Christianity • Protestantism
133-486: Melbourne ( / ˈ m ɛ l b ər n / MEL -bərn ) is a city in Brevard County, Florida , United States. It is located 72 miles (116 km) southeast of Orlando and 175 miles (282 km) northwest of Miami . It had population of 84,678 at the 2020 United States Decennial Census, up from 76,068 at the 2010 census. The municipality is the second-largest in the county by both size and population. Melbourne
266-648: A connexional polity. It cooperates with other Methodist bodies through the World Methodist Council and Wesleyan Holiness Connection . Though historically a black church and the first independent Protestant denomination to be founded by Black people , the African Methodist Episcopal Church welcomes and has members of all ethnicities. The AME Church was founded by Richard Allen (1760–1831) in 1816 when he called together five African American congregations of
399-592: A "Period of Friendship" with the Ais Caciques(Chiefs) and made a color map of the area. During the 19th century, the state of Florida frequently changed the names and borders of counties. St. Lucie County was split off from Mosquito County in 1844. St. Lucie County was renamed Brevard County in 1855 after Theodore Washington Brevard , who served as Florida Comptroller from 1854 to 1860. This "Brevard County" contained very little of present-day Brevard County. Most of present-day Brevard north of Melbourne
532-524: A bishop shall be heard, at the second, the decisions of the council shall be made public. All decisions shall be in writing. The Board of Incorporators, also known as the General Board of Trustees, has the supervision, in trust, of all connectional property of the church and is vested with authority to act in behalf of the AME Church wherever necessary. The AME General Board is in many respects
665-632: A bomb exploded under their home, fatally injuring both of them. The murders were racially motivated and believed committed by members of the Ku Klux Klan . Four separate investigations were conducted, including the first by the FBI in 1951–1952, and the last in 2005 by the state. No one was ever prosecuted. In 1940, the United States federal government built Naval Air Station Banana River (now Patrick Space Force Base ). This military installation
798-446: A few concessions to the people in the northern part of the county, and agreed not to officially move the county seat. Since construction of the new center, Viera has been for all intents and purposes the de facto seat of Brevard County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,557 square miles (4,030 km ), of which 1,016 square miles (2,630 km ) is land and 541 square miles (1,400 km ) (34.8%)
931-501: A fierce battle within the denomination. Angered by the Democrats ' regaining power and instituting Jim Crow laws in the late nineteenth century South, Turner was the leader of black nationalism and proposed emigration of blacks to Africa. The African Methodist Episcopal Church has a unique history as it is the first major religious denomination in the western world that developed because of race rather than theological differences. It
1064-530: A four-week period. Deer flies are particularly noticeable from April through June. Local bird counts indicate that there are at least 163 species of birds in the county. Turkey vultures , a migrating species, are protected by federal law. They migrate north in the summer and return in September. The county's most common winter bird is the lesser scaup , a diving duck. In 2008, half a million were counted. In 2010, 15,000 were estimated. Other birds include
1197-407: A frost in the city of Melbourne or at the ocean beaches. On Christmas Eve 2003, the city as others in east central coast of Florida received snow from the ocean effect , when cold air passes over the considerably hotter ocean and causes the rise of air with higher temperature to bring moisture into the higher portions of the atmosphere . Tropical flora typical of more southerly locations is grown in
1330-402: A household in the county was $ 49,523, and the median income for a family was $ 60,842. Males had a median income of $ 48,191 versus $ 33,276 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 27,606. About 7.2% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those aged 65 or over. In 2010, 8.6% of the county's population
1463-749: A later stratum. In 1925 attention shifted to the Melbourne golf course. A crushed human skull with finger, arm, and leg bones was found in association with a horse tooth. A piece of ivory that appeared to have been modified by humans was found at the bottom of the stratum containing bones. Other finds included a spear point near a mastodon bone and a turtle-back scraper and blade found with bear, camel, mastodon, horse, and tapir bones. Similar human remains, Pleistocene animals and Paleo-Indian artifacts were found in Vero Beach , 30 miles (48 km) south of Melbourne, and similar Paleo-Indian artifacts were found at
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#17327906141671596-547: A new Wesleyan denomination. Sixteen representatives, from Bethel African Church in Philadelphia and African churches in Baltimore, MD, Wilmington, DE, Attleboro, PA, and Salem, NJ, met to form a church organization or connection under the title of the "African Methodist Episcopal Church". It began with eight clergy and five churches, and by 1846 had grown to 176 clergy, 296 churches, and 17,375 members. Safe villages like
1729-613: A predominantly white denomination, in sponsoring the second independent historically black college (HBCU), Wilberforce University in Ohio. Among Wilberforce University's early founders was Salmon P. Chase , then-governor of Ohio and the future Secretary of Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln . Other members of the FAS wanted to affiliate with the Episcopal Church and followed Absalom Jones in doing that. In 1792, they founded
1862-429: A public pier, Historic Rossetter House and Gardens, Pineapple Park, a few businesses over 40 years old, and a community park and band shell, which is the center of many community activities. It is now a non-accredited main street program. A $ 180.8 million Operating and Capital Budget was passed for the 2014–2015 fiscal year. In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $ 4.96 billion. A 2011 study rated
1995-583: A rare protected species , give birth near the coast of Brevard, among other places, from November 15 to April 15. The venomous brown recluse spider is not native to the area but has found the environment congenial. The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network has counted species of butterflies monthly for a year since 2007. In 2010, it counted 45 species. Included are zebra swallowtail butterflies . Lovebug season occurs twice annually in May and August–September. Motorists encounter swarms of these while driving during
2128-647: A second elephant, with a "large rough flint instrument" among fragments of the elephant's ribs. Loomis found in the same stratum mammoth, mastodon , horse, ground sloth , tapir , peccary , camel , and saber-tooth cat bones, all extinct in Florida since the end of the Pleistocene 10,000–8,000 BCE. At a nearby site a human rib and charcoal were found in association with Mylodon , Megalonyx , and Chlamytherium (ground sloth) teeth. A finely worked spear point found with these items may have been displaced from
2261-439: A separate political entity. Melbourne, Florida has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), bordering closely to a tropical savanna climate ( Aw ). Melbourne has a distinctly seasonal precipitation pattern, with a hot and wet season (late May through October) and a warm and dry season (November through April). The climate is strongly influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, as well as incursions of cold fronts from
2394-918: A storm in 1839. The inscription on the foundation stone included: Mr. James Dawson is the gratuitous Architect; Mr. Robert Lavis Brown, the Overseer. The Lot of Land on which the Chapel is built was purchased, April 24th, 1839, from Miss Caroline Lewis, for Two hundred and fifty pounds currency. The names of the Trustees are, William Arthur Outerbridge, William Gibbons, Thomas Stowe Tuzo, Alfred Tucker Deane, James Richardson, Thomas Richardson, John Stephens, Samuel Rankin Higgs, Robert Lavis Brown, James Andrew Durnford, Thomas Argent Smith, John P. Outerbridge, and Benjamin Burchall. The AME First District website records that in
2527-611: A woman to become bishop. While always being open to people of all racial backgrounds, the AME has advocated for the civil and human rights of ethnic minorities, such as African Americans, through social improvement, religious autonomy, and political engagement. The African Methodist Episcopal Church unanimously voted to forbid ministers from blessing same-sex unions in July 2004. The church leaders stated that homosexual activity "clearly contradicts [their] understanding of Scripture" and that
2660-565: A woody marsh at the time, was used by the Archaic Floridians as a burial ground, with the bodies being wrapped in fabric and submerged in the peaty soil . The pond was used for interments for around a thousand years (circa 8,000–7,000 BCE). The Ais and the Jaega were the dominant tribes in the area when it is thought that Ponce De Leon landed on the shores near Melbourne Beach in 1513. There were about 10,000 of these natives in
2793-401: Is April with 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) of rainfall; the wettest is September, with 6.6 inches (17 cm). Offshore ocean temperatures have averaged: January – 64 °F (18 °C), February – 62 °F (17 °C), March – 67 °F (19 °C) and April – 72 °F (22 °C). In federal maps printed before 2012, nearly half of Brevard was classified as prone to flooding. Most of this
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#17327906141672926-489: Is Holmes Medical Center, and Melbourne Regional Medical Center. Kindred Hospital is a chronic care facility for ventilated patients and does not accept emergency patients. A new Viera hospital was opened in May 2011. Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( / b r ə ˈ v ɑːr d / brə- VARD ) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida . It is on the Atlantic coast of eastern Central Florida . As of
3059-557: Is a principal city of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . In 1969, the city was expanded by merging with nearby Eau Gallie . The city is also home to the National Weather Service office that serves East Central Florida including the cities of Orlando, Kissimmee , Sanford , Deltona , Daytona Beach , Cape Canaveral , Port St Lucie and Stuart . Evidence for
3192-514: Is composed of the bishops, as ex officio presidents, according to the rank of election, and an equal number of ministerial and lay delegates, elected by each of the annual conferences and the lay electoral colleges of the annual conferences. Other ex officio members are: the general officers, college presidents, deans of theological seminaries; and chaplains in the regular United States Armed Forces. The General Conference meets every four years, but may have extra sessions in certain emergencies. At
3325-579: Is known as the Space Coast due to the influence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center and the aerospace industry on its economy. As such, it was designated with the telephone area code 321 , as in " 3, 2, 1 liftoff ". The county has several incorporated cities and towns, primarily along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and is mostly rural or suburban west of Interstate 95 . Brevard County comprises
3458-485: Is land and 5.7 square miles (14.8 km) (14.42%) is water. The east–west street named Brevard Drive was historically the "center" of town; with addresses called "north" and "south" of this street. The north–south Babcock Street provided the same centerline for "east" and "west" directions. Melbourne Beachside has a small presence on the South Beaches barrier island. It is often confused with Melbourne Beach ,
3591-671: Is less frequently hit by direct hurricane landfalls than are portions of the Panhandle or South Florida . There are two predominant reasons for this. First, westward-moving tropical systems often reach an atmospheric ridge weakness in the Bermuda High by the time they approach Florida at a latitude as northerly as Brevard County. Combined with frontal systems that exit the United States' East Coast , many of these tropical systems are steered northwest and eventually curve northward offshore along Florida's East Central Coast. A second reason
3724-618: Is most recent step in an effort to revitalize this area. In 2010, the Eau Gallie Arts District received its designation as a Florida Main Street. Established in 1860 along the Indian River, the arts district (called EGAD!) has proven to be highly successful in its redevelopment of the community of art galleries, shops, restaurants, Melbourne's first microbrewery, and contains the city civic center and public library with
3857-410: Is that hurricanes making landfall along the Florida peninsula Gulf Coast often weaken to a tropical storm by the time they move northeast and reach Brevard County. (2004's Charley was an exception). No major hurricane, defined as category 3 or higher, has struck Brevard since 1850, the beginning of recorded climate. Although residents may refer to past storms as "hurricanes", by the time they strike
3990-951: Is the major waterway route in Brevard County. It includes the Indian River . Additional waterways include Lake Washington , Lake Poinsett , Lake Winder , Sawgrass Lake , the St. Johns River, and the Banana River . Dredging for the Intracoastal created 41 spoil islands in the Brevard portion of the Indian River. Brevard County is the sole county in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Palm Bay, Melbourne, and Titusville are designated as principal cities in
4123-517: Is water. Most of the water is the Atlantic Ocean , the St. Johns River and the Indian River Lagoon . The county is larger in area than the nation of Samoa and nearly the same size, and population, as Cape Verde . Located halfway between Jacksonville and Miami , Brevard County extends 72 miles (116 km) from north to south, and averages 26.5 miles (42.6 km) wide. Emphasizing
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4256-507: The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas , the first Episcopal church in the United States with a founding black congregation. In 1804, Jones was ordained as the first black priest in the Episcopal Church . While the AME is doctrinally Methodist, clergy, scholars, and lay persons have written works that demonstrate the distinctive racial theology and praxis that have come to define this Wesleyan body. In an address to
4389-652: The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church , African Union Methodist Protestant Church , Christian Methodist Episcopal Church , and Union American Methodist Episcopal Church , in which these churches agreed to "recognize each other's churches, share sacraments, and affirm their clergy and ministries", bringing a semblance of unity and reconciliation to those church bodies which follow in the footsteps of John and Charles Wesley . The AME motto, "God Our Father, Christ Our Redeemer, Holy Spirit Our Comforter, Humankind Our Family", reflects
4522-650: The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church , making it the largest major African-American denomination of the Methodist tradition. The AME Church currently has 20 districts, each with its own bishop : 13 are based in the United States , mostly in the South , while seven are based in Africa . The global membership of the AME is around 2.5 million members, and it remains one of the largest Methodist denominations in
4655-669: The American War of 1812 , and being the primary port through which European-manufactured weapons and supplies were smuggled into the Confederacy during the American Civil War . Other Bermudians, such as First Sergeant Robert John Simmons of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment , fought to end slavery in the United States. Among the numerous residents of the American South with ties to Bermuda
4788-928: The British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada). Although the Church of England (since 1978, titled the Anglican Church of Bermuda) remains the largest denomination in Bermuda (15.8%), the AME quickly flourished (accounting for 8.6% of the population today), overtaking the Wesleyan Methodists (2.7% today). The rise of the Wesleyan-Holiness movement in Methodism influenced the African Methodist Episcopal Church, with Jarena Lee and Amanda Smith preaching
4921-656: The Canaveral National Seashore , the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge , the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge , several conservation areas managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District , Brevard County's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Sanctuaries, and lands dedicated by the State as conservation areas. The underlying limestone in the county is relatively young at 150,000 years old. This means that
5054-739: The Helen Blazes archaeological site , 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Melbourne. The first settlers arrived after 1877. They included Richard W. Goode, his father John Goode, Cornthwaite John Hector , Captain Peter Wright, Balaam Allen, Wright Brothers, and Thomas Mason. Three of these men, Wright, Allen, and Brothers were black freedmen. The city, formerly called "Crane Creek", was named Melbourne in honor of its first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector , an Englishman who had spent much of his life in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia (which
5187-657: The Orlando-Melbourne International Airport drawing a crowd of approximately 9,000 people according to the Melbourne police department. Melbourne is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Orlando on the Space Coast , along Interstate 95 . It is approximately midway between Jacksonville and Miami . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 39.6 square miles (102.5 km), of which 33.9 square miles (87.7 km)
5320-457: The Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville , FL Metropolitan Statistical Area . The first Paleoindians arrived in the area near Brevard county between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago. The Paleoindians were semi-nomadic people who lived in smaller groups. After a few thousand years, a new group of settlers appeared known as " the archaic people ." These people were primarily fishermen, as opposed to
5453-574: The South Beaches . There are also several beaches along the coast of the county. The North Reach includes 9.4 miles (15.1 km) of coastline from Cape Canaveral, through Cocoa Beach, to Patrick Space Force Base. The Patrick Space Force Base beach is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) long. South of Patrick SFB, the Mid Reach includes the 7.6 miles (12.2 km) of coastline in Satellite Beach. The South Reach includes 3.8 miles (6.1 km) of beach in
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5586-641: The Village of Lima , Pennsylvania, were setup with nearby AME churches and in sometimes involved in the Underground Railroad. The 20,000 members in 1856 were located primarily in the North. AME national membership (including probationers and preachers) jumped from 70,000 in 1866 to 207,000 in 1876. The church also expanded internationally during this period. The British Overseas Territory of Bermuda , 640 miles from Cape Hatteras , North Carolina,
5719-502: The red-shouldered hawk , the loggerhead shrike , the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker , Cooper's hawks , pileated woodpeckers , Savannah sparrows , rails (which also includes coots ), Florida scrub jays (an endangered species), wood storks , grackles , great horned owls , northern mockingbirds , brown thrashers , catbirds , green-winged teals , greater yellowlegs , western sandpipers , least sandpipers , dowitchers , and American white pelicans . Peak migration in
5852-462: The 1893 World's Parliament of Religions, Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett reminded the audience of blacks' influence in the formation of Christianity. Bishop Benjamin T. Tanner wrote in 1895 in The Color of Solomon – What? that biblical scholars wrongly portrayed the son of David as a white man. In the post- civil rights era, theologians James Cone , Cecil W. Cone, and Jacqueline Grant, who came from
5985-742: The 1930s, Harry T. Moore was a civil rights leader, teacher , and founder of the Brevard County NAACP . After the war he became president of the state NAACP. After the Supreme Court had ruled in 1944 that white primaries were unconstitutional, he conducted voter registration drives and succeeded in registering 31% of black voters in Florida, a higher percentage than in any other southern state. The white establishment resisted, firing both him and his wife Harriette in 1946 from their teaching positions as economic blackmail against them because of their activism. On Christmas night, 1951,
6118-468: The 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in Titusville . A secondary center of county administration, including a circuit courthouse, was built in 1989 in the planned community of Viera, Florida , the geographic center of the county. Before the arrival of non- indigenous settlers in the 16th century,
6251-634: The AME General Conference voted against allowing same-sex marriage, the vote was 896 to 722; following that vote, the Conference voted to continue the "sexual ethics discernment committee" through 2028. The AME Church voted to take "a stand against climate change". The African Methodist Episcopal Church has been one of the forerunners of education within the African-American community. Former colleges and universities of
6384-441: The AME tradition, criticized Euro-centric Christianity and African-American churches for their shortcomings in resolving the plight of those oppressed by racism, sexism, and economic disadvantage. The World Council of Churches estimates the membership of the AME Church at around 2,510,000; 3,817 pastors, 21 bishops and 7,000 congregations. The General Conference is the supreme body of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It
6517-414: The African Methodist Episcopal Church and instructed pastors of the denomination to read it to their congregations: The official position of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is not in favor of the ordination of openly gay persons to the ranks of clergy in our church. This position reaffirms our published position papers, public statements and prior rulings, all of which indicate that we do not support
6650-727: The American Civil War, Turner was appointed as the first black chaplain in the United States Colored Troops . Afterward, he was appointed to the Freedmen's Bureau in Georgia. He settled in Macon, Georgia, and was elected to the state legislature in 1868 during Reconstruction. He planted many AME churches in Georgia after the war. In 1880 he was elected as the first southern bishop of the AME Church after
6783-491: The Church of England's Archdeacon of Bermuda Aubrey Spencer . Her visit lasted two years, and her ‘’Sketches of Bermuda’’ (a collection of letters she had written en route to, and during her stay in, Bermuda, and dedicated to Archdeacon Spencer) was published in 1835, immediately following the 1834 abolition of slavery in Bermuda and the remainder of the British Empire (Bermuda elected to end slavery immediately, becoming
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#17327906141676916-809: The Church of England, the Presbyterian Church, and the Wesleyan Methodists were permitted to conduct baptisms, weddings and funerals until after the First World War). As the Imperial Government had ruled that the AME Church could operate in the United Kingdom, the first AME church in Bermuda was erected in 1885 in Hamilton Parish , on the shore of Harrington Sound, and titled St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church (the congregation had begun previously as part of
7049-411: The General Conference and is amenable to it. * Deceased The African Methodist Episcopal Church cooperates with other Methodist bodies through the World Methodist Council and Wesleyan Holiness Connection . In May 2012, the African Methodist Episcopal Church entered into full communion with the racially-integrated United Methodist Church , and the predominantly black/African American members of
7182-413: The General Conference of the AME Church, notable and renowned speakers have been invited to address the clergy and laity of the congregation. Such as in 2008, the church invited then Senator Barack H. Obama , and in 2012, the church invited then First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama . The Council of Bishops is the executive branch of the church. It has the general oversight of the church during
7315-495: The MSA. The MSA was created as the Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida Standard MSA in 1972, renamed the Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Florida MSA in 1983, and given its current title in 2003. The county is unofficially divided into three sections: North County, comprising Titusville , Mims and Port St. John ; Central Brevard, which includes Cocoa , Rockledge , Merritt Island , and Cocoa Beach ; and South County, which includes Melbourne , Palm Bay , Grant , Valkaria , and
7448-484: The Melbourne area (coconut palms, royal palms, Christmas palms , and bananas), but can be damaged or killed when subjected to infrequent light freezes or cooler temperatures, although several years might pass without a freeze in the Melbourne area. The Melbourne area has many lush gardens and public landscapes, and is noted for the botanical northern limit of cultivated coconut palms on the Florida East Coast. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has ordered
7581-494: The Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 98th most populous metropolitan statistical area and the 96th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The county has a Köppen climate classification of Cfa, with a year-round distribution of rainfall. This means a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters. There are distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry lasts from December through May,
7714-437: The Proprietor of the Hamilton Hotel in 1876): the colored people deserve some notice, forming, as they do, a large majority of the population. The importation of negroes from Africa ceased long before the abolition of slavery, which may account for the improved type of physiognomy one encounters here. The faces of some are fine, and many of the women are really pretty. They are polite, about as well dressed as anybody, attend all
7847-418: The South, with 155,000 students. For school houses they used church buildings; the ministers and their wives were the teachers; the congregations raised the money to keep schools operating at a time the segregated public schools were starved of funds. After the America Civil War, Bishop Henry McNeal Turner (1834–1915) was a major leader of the AME and played a role in Republican Party politics. In 1863 during
7980-416: The administrative body and comprises various departmental commissions made up of the respective treasurer/CFO, the secretary/CIO of the AME Church, the treasurer/CFO and the members of the various commissions, and one bishop as presiding officer with the other bishops associating. The Judicial Council is the highest judicatory body of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It is an appellate court, elected by
8113-402: The adults in the county. Of those, a local agency counted in 2010 that 225 of the veterans were homeless. In 2012, the Urban Institute ranked the Brevard metro fourth in the country for racial equality. Criteria were integration of neighborhoods, income, and the quality of schools minorities attend. The area was ranked first for Hispanic equality with whites. In 2010, the median income for
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#17327906141678246-477: The age of 18 living with them, 48.28% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.40% were non-families. 28.44% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.53% (4.00% male and 8.53% female) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.84. There were 74,000 veterans who lived in Brevard in 2010, accounting for 21% of
8379-434: The area was inhabited by Native Americans . The county is the site of the Windover Archeological Site , which contained evidence of habitation over 7,000 years ago. Brevard County was established in 1855 and is named after Theodore Washington Brevard , an early Florida settler and state comptroller . The county's boundaries were changed and reduced numerous times, resulting in the current boundary since 1907. Brevard County
8512-406: The area. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés gave an early account of the Ais people in 1570 when he was shipwrecked off of Cape Canaveral. He faced hostile natives but through the use of a bluff was able to escape from them and get back to St. Augustine. In 1605 , Alvero Mexia was dispatched from St. Augustine to the Indian River area on a diplomatic mission to the Ais Indian Nation. He helped establish
8645-411: The autumn of 1869, three farsighted Christian men—Benjamin Burchall of St. George’s, William B. Jennings of Devonshire and Charles Roach Ratteray of Somerset—set in motion the wheels that brought African Methodism to Bermuda. By the latter Nineteenth Century, the law in Bermuda specified that any denomination permitted to operate in the United Kingdom should also be permitted in the colony (although only
8778-427: The average size of Melbourne's labor force was 39,391. Of that group, 37,708 were employed and 1,683 were unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 4.3%. In 2008, 259 building permits were issued for 263 units. There were 209 permits issued for 320 units in 2007, which was down from 329 permits for 512 units in 2006. The median home price in 2007 was $ 215,000. In May 2005, the Melbourne– Titusville – Palm Bay area
8911-483: The basic beliefs of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The basic foundations of the beliefs of the church can be summarized in the Apostles' Creed , and the 25 Articles of Religion , held in common with other Methodist denominations. The church also observes the official bylaws of the AME Church. The "Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church" is revised at every AME General Conference and published every four years. The AME Church also follows
9044-470: The call of the African Methodist Episcopal Church "is to hear the voice of God in our Scriptures". In the same year, the General Conference voted to "appoint a sexual ethics discernment committee to make recommendations to the denomination about LGBTQ matters." As of 2015, "the AME Church’s Doctrine and Discipline [had] no explicit policy regarding gay clergy." Regarding LGBT clergy, in 2003, Bishop Richard Franklin Norris declared his position for his region of
9177-489: The church of England. This blessing is now imparted to nearly 1000 persons, in which number I do not include those who are educated in the schools under the dissenters, some of which are very flourishing. Lloyd's negative comments on the dissenters was in reference to the Wesleyan Methodists. The degree of education of coloured Bermudians would be noted by later visitors, also. Christiana Rounds wrote in Harper's Magazine (re-published in an advertising pamphlet by A.L Mellen,
9310-453: The church when their portion of the congregation increased. These former members of St. George's made plans to transform their mutual aid society into an African congregation. Although the group was originally non-denominational, eventually members wanted to affiliate with existing denominations. Allen led a small group who resolved to remain Methodist. They formed the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1793. In general, they adopted
9443-455: The churches, and are members thereof, are more interested in schools than the poor whites, and a very large proportion of them can both read and write. The foundation stone of a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was laid in St. George's Town on the 8 June 1840, the local Society (by then numbering 37 class leaders, 489 members, and 20 other communicants) having previously occupied a small, increasingly decrepit building that had been damaged beyond use in
9576-673: The cities of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, Patrick Space Force Base, Indian Harbour Beach, and Satellite Beach. The American Indian Association of Florida submitted in October 2011 a proposal to name the island after the Ais people . In January 2012 the United Third Bridge and the Florida Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Melbourne submitted a proposal to name
9709-524: The city received a record 9.06 inches (230 mm) of rainfall from Hurricane Erin . During the week of August 22, 2008, a record 17.54 inches (446 mm) of rain fell caused by Tropical Storm Fay . A 2009 Halloween street party sponsored by a downtown restaurant attracted an estimated 8,000–10,000 people. This overwhelmed the downtown area. Street parties were curtailed until public safety issues were addressed. On February 18, 2017, president Donald J. Trump held his first post-inauguration rally at
9842-475: The city to reduce pollution of the Indian River Lagoon , which it borders; about 80% of the city's landmass drains in the direction of the lagoon. The city must reduce run-off by 44,000 pounds (20,000 kg) of nitrogen and 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg) of phosphorus. The city responded by banning the use of fertilizer before flood and storm warnings. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 84,678 people, 32,874 households, and 18,242 families residing in
9975-588: The city was $ 19,175. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $ 34,571, and the median income for a family was $ 42,760. Males had a median income of $ 32,242 versus $ 22,419 for females. In Melbourne, about 8.6% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. As of 2000, 90.39% of residents spoke English as their first language , while 4.69% spoke Spanish , 0.84% spoke French , 0.73% spoke German , and 0.55% spoke Arabic as their mother tongue . In total, 9.60% of
10108-429: The city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 76,068 people, 33,377 households, and 18,394 families residing in the city. As of 2000, 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who
10241-479: The communities of Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. At the southern end of the county, the South Beaches are the final 14.5 miles (23.3 km) of beach south of Melbourne Beach to Sebastian . The United States Board on Geographic Names considered two proposals in 2012 to officially name the barrier island extending from Port Canaveral to Sebastian Inlet . The 45-mile-long (72 km) island includes
10374-482: The county government. A centrally located County Government Center in Viera was established to provide more accessible services to residents in the southern part of the county. It houses the various county government branches, including Housing and Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety, Public Works and Solid Waste Management. The Brevard County government had annual expenditures just over $ 1 billion in
10507-1069: The county, most have subsided to tropical storms or depressions . But because of the threat of storm surge , the beach community on the barrier island is often required to evacuate well in advance of the storm. The possibility of storm surge is diminished when the storm comes across the state instead of directly from the Atlantic. Five hurricanes have directly affected Brevard since 1950: David (September 3, 1979); Erin (August 2, 1995) – made landfall near Sebastian Inlet and caused mostly minor wind damage and more extensive flooding countywide; Charley (August 13, 2004) – caused damage in Titusville and North Brevard; Frances (September 3, 2004) – struck neighboring Vero Beach in Indian River County directly and caused widespread wind damage throughout Brevard; and Jeanne (September 26, 2004) – struck Vero Beach directly, following very nearly
10640-529: The county. There were 1,677 manatees in Brevard County in 2015, out of a total of 6,063 in the state. This was an increase from 2014 when there was a total of 612 in Brevard County. Manatees experience numerous threats within Brevard, where 312 died in the first half of 2021. Bottlenose dolphin are commonly seen in the Intracoastal Waterway. Fish and reptiles include alligators , red snapper , sea turtles , North Atlantic right whales ,
10773-421: The county. Residents in the southern end of the county talked of creating a new county to serve them. The county decided to build a new county administration complex at Viera , near the geographical center of the county. This complex was started in 1989. Residents in the north also threatened secession. Their proposal to form a new county, to be called Playalinda, had some momentum in the early 90s. The county made
10906-412: The county. The population density was 597.7 inhabitants per square mile (230.8/km ). As of 2021, 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.2% were age 65 and over. There were 294,224 housing units and 76.2% of them were owner-occupied. There were 242,657 households in which the average household size was 2.46. In 2015, interracial marriage constituted 29% of all marriages, the fourth highest in
11039-482: The county: Since redistricting following the 2010 U.S. Census , Brevard County has been part of Florida's 8th congressional district . It is represented by Republican Bill Posey . African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church , usually called the AME Church or AME , is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has
11172-488: The doctrine of entire sanctification throughout pulpits of the connexion. AME put a high premium on education. In the 19th century, the AME Church of Ohio collaborated with the Methodist Episcopal Church , a predominantly white denomination, in sponsoring the second independent historically black college (HBCU) , Wilberforce University in Ohio. By 1880, AME operated over 2,000 schools, chiefly in
11305-578: The doctrines and form of government of the Methodist Episcopal Church . In 1794 Bethel AME was dedicated with Allen as pastor. To establish Bethel's independence, Allen successfully sued in the Pennsylvania courts in 1807 and 1815 for the right of his congregation to exist as an institution independent of white Methodist congregations. Because black Methodists in other middle Atlantic communities also encountered racism and desired religious autonomy, Allen called them to meet in Philadelphia in 1816 to form
11438-438: The dreary dungeon of their African superstition, was at first so faint that it served rather to discover the gloom than to dispel the darkness which shrouded them; and having embraced the profession of the gospel, they adopted its name without receiving its influence in their heart. It is only within the last five or six years that any regular system has been adopted to give the coloured people instruction in schools connected with
11571-562: The east coast of the state, mangroves have normally dominated the coast from Cocoa Beach southward. Northward these may compete with salt marshes moving in from the north, depending on the annual weather conditions. Live oak trees, various grasses, and juniper plants were sufficiently common to generate pollen noticeable by some people in February 2011. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 606,612 people, 236,005 households, and 148,934 families residing in
11704-423: The eventual county seat of Titusville. Later, the southern portion of the county was cut off to form St. Lucie County, which in turn spawned Martin and Indian River County. The first concerted development the area occurred with the extension of Henry Flagler 's Florida East Coast Railroad into the area. The railroad reached Titusville in 1886 and Melbourne in 1894. With the railroad came increased settlement and
11837-543: The fall is from the last week in September through the first week in October. Fall migration tends to be stronger than spring because birds typically take different flyways. Native trees include cabbage palm (the state tree of Florida), fringetree , coral bean , sweet acacia , geiger tree , firebush , beautyberry , coral honeysuckle , and blanket flower . Other native plants include sea grape , red mulberry , purslane , dandelion , Spanish bayonet , blackberry , Jerusalem artichoke , dogwood , and gallberry . On
11970-723: The first General Conference of the five churches—extending from the three in the Philadelphia area in Pennsylvania to ones in Delaware and Baltimore , Maryland. The denomination then expanded west and through the South, particularly after the American Civil War (1861–1865). By 1906, the AME had a membership of about half a million, more than the combined predominantly black American denominations—the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America and
12103-508: The first colony to do so, though all other British colonies except for Antigua availed themselves of an allowance made by the Imperial government enabling them to phase slavery out gradually). Lloyd's book gives a rare contemporary account of Bermudian society immediately prior to the abolition of slavery. Among her many observations of the people of Bermuda , Lloyd noted of the coloured population: The gleam of Christianity which penetrated
12236-422: The first tourists. The first major land boom began in the 1920s after the end of World War I . People flooded into the state of Florida, both tourists from northern winters and new full-time residents, and land prices soared. The Great Depression temporarily stopped growth in Florida. Before the start of World War II , the largest industries in Brevard were commercial fishing, citrus, and tourism. Beginning in
12369-510: The fiscal year 2009–2010, exclusive of the municipalities. In 2009, real estate taxes for homesteaded property averaged 0.83% of the value of the property. Real estate taxes are levied by each authority. They are collected by the County Tax Collector. The total taxable real estate base was $ 33.7 billion in 2009. County taxes rose 26.5% in total per capita revenue from 2002 to 2007, and 49.8% in property tax per capita in
12502-528: The general pension fund for city employees highly at 190%. Less favorably rated were the pension plans for fire and police employees. In 2009, the city had 870 full-time employees and 176 part-time employees. Melbourne Orlando International Airport is located near the center of the city. Melbourne contains defense and technology companies with a high concentration of high-tech workers. The following corporations have operations in Melbourne: In 2007,
12635-491: The ground will not develop the sinkholes that are prevalent in the spine of Florida, where limestone is from 15 to 25 million years old. There are 4,000 species of animals locally. Common mammals include North American river otters , bobcats , white-tailed deer , raccoons , marsh rabbits , scrub lizards , rat snakes , and opossum . Feral pigs , introduced by Europeans, present an occasional traffic hazard. There are an estimated 3,500 endangered gopher tortoises in
12768-472: The hunting and gathering way of life which characterized the Paleoindians. The Windover Archeological Site , discovered in 1982, was found during excavation to have the largest collection of human remains and artifacts of the early Archaic Period (6,000–5,000 BCE), or more than 8,000 years before present. It has been designated as a National Historic Landmark . The Windover pond, which would have been
12901-442: The interim between general conferences. The AME Council of Bishops shall meet annually at such time and place as the majority of the council shall determine and also at such other times as may be deemed necessary in the discharging its responsibility as the executive branch of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. This council shall hold at least two public sessions at each annual meeting. At the first, complaints and petitions against
13034-524: The island Ponce de León Island , after Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León . In December 2012, the island was ultimately not named. Brevard County has 16 municipalities. The largest by population is Palm Bay and the smallest is Melbourne Village. The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Brevard County as the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked
13167-539: The land that was used for that program makes up most of what is currently the Melbourne Orlando International Airport . In 1969, the cities of Eau Gallie and Melbourne voted to merge, forming modern-day Melbourne. In the 1950s, Babcock Street was extended north to intersect with US 1. The Melbourne Shopping Center was constructed on Babcock, the area's first strip mall . Consumers were sufficiently attracted to this new mall, that
13300-434: The nation, which averaged 17%. The population was distributed by age with 19.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males. In 2010, there were 229,692 households, out of which 23.20% had children under
13433-502: The national average of 27.7%, but the same as the rest of Florida. 14.7% of residents over 25 had undergraduate degrees in engineering. This is almost twice the national average. In 2010, 90.20% of residents spoke only English at home, while 5.29% spoke Spanish , 0.62% German , 0.61% French , and 0.47% French Creole (mostly Haitian Creole ) at home. In total, 9.80% of the population spoke languages other than English in their household. Brevard county commissioners are elected by
13566-548: The north in winter months. Melbourne averages 51 inches (1,300 mm) of rainfall annually, much of it coming in convective thunderstorms in the late May to early October time period. The record rainfall occurred on August 20, 2008, when Tropical Storm Fay dropped 18.21 inches (463 mm). Melbourne can sometimes have moderate to severe drought conditions from late fall through spring, with brush fires occurring and water restrictions put in place. Melbourne averages 2 days per year with frost, although several years might pass without
13699-422: The ordination of openly gay persons. In 2021, the AME General Conference voted against a motion to allow same-sex marriages in church, but confirmed that "it does not bar LGBTQ individuals from serving as pastors or otherwise leading the denomination." The same AME General Conference voted "to appoint a sexual ethics discernment committee to make recommendations to the denomination about LGBTQ matters." In 2024,
13832-426: The position halfway down Florida are two state roads that have been numbered at the midpoint of Florida's numbering system, State Road 50 and State Road 500 . Marshes in the western part of this county, together with those in neighboring Indian River country, are the source of the St. Johns River, which becomes navigable within the county. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway along the eastern edge of Brevard County
13965-484: The presence of Paleo-Indians in the Melbourne area during the late Pleistocene epoch was uncovered during the 1920s. C. P. Singleton, a Harvard University zoologist , discovered the bones of a mammoth ( Mammuthus columbi ) on his property along Crane Creek , 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Melbourne, and brought in Amherst College paleontologist Frederick B. Loomis to excavate the skeleton. Loomis found
14098-452: The previously established Methodist Episcopal Church with the hope of escaping the discrimination that was commonplace in society, including some churches. It was among the first denominations in the United States to be founded for this reason (rather than for theological distinctions). Allen, a previously ordained deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church , was elected by the gathered ministers and ordained as its first bishop in 1816 by
14231-419: The program. Beginning in the 1960s, new bridges constructed across the waterways were designed as high-rise steel, designed to be high enough to allow passage of boats underneath. As the county was long, people in the southern, more populous side of the county complained about being so distant from the county seat. The county seat of Titusville was 50 miles (80 km) from Palm Bay , the most populous city in
14364-506: The public to establish ordinances and policies for the county. The Commission appoints a County Manager , who executes the will of the commission. The county employed about 2,900 workers in 2009. There are 16 autonomous municipal governments within the county. The various cities, towns and villages of Brevard have varying reliance on services provided by the Brevard County government. About 100,000 households are located outside organized municipalities, and their occupants are directly served by
14497-446: The rule that a minister of the denomination must retire at age 75, with bishops, more specifically, being required to retire upon the general conference nearest their 75th birthday. The AME Church is active regarding issues of social justice and has invested time in reforming the criminal justice system. The AME Church also opposes "elective abortion". On women's issues, the AME has supported gender equality and, in 2000, first elected
14630-532: The same path as Frances. The latter two storms caused widespread damage in South Brevard, and resulted in $ 2.8 billion in claim payments. Slightly more than half of one percent (0.6%) of houses were lost. The following storms did not affect Brevard County with hurricane-force winds: Floyd (September 15, 1999), and Irene (October 16, 1999). Tropical Storm Fay dropped a record rainfall of 27.65 inches (70.2 cm) in 2008. The winter of 2009–2010
14763-668: The same time frame. Delinquent taxes were $ 36 million in 2008. In 2012 bonds issued by the county were given a rating of AA by the Fitch Group and improved ratings by Moody's . Brevard County has two unique election districts. One governs Port Canaveral ; the other, the maintenance of the Sebastian Inlet . County Commissioners: Commissioners were paid $ 60,272.98 annually as of January 2023. The following are elected school board officials: The following are considered state officials but are elected and paid by
14896-462: The size of Melbourne. Streetlights were gradually added until, by the early 1960s, streets east of Babcock Street had lights. Lights were added to streets west of Babcock after the early 1960s. In 1969, the city elected Julius Montgomery , its first black councilman. Montgomery was also the first African American student of Brevard Engineering College, later Florida Institute of Technology which named their Pioneer Award after him. On August 2, 1995,
15029-439: The southern part of Brevard split off to form a new county, St. Lucie County in 1905. Gradually, the borders of Brevard County were shifted northward while the county got "pinched" eastward. The portions of Brevard County in present-day Broward and Palm Beach counties were given to Dade County, western areas of the county were given to Polk and Osceola County, and parts of Volusia and Orange Counties were given to Brevard including
15162-570: The total population spoke languages other than English. The Melbourne City Council consists of the mayor and six district council members. Melbourne uses a Council-Manager form of government . City officials The following are appointed by the council: Melbourne city officials created the Babcock Street Redevelopment District in 1998 to stimulate new development along Babcock Street from U.S. 1 south to U.S. 192 . A 218-unit apartment complex built in 2005
15295-584: The traditional downtown, off New Haven, suffered. Urban blight was successfully mitigated in the 1980s. A board was created by the legislature to spend a 10% tax on electric bills. This was used by the Melbourne Civic Improvement Board to build the Melbourne Auditorium, the first library and fire station, and various parks. The board was dissolved when Melbourne was merged with Eau Gallie in 1969. That merger doubled
15428-642: The wet from June through November. During the dry season, periods of drought often occur, and can lead to a persistent and high wild land fire threat. In numerous instances these fires have caused property damage. Several fires in 2008 forced the evacuation of Bayside High School , in the town of Palm Bay . In that particular event, 162 homes were damaged. January is the coldest month, with an average low of 50.7 °F (10.4 °C) and an average high 71 °F (22 °C). The warmest months are July and August with average highs of 90 °F (32 °C) and average lows of 72.2 °F (22.3 °C). The driest month
15561-496: The world. The AME Church worked out of the Free African Society (FAS), which Richard Allen , Absalom Jones , and other free blacks established in Philadelphia in 1787. They left St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church because of discrimination. Although Allen and Jones were both accepted as preachers, they were limited to black congregations. In addition, the blacks were made to sit in a separate gallery built in
15694-410: Was Denmark Vesey , who was brought to South Carolina from Bermuda as a slave before purchasing his freedom. Vesey was a founder of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church before his execution after conviction in a show trial resulting from white hysteria over an alleged conspiracy for a slave revolt in 1822. The majority of the population of Bermuda during the first century of settlement
15827-692: Was foreign born , with 59.4% being naturalized American citizens . Of foreign-born residents, 49.1% were born in Latin America , 22.9% were born in Europe , 18.3% born in Asia , 6.4% in North America , 2.4% born in Africa , and 0.9% were born in Oceania . In 2010, 90% of residents had a high school degree, compared with 85% statewide. In 2009, 25.7% of residents had an undergraduate degree, below
15960-466: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. As of 2000, per capita income for
16093-546: Was European, with free and enslaved blacks primarily from the Spanish West Indies and Native Americans, primarily from New England (anyone not entirely of European ancestry was counted as coloured ). As any child of a coloured and a white parent was counted as coloured, the ratio of the white to coloured population shifted during the course of the 18th century (4,850 whites and 3,514 coloured in 1721; but 4,755 whites and 5,425 coloured in 1811). The Church of England
16226-467: Was among the top 20 in home price appreciation from 2003 to 2004. In 2009, Forbes ranked the area 18th out of 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and first out of 8 metros in Florida for affordable housing, and short commute times, among others. Melbourne has two downtown business districts, a result of the merger of Eau Gallie into Melbourne: The city has three hospitals, day care for senior citizens, hospice, walk-in, and urgent care facilities. There
16359-484: Was founded in 1885 and is still active. In the late 1890s, the Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home opened and it is still in business. The oldest black-owned business in the county is Tucker's Cut-Rate plumbing. It opened in 1934. In the early 1900s, houses were often built in the frame vernacular style. In 1919, a fire destroyed most of the original downtown along Front Street. At the time, it
16492-424: Was in the relatively undeveloped low-lying areas, west of Interstate 95, on the banks of the St. Johns River . About 18,900 homes out of 164,000 single-family homes were in that area. Florida is located both in the subtropical and the tropical climate zone , and thus regularly affected by hurricanes . Although Brevard County is located along Florida's eastern peninsula, because of associated weather patterns, it
16625-560: Was in turn named after the British Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne ). He is buried in the Melbourne Cemetery , along with many early residents in the area. The first school in Melbourne was built in 1883 and is on permanent exhibit on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology . By 1885, the town had 70 people. The Greater Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
16758-653: Was incarcerated in December, 1800, for six months for preaching to slaves. The law and attitudes changed during the course of the following century, but any church organised by blacks and organising blacks would not be welcomed by the white dominated Government. Stephenson was followed in 1808 by the Reverend Joshua Marsden . There were 136 members of the Society when Marsden left Bermuda in 1812. Susette Harriet Lloyd travelled to Bermuda in company with
16891-449: Was part of either Volusia or Orange counties. Brevard County in 1856 extended as far west as Polk County and as far south as coastal Dade County. Complicating the discussion of Brevard County in the 19th century is that the boundaries have shifted such that the southernmost parts of present-day Brevard, were originally the northernmost parts. The original county seat was located at Susannah , an early name for present day Fort Pierce. Later
17024-618: Was rebuilt west of US Hwy 1. During the Jim Crow years, black people were required to enter movie theaters via a different entrance from whites and sit in the balcony. Gas stations had signs for rest rooms labeled "Men", "Women", and "Colored." This persisted until integration in the late 1960s. In late 1942 the Naval Air Station Melbourne was established as a site to train newly commissioned Navy and Marine pilots for World War II . The program ran until 1946, and
17157-663: Was settled in 1609 by the Virginia Company and retained close links with Virginia and the Carolinas (with Charleston settled from Bermuda in 1670 under William Sayle ) for the next two centuries, with Bermudians playing both sides during the American War of Independence, being the point from which the blockade of southern Atlantic ports was maintained and the Chesapeake Campaign was launched during
17290-504: Was the established church , and was the only church originally permitted to operate in Bermuda. Presbyterians were permitted to have a separate church and to conduct their own services during the 18th century. The Wesleyan Methodists sought to include enslaved blacks and a law was passed by the Parliament of Bermuda in 1800 barring any but Church of England and Presbyterian ministers from preaching. The Methodist Reverend John Stephenson
17423-616: Was the coldest on record since 1937, when such records were first kept. Planting season, which normally starts around February 14, came six weeks later instead. Some flowers and herbs are planted as early as January. December 2010 was the coldest December on record. Brevard County works together with the federal and state government to control pollution and preserve wetlands and coastal areas through lands dedicated to conservation and wildlife protection. There are 250 square miles (650 km ) of federally protected wildlife refuges . These lands include Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ,
17556-567: Was the first African-American denomination organized and incorporated in the United States. The church was born in protest against racial discrimination and slavery. This was in keeping with the Methodist Church's philosophy, whose founder John Wesley had once called the slave-trade "that execrable sum of all villainies." In the 19th century, the AME Church of Ohio collaborated with the Methodist Episcopal Church,
17689-561: Was the first of major federal investment in projects to aid the development of Brevard County. In the late 1950s, the government opened the Long Range Proving Ground. This later became the Kennedy Space Center. These facilities helped stimulate development in the county; where Brevard had once been considered a "backwoods" area of Florida, it attracted more educated workers and scientists associated with
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