Our story

Church History - by Dr. Oliver Edwards

The year was 1977 and East Orlando was a sleepy, little bedroom community with a big, growing state university. Dirt roads were almost everywhere, but SDA churches were nowhere to be found east of Winter Park. God had a plan for this community, although the people did not know it, yet. In almost the center of the community was a 5-acre tree-lined lot owned by a faithful friend of the Lord. It was, and is, indeed the perfect place for a church.

It was around this time that a seed of inspiration began to germinate among some worshipers at the Kress SDA church in Orlando. Should we start an SDA church in East Orlando? This notion gave birth to what is now the University Seventh-day Adventist Church. Our church is divinely positioned approximately two miles west of the 70,000-student, University of Central Florida (UCF).

University SDA church is the eastern-most SDA church in the Orlando area. It is also the closest church to the fertile field of UCF where almost 90,000 students, faculty, staff, and their families are situated to hear the soul-saving gospel message.

Our Birth

The story of our birth began when 18 pioneers from Kress met on April 7, 1977, with Elder Russell Adams and Elder Richard Faber at the Winter Park Funeral Home. At the meeting, Elder Faber challenged the 18 to become the 100th church in the Florida Conference.

From its conception, our church was unique. Few churches can claim a funeral home as their birthplace. On January 31, 1978, 43 persons were formally organized as the Goldenrod Seventh-day Adventist Church. We initially worshiped at that Winter Park Funeral home until the Tuskawilla Presbyterian Church became our next temporary home.

Our Home

In 1978, that 5-acre tree-lined lot was donated to the church and became our permanent home! On March 11, 1980 our church was renamed the University Seventh-day Adventist Church. And, as prayed into reality, we became the 100th church of the Florida Conference sisterhood of churches on February 7, 1982. 

Soon, the corridors of our growing church rang with sounds of children’s voices, both cherubic and challenging. This called for the founding of a church school which opened in August of 1987 and existed for some 20 years.

On December 5, 1991 we held our first Christmas program as a gift to our community. It was a live Nativity Celebration and Choir presentation attended by thousands of people in our community. We continue to host events and even feed the community as part of fulfilling the gospel mission.

From our humble beginning so long ago, many members have come and gone. Many pastors have been assigned to shepherd the flock, and all have endeared themselves to the congregation and the community. Merrill Enright, Rocky Gale, Gary Thurber, Dan Forbes, Alex Pinilla, and our present pastor, Newton King are examples of a few.