John and Clyde Maguire’s Legacy: Supporting Church Planting in Florida
Growth estimates for the Sunshine State suggest a population increase of more than 300,000 people annually. Those relocating are ethnically diverse, meaning the nations are moving to Florida, and Florida Baptists are at work sharing the gospel with those who come.
A Lasting Legacy
The Florida State Mission Offering began in 1908. For many years, the Florida offering aided missions work among the Seminole people and Cuban populations in Tampa and Key West, funded scholarships for African American ministers, and provided for Floridians serving with the International Mission Board.
When John Maguire became executive secretary-treasurer for the Florida Baptist Convention, one-fourth of the 826 Florida Baptist churches didn’t give to support missions, but by the time he retired, all the churches gave.
In the 23 years Maguire served, between 1945 and 1967, nearly 40 churches were planted each year, and the number of Florida Baptist churches grew to more than 1,400. Cooperative Program giving increased eightfold, and church membership more than tripled.
John’s wife, Clyde Louise Maguire, mentored women, was a prayer warrior, authored mission study guides, and supported missions causes across the state.
Because of John and Clyde’s dedication to Florida Baptists and the convention’s remarkable expansion, in 1985 the offering was renamed the John and Clyde Maguire State Mission Offering.
Decades of Work for Church Planting
In the years since John Maguire’s tenure, uses of the offering moved to focus more on church planting. Florida Baptist historian Don Hepburn stated, “Dan Stringer [executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, 1979–89] spearheaded the development of a new work assistance program [that] provided a comprehensive strategy for starting new churches among African Americans, ethnic groups, [and] suburban and inner-city communities.” That strategy has been expanded upon by each subsequent executive director-treasurer.
Since 2015, under the leadership of Tommy Green, who served as executive director until August 2024, the Maguire State Mission Offering has been solely dedicated to church planting.
Support for church planting comes from a partnership with Send Network, a North American Mission Board (NAMB) initiative. Church planters receive 50 percent of their funding from Florida Baptists and 50 percent from NAMB.
Regarding the partnership, James Peoples, director of Send Network Florida, said, “We have seen much success in it.” He added that the partnership provides funding for training, support, health insurance, and much more.
Through the combined efforts of the partnership between Florida Baptists and NAMB and utilizing 100 percent of the Maguire State Mission Offering, church planters are endorsed and supported for five years.
“This offering is critical to fund these planters in the five-year window,” James explained. An additional Florida Baptist Convention emphasis on church planting, revitalization, and growth called Challenge 2025 focuses on annual benchmarks, including 75 new church plants, 30,000 baptisms, and 100 revitalized churches.
Challenge 2025 is a push to stir churches to reach a state where 75 percent of the population has no relationship with Christ. Stirring is happening. Church planting and current church strategies saw almost 30,000 professions of faith in 2023.
Two Planters Stirring People for Christ
Cliff McCray leads Radiant City Church in Boca Raton and serves as chaplain for the football team at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Radiant City launched in 2021 with a vision to reach college students. God opened doors for sharing the gospel when Cliff was asked to speak to the football team, and he now uses his background as a former football player as a bridge to reach students with the gospel. A recent beach baptism on the church’s third anniversary included nine FAU students.
Arthur Gonçalves was serving with his church at a center for people experiencing homelessness when he was awakened to the need for mercy ministry and a church in downtown Sanford. A yearlong Bible study, Christmas gift distribution, care for older adults in the community, and weekly meals provided by a local restaurant turned into ministry and prompted Arthur to plant Restoration Church. Unlikely people, like Adam, who was homeless and struggled with addiction, came to faith before Restoration Church was launched in 2022. Adam is one example of the vision of Restoration Church, where the broken can be restored to God.
First-Time Giving
Although Fellowship Baptist Church in Ocala is older than the state of Florida, it had no modern records of giving to the Maguire State Mission Offering. That changed in 2023 when the new pastor promoted the offering and stirred church members to give. Many other Florida churches have taken the challenge to support and encourage church planters across the state. The gospel is advanced and churches are planted.
As the population of Florida grows, so does the need for new churches. Will you join Florida Baptists in seeking the Lord to meet the goals of Challenge 2025, especially in launching 75 new churches each year? Pray for an increase in multicultural, multiethnic, and multigenerational congregations. Pray more people would answer the call to meet needs and share the gospel across Florida.
Lynn Durham is a Florida Baptist seeking how to serve in her context.
