PRESS RELEASE: October 7, 2022
Advancing the Global Methodist Church in Florida
Vero Beach FL: This week, the Wesleyan Covenant Association, Florida Chapter (WCA-FL) is pleased to announce an exciting next step in the establishment of the Global Methodist Church (GMC) in Florida. The Rev. Nako Kellum, GMC Elder, has been appointed full-time as our Florida GMC Organizer.
Nako was born and raised in Japan as a Buddhist and became a Christian her senior year at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, which was founded by Methodist missionaries. She graduated Asbury Theological Seminary in KY with a MA in Christian Education and a Master of Divinity. She and her husband Edward served in Japan as tent makers until God called them to Florida 20 years ago. Nako has served as a UM pastor for 14 years in local churches in the Florida conference. She has a heart and passion for local churches. Her own small, home church in Japan nurtured her, leading her to seek sanctifying grace, and encouraging her to serve and respond to God’s calling. She and Edward have two daughters.
Rev. Jeremy Rebman, President of the WCA-FL, is certain this is a movement of the Holy Spirit. "God has given Nako an amazing faith, great discernment and a heart to see the new movement advance the Kingdom of God. God has called and gifted her for such a time as this.” Jeremy went on to say: “God is clearly on the move in the GMC and in Florida with the new appointment of Nako. Her passion for the local church is exactly the right fit to help organize and manage the explosive growth expected in Florida by GMC churches. We couldn’t be more excited for our state, the GMC and for Nako and her family.”
Florida joins 13 other full-time state GMC organizers (Link: https://globalmethodist.org/gm-organizers/) These positions are vital to the expansion of the GMC and the organization of what will become regional conferences in the GMC.
As the GMC Organizer, Nako will work with the newly formed Transitional Conference Advisory Team to establish the Florida Conference of the GMC. She will be available to share information about the GMC with pastors, laity, and churches. Nako will assist churches and pastors with joining the GMC, and she will also be facilitating the formation of new GMC Churches in Florida.
When asked about her new position, Nako said: “I am excited and honored to be serving as the GMC organizer in Florida! I was privileged to serve the Next Step Group which drew a blueprint for the GMC book of doctrine and discipline. It is great to see how God has brought us this far. I strongly believe that the vision God has given to the early Methodists, “to spread Scriptural holiness over the land” is still intact, and we are given an opportunity to follow God’s vision by the power of the Holy Spirit as the church. Please pray for me, the Transitional Conference Advisory Team, and the Global Methodist Church, that we will be following God faithfully.”
To contact Nako her email is: nkellum@globalmethodist.org or her cell is 239-297-2125