About Us

Tampa is located on the west central coast of Florida, near the Gulf of Mexico. The Tampa Bay area is a great place to live and work, and for building the city of God.

Most of our 40 adult members live either in south Tampa or in Brandon to the east. But God is also drawing people into our life from north Tampa, and to the west into Pinellas County. We also have members on assignment in Arizona, North Carolina, and even Germany!

Like so much of the People of Praise, the Tampa branch is rooted in the Charismatic Renewal of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The group initially formed as the “Nazareth Community” and became a branch of the People of Praise in July, 1983. Several families from that original move of the Spirit toward community are still active in our branch life.

In 1988 George and Patty Wolney moved to Tampa from Minneapolis, and George served as Mission Coordinator for the branch. Five years later, in anticipation of the George’s planned departure, Tampa and Northern Virginia held an inter-branch consultation on growth. As a result of that consultation and a lot of prayer, in 1993 three families and two single women moved from Northern Virginia to the Tampa Bay area. Although the two single ladies married and moved to other branches, the three families remain and the branch has continued to grow.

Central Florida is a wonderful place to raise families (20 children and growing!), hold reunions and build community. All these activities tend to bring visitors. As you might expect, our numbers tend to grow in the winter months with visitors from places like the Minneapolis, Buffalo and South Bend, and drop slightly in the summer.

God continues to bless us. We are large enough to build the Kingdom, but small enough to gather in homes and share our lives.