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Blessed With Diversity

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By DEREK MAUL

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 23, 2008

BRANDON - East Hillsborough County offers an array of worship options. According to a June 2008 poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 92 percent of Americans believe in God.

Although the proportion of local residents in weekly worship may not approach 92 percent, East Hillsborough offers no shortage of venues for those who do want to attend. There are literally hundreds of churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. Religion is a key element of the community, and local places of worship represent a wide range of beliefs.

Over the past six years I have interviewed more than 250 spiritual leaders in the area.

I've learned that no two faith communities are alike, but several characteristics emerge as common denominators.

One is a strong commitment to tradition. Many congregations value practices and mores rooted in church history; parishioners still wear their Sunday best, robed choirs sing the anthem and organ accompaniment leads congregational hymn singing.

Other faith communities feature contemporary music, praise bands, casual dress, drama and interactive worship.

Then there are churches where blended elements from both models are incorporated, or where multiple services are scheduled, featuring a range of styles.

A growing number of churches offer services designed to attract a specific demographic. Free Rider Fellowship in Plant City, for example, was organized for motorcycle enthusiasts. Unconventional piercings and tattoos are not an uncommon sight at its services and pastor Aaron Brown, who rides a Yamaha Royal Star, preaches in a leather jacket.

Church buildings come in all shapes and sizes, from those with tall steeples to humble meeting houses. Bell Shoals Baptist in Valrico recently dedicated its 3,400 seat auditorium. Gospel METS Ministries meets in a storefront on Laura Street in Plant City. Seffner Presbyterian modernized its old sanctuary but did nothing to compromise its traditional charm.

I have interviewed clergy with advanced degrees who disdain any title, and I have met with high school dropouts who insist I call them "bishop." I have talked with pastors who drive BMWs, and parsons who ride tractors. I have seen offices stuffed with thousands of books and heard from clergy who find all they need on the Internet connection from their cell phones.

Pulpit styles range from the smooth made-for-television mannerisms of the polished mega-church leader to repetitive liturgical chants to the conversational aphorisms of the farmer who shepherds a congregation of 14.

Ages of local ministers I have interviewed range from 21 to 92; politics from left to right; and ethnicity is all over the map. Increasingly, women, - such as Rabbi Betsy Torop of Brandon's Congregation Beth Shalom - are answering the call to ministry.

By affiliation, Southern Baptists are the most numerous; some 170 churches belong to the Tampa Bay Baptist Association, another 43 to the Shiloh Baptist Association. Assemblies of God enjoy a growing presence. Catholic parishes each serve several thousand families. Methodist and Presbyterian congregations are active across the region. Lutheran, Episcopalian, Church of God, United Church of Christ and a variety of others round out the list of denominations and churches that maintain ecclesiastical ties to national organizations.

A growing number of churches are independent of denominational ties. Pastor Reis James, for example, works 40 hours each week as an ironworker, teaches additional hours at Ironworkers Local 397, and then runs Destiny Church of Plant City out of his living room.

At St. Andrew's United Methodist in Brandon, pastor Bob Gibbs performed as a folk-singer before he answered the call. Pastor Robert Gustafson of Valrico's Grace Christian was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rev. Mandella P. Smith at Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Plant City prepared for a career singing opera before God redirected her to ministry.

But, and this is true every time - from the Eastern Orthodox priest who wore gold vestments and a huge black hat, to the Baptist preacher in a suit, to the Methodist who interviewed in jeans and heels, her hair stuffed under a baseball cap - the bottom line has been consistent, compelling and charged with authenticity.

Hundreds of ministers, representing variations in worship style and doctrine and religious expression, all witness to this one simple truth: We were all created for relationship with God.

And that is the story of East Hillsborough County's community of worship and service; pretty much any worship experience to fit any spiritual lifestyle.

This community's church leaders make up a cadre of inspirational men and women who have compelling stories to tell and the commitment to lead others into lives of faith and service.

Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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