"108 Years Strong"
About Us
Carter Tabernacle Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a family tradition for many, and a home to all that enter its doors. Rich in over 97 years of history, Carter was built on a solid foundation of faith and the Love for God's kingdom.
We are a church rich in history with over 99 years of existence. In 1916, what we now know as Carter was started in what was then known as "The Grove" in the beautiful city of Orlando, Florida by several Christian Methodist Episcopal families who relocated from Georgia. Our membership continues to flourish and Carter is still known as a family church.
We believe in outreach through prayer and hard work. We have many activities that allow us to touch the lives of those in need spiritually and physically, from meals, education, community events, and international missions.
Carter is a church that believes in extending beyond our walls and reaching into the community. We are working to build God's kingdom through spreading His gospel, witnessing and sharing our talents through our many ministries. In this we hope to change the community one person at a time. At Carter, there is something for everyone from the youngest to the oldest. Our ministries encourage involvement allowing everyone to find their own way to serve God.
Carter's Creed and symbol, the Sankofa bird, tells the story of our church, a body that uses experiences from the past to guide us to the future.
From the country of Ghana, the Sankofa's head is always turned backwards, thus "facing the past". The Sankofa represents the old African adage "Always remember the past for therein lies the future, if forgotten..." we are destined to repeat it. Sankofa is an Akan term that means, "to go back and get it".
(san = "to return") + (ko = "to go") + (fa = "to look, to seek and take").
Visually and symbolically, "Sankofa" is expressed as a mythic bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth. This ties with our motto: "In order to understand our present and ensure our future, we must know our past."