Is Orlando New Promised Land?

Already the world’s theme park capital, Orlando is emerging as a spiritual capital—a new Holy Land for Christianity’s modern crusaders.

More than a dozen international ministries, evangelical organizations, and seminary branches have sprung up or relocated to central Florida, and more are on the way. This year, two multimillion-dollar complexes are scheduled to open, both designed in part to convert tourists into pilgrims.

“It looks like Orlando will be the third evangelical Jerusalem in the U.S. [after Wheaton, Illinois, and Colorado Springs],” says evangelical media analyst Quentin Schultze of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “I think you’re going to see significant growth in the next ten years.”

Wycliffe Bible Translators, a Huntington Beach, California-based organization, is negotiating to purchase a 200-acre site close to Orlando International Airport. Wycliffe will move its 300 headquarters employees to rental facilities in Orlando by July.

Two more evangelical Christian organizations recently announced plans to establish an Orlando presence. Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, will become the second major seminary to establish a permanent branch campus in the area. Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, has signed a contract to purchase the Maitland campus of Reformed Theological Seminary, which is moving to a new facility in nearby Oviedo.

In April, Campus Crusade for Christ will occupy the first phase of its 260,000-square-foot, $42 million complex near Orlando International Airport (CT, Oct. 6, 1997, p. 84). Campus Crusade moved to the area seven years ago from California.

Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright hopes that when the World Center for Discipleship and Evangelism is completed it will attract some of the 37 million tourists who visit the area annually. “We want the people who come here to have a spiritual vacation—a vacation with a purpose,” Bright says. “We think we have something to offer that they won’t normally get at the theme parks.”

Orlando already is a popular site for evangelical gatherings. For instance, the National Association of Evangelicals and Evangelical Press Association will hold annual conventions here this year.

Evangelical organizations are flocking to central Florida for some of the same reasons many businesses come here: low-cost land and labor, good airline connections, and the weather.

Orlando was once best known in the religious world as the home of flamboyant televangelist Benny Hinn. But in addition to Campus Crusade and the evangelical seminaries and colleges, other Christian ministries now in the area include Liberty Counsel, the Timothy Fund, Ligonier Ministries, Zion’s Hope, Key Life Network, and Strang Communications.

Copyright © 1999 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

The New Theologians: In a realm once dominated by theological liberals, many of today's top scholars are orthodox believers.

Cover Story

Ellen Charry: Reclaiming spiritual nurture.

Cover Story

N.T. Wright: Making Scholarship a Tool for the Church

Cover Story

Kevin Vanhoozer: Creating a theological symphony.

Cover Story

Miroslav Volf: Speaking truth to the world.

Cover Story

Richard Hays: Recovering the Bible for the church.

Cover Story

New Theologians

Napalm Victim Now Agent for Peace

Why I Love Small Churches

Max Lucado’s Maxims

Baroness Caroline Cox: The Price of a Slave

Was the Revolutionary War Justified?

Classic & Contemporary Excerpts from February 08, 1999

Muddy Murals

Tales of a Reluctant Convert and more

Churches Accused of Electioneering

Chaplains Reach River Mariners

Bridging Kosovo's Deep Divisions

Neighbors Fight Cell Tower 'Cross'

In Brief: February 08, 1999

Why I Can Feel Your Pain

World Vision Boots Austrian Affiliate

Christians Recreate Jesus' Home

In Brief: February 08, 1999

New Unreached Group Targeted

Holy Land Archaeology Imperiled

Ethiopia Focus on Evangelism

Churches Retrain Workers

In Print-Does God Live in Your Brain

Key Year for Lewisian Thespians

On the Back Flap—Lewis Smedes

A Six-Pack of Strobel's

Letters

Revival: Pensacola Outpouring Eyes Global Goals

$12 Million Fraud Scheme Parallels Greater Ministries

Cuba: Did the Papal visit Change Anything?

Group Helps Communities Curb Smut

Congo: Missionaries Flee Amid Latest Fighting

Hypertext-Spirituality Sightings

Editorial

A Silent Holocaust in Iraq

The Gypsy Reformation

Trying Patience on for Size

View issue

Our Latest

News

As Shutdown Strains Incomes, Church Ramps Up to Feed the Hungry

In suburban Detroit, a $50,000 ministry grant helps families keep food on the tables during furloughs.

News

Kenyan Churches Struggle to Support Childless Couples

One Christian woman hopes to destigmatize infertility.

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

Lecrae Moore: Why Lecrae Won’t Be Silent

Exploring faith that acts, how the gospel grounds justice, why silence wounds, and what hopeful, everyday courage looks like.

Review

‘Roe v. Wade’ Eroded the Church’s Historic Pro-Life Consensus

It was already unraveling by 1973. Repairing it today won’t be easy.

Taylor Swift Makes Showgirls of Us All

Something compels us to perform our relationship with the pop star’s music. Maybe that’s her secret to success.

Public Theology Project

The Loss of One Forgotten Virtue Could Destroy the Country

We’ve all become numb to this unserious, trivializing age.

The Russell Moore Show

Benjamin Watson and Russell Moore on The Just Life

Christian justice, gospel-centered living, and faithful action

News

Amid Floods and Heat Waves, Indian Church Fights Climate Change

Christ Church in Kerala tends to its garden while helping its parishioners and neighbors live sustainably.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube