The New Covenant United Methodist Church celebrated its 20th anniversary of worshipping in The Villages recently.
When Rev. Gary Bullock took over as New Covenant UMC’s first pastor, he admits that there were times he wasn’t sure about the success. But his faith in the believers made it happen.
“When we started, we had no office and no place to meet,” Bullock told congregants during New Covenant UMC’s 20th-anniversary worship celebration. “We eventually found a place to worship at St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in Wildwood, 5 miles from the heart of The Villages. We made it work. Things that seemed like they weren’t going to work turned out well because people came out and worked so hard to make it succeed.”
The church, now, is one of the largest in terms of both size and membership in the area.
Bullock and many charter members gathered to commemorate the ceremony.
“I remember when the church outgrew space in both La Hacienda Regional Recreation Center and Savannah Center,” said Barb Pierce, a charter member. “It’s been quite a journey.”
“This past Sunday was truly a special one because it was an opportunity to celebrate two decades of service to The Villages community,” Rev. Harold Hendren said. “We started with nothing, but Pastor Gary and the church’s charter members kept us going and, as The Villages and nearby communities grew, so did the church.”
Rev. Hendren served as New Covenant UMC’s senior pastor since 2011. He thanked the community and all those who helped build the church to this extent.
New Covenant United Methodist Church holds services at 5 p.m. Saturdays and 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 3470 Woodridge Drive in The Villages, which can be viewed both in-person and online.
The church also maintains an active outreach ministry with programs and opportunities for people of all ages.
“We’ve been able to thrive all these years because this is a church with a heart that’s outwardly focused,” noted Hendren. “We do what we can to provide for residents of The Villages, Wildwood and elsewhere.
For additional information, log on to ncumcfl.com.