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Orlando Magazine’s 2025 Best of ORL is a greater success than ever before! Our readers voted (overwhelmingly) in 116 categories—13 of them new—and the results are in. Read about 35 of your first-place winners in our editor’s-choice spotlights, then continue on for lists of all the winners, by category.
Rev. David Uth—First Orlando
Archbishop Allen T.D. Wiggins—The Hope Church
Dr. Joel C. Hunter is the Pastor of Community Benefit at Action Church, a multi-site congregation based in Winter Park and his one-minute daily devotionals can be heard worldwide on Z88 radio. He is the Chairman of the Central Florida Pledge campaign; a call to action for residents of Central Florida who are tired of hateful discourse and want to create a safe and inclusive community for all. The pledge asks residents to commit to treating all people with kindness and respect, especially those with whom they disagree. To learn more: https://www.centralfloridapledge.com/
He is a nationally and internationally known advocate for the poor, the marginalized, and those dealing with disabilities. He served a three-year term as the Chairman of Central Florida’s Commission on Homelessness. And, after 32 years as the senior pastor of Longwood, Florida’s Northland Church’s congregation of 20,000, he spent five years leading a non-profit in networking with churches and local charities to locate available resources and benefit the struggling in our community. Orlando Magazine highlighted his efforts naming him as the #1 most powerful voice for philanthropy and community engagement. And listed him among “Orlando’s 50 Most Powerful” six years in a row.
Approaching today’s challenges in a biblical and balanced manner, Dr. Hunter is neither partisan nor politically oriented, but often relates to public officials in a pastoral role; he served as a spiritual advisor to President Obama during his eight years in office.
Dr. Hunter has served in leadership roles of the World Evangelical Alliance, serving more than 600 million evangelicals, and the National Association of Evangelicals, serving more than 40 denominations and thousands of churches.
Married in 1972 to his wife, Becky, he is the father of three sons, grandfather of seven, and great-grandfather of two.
Sunday, July 27, 2025 - Dr. Hunter will preach at the 11 AM worship service at Broadway United Methodist Church (406 E. Amelia Street, Orlando, FL 32803)
Sunday, August 31, 2025 - Dr. Hunter will preach at the 8:30AM | 10AM | 11:30AM | 5:30PM worship serices at Action Church (1485 Grand Rd.,Winter Park, FL 32792) He will be preaching at the Winter Park site but the service will be shared with these Action Campuses as well:
* Oviedo - 9:30AM | 11AM (Oviedo at Hagerty High School - 3225 Lockwood Blvd Oviedo, FL 32765))
*Sanford - 8:30AM | 10AM | 11:30AM (650 E. Airport Blvd. Sanford, Florida 32773)
