Gospel Light Shines in Diocese of Central Florida

In his 2024 Diocesan Convention address, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb emphasized “the one thing that matters most”: the gospel of Jesus Christ. That gospel knows no age boundaries, a blessing that some in the Diocese of Central Florida have joyfully discovered in recent months. The young and the not-so-young alike are awakening to the gospel, and the angels in heaven are rejoicing.

In addition to numerous reports of people responding to the gospel at Holcomb’s visitations, churches are sharing stories of individuals discovering the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ. From 88-year-old Joan Lomnitzer to 14-year-old Trinity Viel and others, an authentic, intimate relationship with Christ has become reality.

‘Something Was Missing’

St. Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, recently offered the Alpha course to the public. This evangelistic course seeks to introduce the basics of the Christian faith through a series of discussions, helping bring people together while providing the opportunity to encounter Jesus.

Lomnitzer, already a church member at St. Peter the Fisherman, had always wanted to take the course, but the opportunity never properly presented itself. When she discovered her church was offering Alpha, she jumped at the chance, and the experience transformed her heart.

“I don’t remember a time in my life that I wasn’t a Christian or that going to church wasn’t important to me,” Lomnitzer said. “But there have been times in my life where I always felt like there was something I was missing. I’ve never really been able to grasp what that something was – until now.

“One morning after one of the Alpha sessions, I prayed and thanked God for loving me, and asked him to forgive me for whatever I needed to be forgiven for,” she explained. “I started to cry. I experienced Jesus in a way I had never before. I felt His love, I felt forgiven and I felt free. I feel like I’m God’s child. Why did it take 88 years? I don’t know.”

Lomnitzer’s life-changing experience touched the heart of her rector, the Rev. Peter Tepper. He said it’s thrilling to see how Jesus can “make Himself real” in the later years of a person’s life.

“One of the questions in the Alpha course is ‘Have you experienced or received the forgiveness of Jesus, and if so, what did that feel like?’” Tepper said. “Joan told me she simply couldn’t get that question out of her mind, and while walking on the beach with a friend, she tried to unpack just what it meant. It’s amazing; after 88 years it’s still possible to come to the knowledge that ‘Yes, Jesus loved me enough to die for me.’”

‘My Heathen Doubt Disappeared’

The Alpha course proved the catalyst in yet another longtime churchgoer’s gospel awakening. Gail Harbeck, 78, a member of Holy Cross, Sanford, said she attended church for over a half-century “just to be with my husband.” She believed in God’s good works, but to her, everything else “was fantasy.”

“My game plan was to accept Jesus on my deathbed, if at all,” Harbeck said. “But then Jared [the Rev. Jared Jones, rector at Holy Cross] mentioned one Sunday that if you waited until just before you died to meet Jesus, you have waited too long. There was no time left to have a relationship. This made me start to ask questions.

“Jared urged me to attend Alpha, so I did,” she said, adding, “My heathen doubt disappeared. I finally was able to truly believe in Jesus. It’s a comforting feeling knowing that Jesus loves me, wrinkled doubts and all.”

‘Deep Desire for God’

While older Episcopalians are finding an intimate relationship with Christ, youth are also discovering his unfailing love.

Trinity Viel of St. Edward’s, Mount Dora, has fallen deeply in love with Jesus and desires nothing more than to spread the gospel that has brought her salvation. She will be a freshman at Mount Dora High School this fall and has participated in the church’s youth group for months. In March, she attended “Grounded” at All Saints, Winter Park, a two-day conference-style retreat that allows middle- and high-school-aged youth to connect with others and enhance the foundation of their faith.

A volleyball player, Viel was recently baptized, and she now leads devotions for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at her school. She said she is “definitely praying and reading the Bible more” and that her relationship with Christ has led her to become a better person.

“Going to Grounded was definitely a great experience for me, and it made me want to dive deeper into the Bible and to know Jesus better,” she said. “And now I want to help others because I know there are a lot of people out there who need Jesus.”

Dan King, director of family ministries and youth group leader at St. Edward’s, has seen a true transformation in Viel.

“She didn’t have a strong church background before, but it’s great to see her locked in,” he said. “She says, ‘This is it; this is who I am.’ One of the cool things I see in her is the peace she has.”

And the youth movement in the diocese is spreading. The Rev. Tom Phillips, rector of Holy Trinity, Melbourne, says a teen who attended a Saturday-evening service with her great-grandmother earlier this year came diligently searching for Jesus – and soon afterward, she found him. The priest says the teen stood out in a crowd because “newcomers are rare,” and few young people attend the church’s 5 p.m. service.

“There they sat, eyes intently fixed upon every movement and rhythm of what was happening,” Phillips said. “I could tell they were engaged. As soon as I had the chance, I made my way to meet them, and right away the teenage girl asked if she could schedule a meeting to talk. A few days later, the three of us were in my office, unpacking a story of deep desire for God. The girl in particular was so hungry for truth.”

The three met for several weeks and talked through the basics of the gospel, and they spent time in prayer. The young woman found what she had been looking for and expressed a desire to be baptized as an adult believer. This summer, she served at a Christian camp in the mountains of North Carolina.

The gospel matters most. And by the grace of God working through his church, it is alive and well in Central Florida.