A Century on 70th Street South
Pasadena Community Church has stood on 70th Street South in St. Petersburg, Florida since its first worship service on March 25, 1925, when twenty members gathered in what is now known as the Hamilton Auditorium. A century later, the congregation is still anchored to its original neighborhood, working from a campus that includes the 2,000-seat sanctuary consecrated in 1960 and the Life Enrichment Center (LEC) completed in 2002. Its tagline is "To Know, Love, and Serve God," and its mission is "Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ."
The church's growth mirrors that of the surrounding community. Under the leadership of Dr. Rev. J. Wallace Hamilton, who became the congregation's second senior minister in 1929, the church grew through the Great Depression and World War II, drawing overflow crowds so large that worshipers sat on benches outside and even listened from their cars through loudspeakers. The 1950s and 1960s brought a reputation for innovation and ecumenical partnership at a time when that was rare in American Protestantism. The 1960 sanctuary dedication drew more than 7,000 people, though only 2,000 could be seated inside. A list of senior pastors on the history page traces the line from J.S. Lean (1925) and J.E. Lewis (1926) through E.L. David (1927), J. Wallace Hamilton (1929), Thomas C. Kelsey (1968), Edward W. Norman (1976), John A. Stroman (1988), Clifford V. Melvin (1997), James E. McWhinnie (2006), Charles D. Reeb (2008), Dan G. Johnson (2018), Corey A. Jones (2019), Nicole and Gary Logan (2023), and the current pastor, Rev. Dr. Mark Holland (2025).
Worship on Sunday and Wednesday Mornings
The Sunday schedule at Pasadena is built around two distinct worship services, both held in the LEC Gym. At 9:00 am, the Contemporary service opens the day. Small groups and Sunday School meet across the campus at 10:00 am. At 11:00 am, the Traditional service follows. Both Sunday services are also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and a sermon library keeps recent messages available online. Contemporary and Traditional bulletins are posted each week in PDF form.
Wednesday mornings begin at 8:00 am in Goodwin Chapel with the Prayer Chapel gathering, where the Intercessory Prayer Ministry team prays over requests submitted through prayer cards, online forms, and direct email. The Wednesday Night Live program meets at 5:30 pm with dinner and programming, taking a break during the summer months. The IMPACT Youth Gathering also meets on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Connect cards are available for newcomers to share their information and indicate interests from ushering to children's ministry, and prayer requests can be submitted online.
Children from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children are welcomed from infancy through fifth grade. During the 9:00 am Contemporary service, Nursery care is available for ages 1 through Pre-K in LEC Classroom 3 B, staffed by screened and trained team members. Children's Church for kindergarten through fifth grade meets at the same hour in LEC Classroom 3 C, exploring Bible lessons through worship, games, and discussion. Sunday School runs from 10:00 to 11:00 am for ages 1 through 11 in LEC Classrooms 3 B and C, going deeper into the morning's lesson with crafts and activities. Children's Ministry Coordinator Stephanie Gudmundson oversees the program. A Pasadena Child Youth Protection Policy is published in the parent resources section.
IMPACT Youth Ministry
Junior and senior high students gather as IMPACT Youth Ministries, designed around the same four purposes that shape the entire church: Believe, Belong, Become, and Be the Difference. The youth meet for Sunday School at 11:15 am and for the Impact Youth Gathering on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Julia Hurlock serves as Youth and Young Adults Director. The ministry's scripture is Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission.
Preschool, Christian Playgroup, and Elementary Aftercare
Pasadena Community Church Preschool has been serving families for more than fifty years, providing care for children from one year old through pre-kindergarten in a year-round program with multiple scheduling options. The preschool is accredited by the United Methodist Association of Preschools (UMAP) and is a state-funded VPK provider. Weekly special classes include Spanish, music, chapel, creative movement, and a literacy center. Enrichment add-ons such as Tumble Bus, dance, and Computer Tots are typically offered in the aftercare program.
Christian Playgroup welcomes toddlers from 12 to 24 months and two-year-olds from 24 to 36 months, with two-day and three-day morning programs. Elementary Aftercare picks up students from Pasadena Fundamental and Jamerson Elementary, running Monday through Friday from 2:00 to 5:30 pm with a snack, homework time, centers, and outside time. The program operates August through May, with summer camp available in June and July. Director of Christian Education Angie Hadley oversees these early childhood ministries, and Susan Sanders serves as Director of Preschool.
Adults: Small Groups, Bible Studies, and Fellowship
Adult Sunday groups run between services from 10:00 to 10:45 am. The Faith Journey Class, led by Jorge Angulo, focuses on deepening faith through Scripture study and reflection in Conference Room A.
Weekly Bible studies include:
- Tuesday 7:01 am: Men's Club at Craft Kafe Coffee Shop on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.
- Tuesday 6:30 pm: Walk Through the New Testament.
- Wednesday 11:00 am: Kingdom Seekers.
- Wednesday 3:00 pm: Upper Room Gathering, by conference call so members can join from home.
Quilters meet on Wednesdays from 12:00 to 3:00 pm in LEC Rooms 2BC, with finished quilts donated to Ronald McDonald House, CASA, and Healthy Start Coalition. Prayer Shawl Ministry meets from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on select Saturdays in the Gathering Room of the Hamilton Building, with knitters and crocheters praying blessings into every stitch. GriefShare meets on Fridays at 1:00 pm seasonally. Holy Chair Yoga gathers Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:15 am, offering a Christian-centered gentle flow with scripture readings; the class is open to all, with chairs provided for those who prefer or need to sit.
Recreation: Family, Fitness, and Fun
The Recreation Ministry, led by Director Dean Hoskin, provides basketball, tennis, volleyball, and game nights for all ages, along with youth soccer and basketball leagues. Each practice and game opens with prayer, and the leagues are intentionally Christian-based, focusing on sportsmanship, teamwork, and fun. Pickleball has become one of the most popular offerings, with Advanced Players on Mondays at 9:00 am and Tuesdays at 8:00 am, Beginner/Intermediate on Tuesdays at 10:00 am, and All Players on Fridays at 9:00 am, all in the LEC gym. Summer Sports Camps run for a week each in late June and late July from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, and a youth basketball league runs January through March with summer basketball camps in June and August.
Local Missions: Closing the Gap
The church says God is calling the congregation to close the gap on homelessness, vulnerable children and families, and affordable housing in the St. Petersburg area. Several ongoing ministries put that commitment into practice.
The Pasadena Food Pantry, located under the portico of the Life Enrichment Center, provides nutritious food to over 100 families each week. It is open on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 9:30 to 11:30 am. Food donations can be dropped off Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 am or anytime in the donation box under the portico; current needs include canned fruit, soups, meats, vegetables, and boxes of macaroni and cheese.
Street Eats partners with the St. Petersburg Police Department's P.A.T.H. program, providing 200 bags of non-perishable food each month that officers hand out to those experiencing homelessness and hunger in St. Petersburg. Pack-A-Snack addresses chronic hunger among elementary-age children in public schools by filling bags with nutritious food for children eligible for free lunch. Resurrection House meals are prepared and delivered on Thursdays at 3:00 pm.
The Faith Build through Habitat for Humanity recruits volunteers and raises funds to construct energy-efficient homes in Pinellas County. Angel Outreach partners with local schools to support vulnerable families with shoes, school uniforms, and a Christmas party with family-based activities. ESOL tutoring is offered free on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 am for adults 18 and older, with no teaching experience required for tutors.
A separate Pasadena United Women in Faith Thrift Store is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and accepts donations of clothing and household items.
Global Mission Partners
Pasadena supports covenant missionaries across four regions. Rev. Leonardo Garcia serves in East Angola as Professor of Theology at the Quessua School of Theology and as an internal medicine doctor at the Quessua Mission Health Center. Together with his wife, Dr. Cleivy Benitez Garcia, a pediatrician and ordained clergy, they feed 500 village children every Sunday after worship.
Delbert and Sandy Groves serve in Zambia, where they started the New Life Center focused on evangelism, a print shop, and Personal Energy Transport. Rev. Charles Mulemena, formerly with the Groves at New Life Center, now serves as coordinator of the Council of Christian Churches in the Amazon region and as pastor of two Methodist churches in Corozal, Belize.
Rex Almquist is Pasadena's own missionary, directing South East Asian Relief (SEAR, Inc.) and continuing ministry with local Southeast Asian refugees in Pinellas County. Pasadena is also a sister church of Park Temple Methodist Church in Jovellanos, Cuba, located east of Havana in the Matanzas District. The two congregations have participated in the Florida Conference's Florida-Cuba Covenant "Methodists United in Prayer" since 1998.
Care, Prayer, and Pastoral Support
The Pasadena Cares Ministry walks alongside members through joys and trials. Pastoral Care Coordinator Barbara Posey can be reached at extension 214 to arrange visits before surgery, during hospitalization or rehab stays, and for those who are homebound. The Intercessory Prayer Team prays weekly over every request submitted through prayer cards and the online form. A Prayer Path labyrinth on the grounds offers a quiet space for meditation, with a designated entrance to release, a center to receive, and an exit to reflect.
Baptisms are scheduled throughout the year during select worship services for people of all ages. The United Methodist Church recognizes baptisms from other traditions, so non-members are not re-baptized but are encouraged to seek membership afterward. Weddings are available to members and non-members, with the ceremony treated as a worship service; the church recommends a minimum of three months of planning and does not schedule weddings on holidays or during Easter and Christmas seasons. Pastors are honored to preside over funeral and memorial services, whether at the church, the funeral home, or graveside.
Leadership and Stewardship
Rev. Dr. Mark Holland leads the staff team as Senior Pastor. Joining him are Angie Hadley as Director of Christian Education, Stephanie Gudmundson as Children's Ministry Coordinator, Anita Marshall as Director of Hospitality, Julia Hurlock as Youth and Young Adults Director, Susan Sanders as Director of Preschool, Barbara Posey as Pastoral Care Coordinator, and Dean Hoskin as Director of Recreation. The church's ministry strategy is built on four purposes: Believe, Belong, Become, and Be the Difference, paired with the stated vision of being a church where all can believe, belong, become, and be the difference.
Members who want to make Pasadena their church home move through three steps: a Discover Pasadena class, a Membership Class, and Membership Vows taken during a worship service. Annual pledges support the operating budget, and giving is available online through Realm as well as by cash, check, appreciated stock, or Qualified Charitable Distribution. The Endowment Committee, established in 2002, encourages planned giving to ensure the ongoing upkeep of the buildings and grounds.