Peninsular Florida District Council

What Peninsular Florida District Council does

Peninsular Florida District Council is one of 58 district councils of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal Christian denomination, operating as a private nonprofit headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1925 (originally as the South Florida District, renamed Peninsular Florida in 1961), the district serves credentialed ministers and affiliated churches across the Florida peninsula, covering the territory from the Georgia line to the Caribbean islands and from the Suwanee River to the Atlantic Ocean. Its portfolio is organized into interconnected ministry services rather than a unified technology product: Minister Credentialing Services (a multi-step workflow covering pre-application, official application, exams, sectional committee review, and presbytery credential seminar, now digitized via Subsplash and DocuSign), Church Planting Initiative, World Missions and US Missions programs, the League of Christian Schools (LCS.education), parallel ministry programs for Youth, Kids, Girls, Men, Women, Senior Adults and Royal Rangers, Masterpiece Gardens retreat center, Light for the Lost evangelistic resource initiative, a Media Library integrated with RightNow Media, and the Minister Portal (my.penflorida.org) for self-serve credential and tithe management.

The district is led by Superintendent Dr. Terry Raburn, Assistant Superintendent Scott Young, Secretary Grant Foster, and Treasurer Dr. M. Wayne Blackburn, supported by 11-50 staff including program directors and administrative assistants. Operationally it is divided into 17+ sections plus Black Fellowship and Female sections, each with assigned presbyters; District Council events and a biennial Sectional Tour provide governance and fellowship cadence.

Revenue mechanics combine minister tithes and contributions routed through the Minister Portal, church contributions to district operations and missions, and modest event registration fees ($50 for credentialed ministers and voting delegates; $75 walk-in voting; $30 walk-in visitor). It is recognized as the nation's number one missions-giving district among AG districts, having achieved a $1M World Missions giving milestone under Terry Raburn and currently funding a $1M Jerusalem School Bethlehem campus project (with $642,174.50 raised to date) and a Kenya Churches Under the Tree initiative (60 churches built in 2025). No revenue figures are publicly disclosed; the technology stack is standard SaaS with no proprietary AI/ML components.

Name

Peninsular Florida District Council

Legal name

Peninsular Florida District Council of the Assemblies of God Inc

Website

https://penflorida.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peninsular Florida District Council is a nonprofit district council of the Assemblies of God, headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, that credentials ministers, supports church planting, and coordinates missions and ministry programs across hundreds of member churches throughout the Florida peninsula.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Denomination District Council Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Minister credentialing services
• Church planting support
• Religious district council
• Missions coordination
• Faith community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Minister Tithes and Contributions: Credentialed ministers pay tithes and access resources through the Minister Portal. One-time and recurring donation options for district initiatives.
2. Church Contributions and District Support: Member churches contribute to district operations, missions projects, and various ministry initiatives through designated giving channels
3. Event Registration Fees: District Council events charge registration fees: Credentialed Ministers $50, Voting Delegates $50, Senior Retired $0, Walk-in voting $75, Walk-in visitor $30

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Peninsular Florida District Council is a religious district council of the Assemblies of God that credentials ministers and supports member churches across the Florida peninsula. It delivers a comprehensive minister credentialing process (pre-application, application, exams, presbytery seminar), structured church planting support, US and World missions coordination, and parallel ministry programs for youth, kids, women, men, girls, senior adults, and Royal Rangers. It also operates the League of Christian Schools, the Masterpiece Gardens retreat facility, the Light for the Lost evangelistic resources initiative, the Minister Portal, and the annual District Council and biennial Sectional Tour events.

Product overview

Peninsular Florida District Council is a religious district council of the Assemblies of God that offers a portfolio of interconnected ministry services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include Minister Credentialing Services (providing comprehensive credentialing from pre-application through ordination), Church Planting Initiative (supporting new church establishment with training and mentorship), World Missions and US Missions programs (coordinating global and domestic missionary work), and the League of Christian Schools (overseeing Christian education). The organization also operates parallel ministry programs for Youth, Kids, Girls, Mens, Womens, and Senior Adults; operates Masterpiece Gardens retreat facility; and provides digital services including the Minister Portal for credentialed ministers to manage credentials and access resources. Additional offerings include Light for the Lost (evangelistic resource provision), Media Library with RightNow Media access, and annual District Council and Sectional Tour events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Minister Credentialing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 churches built in Kenya through Churches Under the Tree project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• General Council of the Assemblies of GodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Peninsular Florida District Council is one of 58 districts affiliated with the General Council of the Assemblies of God. This affiliation provides credentialing authority, doctrinal alignment (16 Fundamental Truths), and connection to national ministry networks and resources.
• Southeastern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoutheastern University in Lakeland partners with Christian Life Center for affordable, accredited Christ-centered education. The Academy at Southeastern University offers a three-stage program for AG credentialing requirements. District office was relocated alongside SEU at Lake Parker in 1952.
• League of Christian SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe district supports League of Christian Schools (LCS.education), providing accreditation support and educational resources to Christian schools within the district. Dr. Michael Burroughs serves as Executive Director.
• Pathway TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlexible online program for ministry education available to district ministers. Study at own pace with immediate enrollment access.
• Berean School of the Bible (Global University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Ministerial Studies Diploma for those seeking AG credentials, covering biblical texts, Pentecostal doctrine, and essential ministry skills.
• Global Church Divinity SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers Just-in-Time training enabling learning at optimal pace without pressure of rushing through courses.
• Church Multiplication NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork that develops leaders and builds churches. Partner for church planting initiatives in the district.
• RightNow MediacoreTechnology or IntegrationFree access provided to credentialed ministers for thousands of Bible studies, conferences, training sessions, and kids content. Over 20,000 churches and ministries partner with RightNow Media.
• Arise School of MinistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year program at ARISE Church in Brandon providing practical biblical, theological, and leadership skills for ministry preparation.
• Greenhouse School of MinistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict-empowered ministry leadership training program located in Gainesville, Florida.
• Ministry Studies OnlineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner30-credit fully online college-level ministry training program with courses in Youth, KidMin, Pastoral, Global, and Recovery Studies.
• Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe district coordinates with AGWM for world missions projects. 2026 project: Jerusalem School Bethlehem ($1M goal). 2025 project: Kenya Churches Under the Tree ($5,048 per church). District commits to funding every approved missionary in the district.
• Masterpiece Gardens Retreat CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetreat facility in Lake Wales, Florida directed by Chris and Cathy Blackburn. Relocated from Camp Alafia in 1984. Provides retreat and campground facilities for district activities.
• PenFlorida World MissionariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict-funded missionaries serving globally. Requires communication with District World Missions Director, quarterly newsletters, and advance furlough notification. District has policy of funding own missionaries first.
• US Missionaries (PenFlorida)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple US missionaries serving across the district in various ministries including Chi Alpha campus ministry, chaplaincy, Teen Challenge, Special Touch Ministry, and more. District coordinates and supports their ministry efforts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Southeastern University: Pentecostal higher education institution co-located with the district since 1952 and partner in AG ministerial credentialing pathways. Functions as an educational pipeline and historical ally for the district.
• Church Multiplication Network: National church planting network partnered with the district for new congregation development. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• League of Christian Schools: Sub-brand of the district providing accreditation and resources to Christian schools. Operates as an affiliated entity rather than an independent peer.

Direct peers

• Florida Baptist Convention: State-level denominational governance body for Florida Southern Baptists, performing analogous church-support, missions coordination, and credentialing-equivalent functions within the same geography but a different denomination.
• Georgia District of the Assemblies of God: Adjacent AG district sharing the Florida border. Comparable scale, denominational alignment, and missions footprint, with overlapping cross-state ministry dynamics.
• Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church: Regional United Methodist governance body serving Florida churches with comparable clergy credentialing, missions, and connectional ministry models. Useful peer for comparing denominational governance across traditions.
• Southern Missouri District Council of the Assemblies of God: Another regional AG district council performing identical credentialing, church planting, missions, and ministry programming functions for its territory. Closest functional peer to Peninsular Florida within the same Assemblies of God network.
• Ohio District of the Assemblies of God: Regional AG district providing credentialing, missions coordination, and ministry programs across an Ohio footprint. Same hierarchical position and operating model as Peninsular Florida.
• North Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God: A larger AG district council serving North Texas with the same denominational structure, credentialing authority, and ministry portfolio. Useful peer for benchmarking scale and operational models.

Broad incumbents

• General Council of the Assemblies of God: National parent body of the AG denomination; Peninsular Florida is one of its 58 subordinate districts. Sets doctrinal standards, oversees credentialing, and provides national network access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/penflorida
• YouTubevimeo.com/channels/penflorida
• Facebookfacebook.com/PenFlorida
• Instagraminstagram.com/penflorida
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peninsular-florida-district-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peninsular Florida District Council