Pastor Roy Lowe

    Pastor Roy Lowe was appointed as pastor of First United Methodist Church of Bartow in June 1997.  A native Floridian, he grew up in the Keys, the youngest of 4 children and attended Community United Methodist Church in Marathon from the age of 5.  He made an initial commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord at age 12 while attending the Methodist Youth Camp in Leesburg.  He graduated from Marathon High School in 1970 and the University of Florida in 1974.
     From 1974 -1977 he returned to Marathon fulfilling a vision to work as a volunteer in ministry to the youth in his home church and community.  During this time he was employed as a commercial lobster fisherman and construction worker. In the fall of 1977 he followed God's call to prepare for pastoral ministry through studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1980, he was ordained as an elder in the Florida Conference of the U.M. Church in 1982.
     His pastoral ministry record includes service at the following churches:
    6/1980 - 4/1983: Grace UMC, Venice (associate pastor)
    5/1983 - 5/1987: Curry Ford Road UMC, Orlando
    6/1987 - 5/1997: Crystal Lake UMC, Lakeland
    6/1997 - Present: First UMC, Bartow
 Pastor Lowe and his wife Kayline, who is also a Florida native (from Tampa), were married in 1982 and they have two teenage children. Pastor Lowe enjoys most sports and actively participates in basketball and racquetball.  His hobbies include playing guitar and enjoying contemporary Christian music and folk music, especially Florida folk music.
     In addition to his duties with First UMC, Pastor Lowe serves as the Chairperson of the Lakeland District Committee on Ordained Ministry and is a member of the Florida Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. He and his wife are active in the Emmaus Comunity, and he is a founding member of the Heart of Florida Emmaus Board of Directors.
     Pastor Lowe's personal mission is:
To help people to know, receive and live in God's grace, so that they may discover and exercise their spiritual gifts for ministry in order that the Church may fulfill Christ's Great Commission to make disciples.