4 Celebrations of New Ministry Set to Honor God’s Work

Within a three-week period beginning Nov. 15, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida will have the unusual privilege of holding four Celebrations of New Ministry at four different churches, two of them on the same day. The new ministries of the Rev. Becky Chapman, vicar of Corpus Christi, Okahumpka; the Rev. Elisabeth Pessah, rector of St. Luke’s, Merritt Island; the Rev. Mike Gumulauskas, rector of St. Margaret’s, Inverness; and the Very Rev. Dr. Dave Johnson, rector of St. David’s by-the-Sea, Cocoa Beach, will be celebrated by their respective congregations.

Chapman doesn’t view her upcoming Nov. 15 Celebration of New Ministry as a personal achievement. While she will be officially installed as vicar on that date, she prefers to see the event in a much broader light.

“Yes, this is certainly a significant moment for me, both personally and in my ministry,” she said. “But, as I frequently remind the parishioners at Corpus Christi, this is our Celebration of New Ministry, not simply mine.

“My ordination to the priesthood at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Bushnell in August 2024 marked an important milestone in my personal journey of faith and ministry,” Chapman continued. “The Celebration of New Ministry, however, is something different. It is an opportunity for the congregation to affirm its support of my leadership and for me to renew my commitment to love, serve and faithfully shepherd the people entrusted to my care. It is a celebration of the ministry we will share and the work God is calling us to do together.”

Following her ordination to the priesthood more than two years ago, Chapman continued to serve as assisting priest at St. Francis until accepting the call to serve as vicar of Corpus Christi in June this year.

“These past several months have been a wonderful time of getting to know one another, building relationships and discerning together where God is leading us,” she said. “I am deeply grateful for the trust the congregation has placed in me and excited about what lies ahead.”

On the same day as Chapman’s Celebration of New Ministry, which will be overseen by the Rev. Canon Dr. Dan Smith, Pessah will be officially installed as rector at St. Luke’s, Merritt Island, in an afternoon service presided over by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb.

Pessah, or “Mother Beth” as she is known, came to St. Luke’s in October 2024 as an interim rector under an agreement with the bishop that, if she was a good fit with the church, she would stay on permanently. Her husband, the Rev. Stephen Pessah, became rector of St. Mark’s, Cocoa, in August of that year. She took on the role of rector at St. Luke’s in May 2025 and said she believes Jesus is moving the church body forward smoothly.

“We recently had a Vestry Day where we talked about inviting people, welcoming people and connecting with people,” she said. “We’ve done a few surveys among ourselves to find of figure out how we’re doing in terms of how the community sees us as what we can bring to the community. We’re focusing on how we can be good at inviting the community to come and join us. Then, once they are here, how do we welcome them and help them find a sense of belonging at St. Luke’s.”

On Nov. 22, St. Margaret’s, Inverness, will host Bishop Holcomb as he presides over Gumulauskas’ Celebration of New Ministry. The church’s new rector began his ministry there in July, more than three months ago. The infrastructure is one of the most crucial elements within the church that has improved since then, he said.

“We’re working on getting that up to par so that we can be transparent,” he said. “Everyone here sees that I want to be transparent and to build relationships. I think the whole community now feels like everybody’s voice is being heard, and that has had a positive impact for all of us.”

Gumulauskas described the knowledge that God had chosen him to serve the people of the parish as “humbling.”

“Knowing the work that they put in to just get a priest here and they waited for the right guy or gal to come in and lead them spiritually and theologically is overwhelming,” he said. “My overall vision for St. Margaret’s is that I want Citrus County to know who we are. If you need someone to help or someone to talk to, but most importantly to know about Jesus, we want you to know that we have this altar that’s open to anyone who wants to come on down. The community needs to feel safe that they can do that, and I think that is happening with us.”

On Dec. 6, Bishop Holcomb will preside at Johnson’s Celebration of New Ministry. A priest for 25 years, the new rector at St. David’s by-the-Sea has served at various churches, including Church of the Resurrection, Longwood, for nearly 4 ½ years. He was called to St. David’s and began serving as rector in November 2025; he is now also serving as dean of the Southeast Deanery.

“When you get called to a church, it’s a combination of the discernment of the Holy Spirit and discernment of the church calling you,” Johnson said. “When all that comes together, it’s a very special thing. I love serving at St. David’s, and I’m honored to be their leader.”