Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church

Gentleness gets a bad reputation. It is often mistaken for passivity, timidity, or just being overly nice. In this episode, Brian Myers and Jenn Stiles Williams are joined by Rev. Will Newton to reclaim what Scripture actually teaches: gentleness as power under grace and strength directed by love toward restoration. From Psalm 23 to Matthew 18, they trace the biblical vision of the gentle shepherd...

What does it look like to live faithfully when life is hard, boring, or uncertain? In this episode, Brian and Derrick welcome Mirhonda Silva, Co-Lay Leader of the East Central District, for a rich conversation on faithfulness as both a spiritual discipline and a fruit of the Spirit. Together they explore how God's unchanging character becomes the foundation for our own steady trust, what it means...

Jessica Scott sits down with Brian Myers, North West District Co-Lay Leader, agricultural education professor, and host of the Awaken to Grace podcast. Their conversation included thoughts about the winding road of faith, the power of lay-clergy partnership, and what it actually looks like to sustain a spiritual life when you're juggling a full-time career, family, and church commitments. Brian sh...

In this episode, Brian Myers and Rev. Jenn Stiles Williams welcome Pastor Anil Singh of Trinity UMC Jensen Beach to explore what some might call twin fruits of the Spirit: kindness and goodness. These two aren't soft virtues — they're the strength of God's character made visible in everyday life. From a Wesley anecdote about a missed moment of grace to a hospital chaplaincy that left a lasting imp...

In a world addicted to speed, patience stands as one of the most counter-cultural fruits of the Spirit. Brian Myers and Rev. Jenn Stiles Williams welcome Heather Pancoast, co-director of Gator Wesley Campus Ministry in Gainesville, for a rich conversation on the slow work of God. Drawing on Kate Bowler's insight that patience is not passive waiting but an active, generous form of love — and resona...

In this episode of Awaken to Grace , Brian and Jen welcome Rev. Charlie Charles, an elder in the Florida Conference, for a rich conversation on peace as a fruit of the Spirit. Drawing on his childhood in 1980s Northern Ireland and experience of pastoral ministry, Charlie helps untangle the difference between the world's peace and the shalom Christ offers, a peace that doesn't remove us from turbul...

In this episode, Brian and Derrick are joined by Alice Williams — former FLUMC Conference Co-Lay Leader and member of St. Luke's UMC in the Orlando — for a rich conversation on joy as a fruit of the Spirit. Alice draws on decades of life experience, including walking alongside her wife Debbie through cancer, to draw a clear line between happiness (an emotion tied to circumstances) and joy (a gift...

Brian, Derrick, and Jenn open a new series on the Fruits of the Spirit by exploring love — not as sentiment, but as the fierce, sacrificial, truth-telling way of Jesus. Together they question a church culture that settles for surface-level niceness, and consider what it means to receive God's love so fully that it can't help but overflow in everyday acts of care — even in traffic, grocery lines, a...

Easter isn't just a date on the calendar—it's a present reality that reorders everything. In this episode, Bishop Tom Berlin joins Brian Myers and Rev. Jenn Stiles Williams to explore what it means to live as Easter people every day. From Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb to the transformed disciples of Acts, they trace how resurrection power reshapes identity, challenges a cross-only faith, and mo...

What does greed actually look like — and how do we recognize it in ourselves? In this episode of Awaken to Grace , Brian Myers and Derrick Scott III are joined by Bryant Manning, campus minister at the Wesley Foundation at FSU and TCC, for a conversation about selfishness, greed, and the liberating invitation of an open hand. From the story of Mary's costly gift and Judas's objection, to the pract...

In honor of Women's History Month, Derrick Scott III sits down with Rev. Dr. Andrea Byer-Thomas — ordained elder, pastor of Community UMC in Fort Pierce, and member of the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) — for a wide-ranging conversation about the history, challenges, and ongoing work of women in United Methodist ministry. From Susanna Wesley to the landmark 1956 ordination mil...

When injustice feels overwhelming, the Christian response isn't to look away — it's to locate ourselves in God's redemptive work and take one faithful step. In this conversation, Brian Myers and Rev. Jenn Stiles Williams welcome Pastor José Nieves of First United Methodist Church in Kissimmee to explore what Scripture really says about justice, why the church keeps outsourcing it, and how proximit...

When life doesn't go according to plan, how do we hold disappointment without being consumed by it? Brian Myers and Jenn Stiles Williams are joined by Marisa Gertz, Pastor of Care and Discipleship at Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville, for an honest conversation about waiting, lament, and the spiritual formation that happens in the in-between. Together they explore Psalm 42, biblical w...

Anger is a human emotion — even Jesus felt it. But what distinguishes righteous anger from destructive rage? In this episode, Brian Myers is joined by guest co-host Jessica Scott and Rev. Steve Price for a wise, hope-filled conversation rooted in the Wesleyan tradition. Together they examine the biblical roots of righteous anger, name common drivers of reactive rage, and explore practices — commun...

Loneliness isn't a moral failure — it's a human experience, and it may be more widespread than we realize. In this episode of Awaken to Grace , Brian Myers, Rev. Jenn Stiles Williams, and Derrick Scott III take an honest, compassionate look at isolation and loneliness as real barriers to receiving and sharing God's grace. Drawing from the Psalms of lament, the theology of the Trinity, and the witn...

Worry and fear can feel overwhelming — but you don't have to navigate them alone. In this episode of Awaken to Grace, Brian Myers is joined by Derrick Scott III and special guest Rev. Justin LaRosa, an ordained deacon and licensed clinical social worker, for a compassionate, hope-filled conversation about moving from fear to faith. Together they explore how to name anxiety without shame in faith c...

In this episode, Brian Myers, Rev. Jenn Stiles Williams, and Derrick Scott III explore service as a means of grace — not an optional add-on to faith, but the very shape of it. Drawing on John 13, Matthew 25, James 2, and Wesley's theology of works of mercy, the conversation traces how serving others moves us from self-centeredness to other-centeredness, challenges our privilege and ego, and ultima...

In this special episode, Co-Conference Lay Leader Derrick Scott III sits down with Bishop Tom Berlin for a candid conversation about what's on his heart for the Florida Conference right now. From the spiritual and collaborative work behind appointment making, to the real and present impact of immigration policy on United Methodist congregations across Florida, to upcoming regional gatherings — Bis...

In a world built on hurry and hustle, God offers a different rhythm—one that restores our souls. Hosts Brian Myers and Jenn Stiles Williams are joined by Jim Cook, a trained spiritual director, to explore Sabbath as a gift rather than a burden. Jim shares how the book Sabbath has informed his understanding of holy rest, offering this acrostic: "Spirit Awareness Brings Blessings, Adding Truthf...

In this episode of The Laity Space Podcast, host Jessica Scott sits down with Bev Bommer, the North East District Director of Lay Servant Ministries and volunteer coordinator for the upcoming Fresh Expressions National Gathering. Bev explains how fresh expressions—whether in dog parks, dinner churches, tattoo parlors, or recovery facilities—meet people where they are and create authentic communiti...

Fasting isn't punishment—it's making space. Brian Myers and Derrick Scott III welcome Rev. Carlene Barbeau, an ordained deacon in the Florida Conference and school chaplain for a conversation about the spiritual purpose of this ancient practice. Together they explore what separates spiritual fasting from dieting, unpack Isaiah 58's vision of fasting joined to justice and mercy, and share personal...

In a world saturated with constant noise, choosing silence becomes a radical spiritual act. Host Brian Myers welcomes Rev. Jenn Stiles Williams and guest Rev. Stuart Upton to explore how intentional quiet calms the soul and creates space to hear God's voice. The conversation examines both internal noise (the competing voices and soundtracks in our heads) and external noise (notifications, news cyc...

We’re sharing a special episode the Laity Space Webinar Series. Recorded in November 2025, Derrick Scott III is joined by Bishop Tom Berlin along with Rev. Dr. Brett Opalinski and James Ridgway as they discuss the upcoming Wesleyan Heritage Pilgrimage that will take place in the Fall 2026. This tour is being designed specifically with the laity in mind but clergy are also invited to attend. For mo...

If the Bible feels intimidating, overwhelming, or stale—you're not alone. In this episode, Brian Myers and Derrick Scott III welcome Reverend Meghan Killingsworth to explore Scripture engagement as something far more than a solo study exercise. Together, they discuss why reading the Bible with others transforms the experience, how to sit with a text long enough for it to read you back, and what to...

Episode Description: If your prayer life feels like a transaction—a wish list you hand to God—you're not alone. In this episode, Brian Myers and Jenn Stiles Williams welcome Reverend Alex Shanks to explore prayer as something far more dynamic: an ongoing conversation with God. Together, they discuss how to pray honestly when we're tired, frustrated, or spiritually dry, and why silence might be exa...