letter and consider supporting this incredible man of God in his missionary work.
Dear Beloved in the Kingdom:
Grace to you peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of this letter is to solicit your support for our priest, Fr. Ignatio*, and his congregation in the nation of Cuba. While circumstances are challenging for all Christian communions under the current communist regime, it is especially difficult for unregistered communions such as ours; denominations not in existence prior to the communist revolution.
One major challenge we face as an unregistered church, is our inability to purchase or rent
public facilities for worship purposes. Thus the only legal place for our congregation to worship is in a personal home. In this case, the home of Fr. Ignatio and his family; wife, daughter, and soon to be born son. Unfortunately, however, it is a rental, and the landlord has given notice that the family and congregation must vacate the premises within the next few months. Although Fr. Ignatio has diligently searched for a new residence, to date, he has been unable to find another rental within the price range we can afford. I say “we,” because Fr. Ignatio, as a pastor, is unable to obtain a work permit; another way the government makes life difficult for the Church. Thus the Diocese of Florida supports him with a monthly stipend. The long term solution, of course, is for him to purchase his own home thus securing both a permanent place to live and worship. The cost of such a modest home is $10,000 – $15,000 US currency.
We are appealing to the clergy and congregations of the Southeast Archdiocese to consider
contributing to this effort. Fr. Ignatio, his family, and his congregation are people of great faith and faithfulness. Under difficult circumstances faithfully reaching out in mission and ministry to their community touching hearts and changing lives in the name of Jesus; healing the sick, delivering the captives, and saving the lost. By supporting them, we are sharing in the great work they are doing for the Kingdom of God.
We are grateful for your prayerful consideration of this appeal and also solicit your prayers
for Fr. Ignatio, his family and the growing church in Cuba.
In His Service,
The Most Reverend David R. Simpson
*Note that Fr. Ignatio is not our priest’s real name. His name has been changed and his family’s names and the name of his parish has been removed from on-line correspondence for “Fr. Ignatio’s” safety and for the safety of his family. If you would like to contribute to support our missionary activities in Cuba, you may click
HERE and after following the instructions select “Cuban Missionary” in the drop-down menu. Thank you for your prayerful support.
Admin 
Halloween is an old English way of referring to the night before All Saints’ Day, so while children all over the country are heading out to gather candy and celebrate Halloween, Church of the Messiah will be hosting our annual All Saints’ Eve Festival. We want to provide our local children with a safe place where they can have fun, get lots of candy, and, most importantly, receive the love of Christ. We will be having bounce houses, carnival games, cotton candy, dinner, and lots and lots of candy. In order to do this, we will need your of help. First off, we will need plenty of volunteers. Our evening will begin around six o’clock when we start setting up and be done around nine o’clock when everything has been cleaned up. You do not have to commit to being present the entire time, but we will need all the help we can get. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Amanda Paysinger right away. Secondly, we will need lots of candy. From now until Halloween, please donate bags of candy. You can bring them in on Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings, or whenever the office is open. The “big box stores” (Sam’s, BJ’s, and Costco) and Publix BOGOs seem to be the best way to get the most bang for your buck. This is major outreach to our local community and we need everyone to pull together to show Christ’s love in our local community.
