Pastor Uses Unique Ploy to Draw People In

The new pastor of Destiny Church wants his neighbors to get a clue.

Born out of his quest to grow the size of its congregation, the Rev. John Leslie kicked off the new year by hiding one $20 bill per week at various sites around town. The church is calling it “Destiny 20.”

While the places—mainly businesses—are familiar to most who live or travel in the area, the hidden currency is not nearly as recognizable.

“They may be tucked beneath the seat of a chair or under a flower pot,” said Leslie, who noted that the cash is the fortunate finders’ dough to keep.

There are no strings attached.

To assist people in their search to find the money, hints regarding its whereabouts are posted on the Destiny Church website. The church has hidden five $20 bills so far, according to its website. At least three of them have been found.

The ploy’s sole purpose is to bring visibility to the church at 8525 N. 78th St. and its new leadership.

Although it’s been on the 7-acre oak-tree-lined site at the southeast corner of Harney Road since 1993, the church’s membership in recent years has dwindled due to the coming and going of several pastors.

But since Leslie and his wife, Rhonda, came on board in September, attendance has grown from about 20 to 60 worshipers in its 10:30 a.m. Sunday contemporary service.

“I had some divine connections to help us move things up and get us running again,” said Leslie, who credits much of its growth as the result of the effort he and his church members are making to better know their neighbors.

To accomplish their mission they’ve also knocked on nearby homeowners’ doors with offerings of light bulbs and hurricane-readiness kits.

The Rev. Jerry Lubrano, pastor of Destiny Church in Ruskin, an Assembly of God affiliated ministry and parent of the Temple Terrace church, said Leslie and his wife have accomplished a great deal in rekindling the fire that once prevailed in the hearts and minds of the Temple Terrace congregants.

“John and Rhonda are great people, and they bring an excitement to the church, something we’ve not seen in years,” Lubrano said.

Victor Silva, a Thonotosassa resident, had been a longtime attendee at a Tampa Assembly of God church prior to learning about the good work recently being done in Temple Terrace’s Destiny Church.

“I definitely have moved there and it’s definitely on the way up,” Silva said. “There is solid teaching there and the emphasis is on personal growth and development.”

Allene Valentine, on the other hand, has made it her church home for decades. She is thrilled to see so many new faces.

“Our new pastor is really reaching out and we’re getting younger people,” said the Temple Terrace resident. “He has a pastor’s heart, and he is a shepherd and we are all committed to work with him.”

Leslie is a graduate of Valley Forge Christian College in Pennsylvania and planted a new church there, and in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Seven years ago, he came to Florida where he started another new ministry in Wesley Chapel prior to accepting the offer to pastor the Temple Terrace church.

“Our doors are open to anybody regardless of race, religious background or social status,” said the father of two teenagers, who by day teaches music in two Pasco County schools and on Sundays plays the guitar with the church’s music team.

“We’re not about a lot of religion because for some people, maybe religion has given them a bad taste in their mouths,” he said.

The church offers the services of pastoral counselor Glenda Spangler, a licensed minister with an onsite office.

It also contains a food pantry, open from 10 a.m. to noon on the first and third Friday of every month.

For more information, call 813-988-7925.