WHO WE ARE.
Who we are is both broad and particular:
Broadly…
We Are the CHURCH of Jesus Christ.
Jesus called us His “Ecclesia”, His people who are called out of the world to both learn of God and serve God through His teachings. We are members of the Body of Christ throughout the world.
We Are also PRESBYTERIAN.
Presbyterian is a denomination of Christianity which is democratically organized to embrace the faith common to all Christians.
“Presbyteros” is a New Testament word meaning “elder” and refers to the custom of choosing spiritual leaders from among the members of the church. The local church is governed by elders who are elected from and by their peers. Elders make up a decision-making body called the Session.
Park Lake is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We are in ministry and cooperation with many other Presbyterian Churches who are members of the Central Florida Presbytery.
We Are PARK LAKE.
Park Lake is an amazing local congregation, representative of the larger church, gathered in this place to do the work of Jesus Christ. Our doors are wide open and all are welcome to worship here and join our journey with God as we go into the world as disciples of Christ.
If you would like more information about Park Lake’s community of faith, please contact Dr. Dan DeBevoise or Dr. Helen DeBevoise, Park Lake’s Co-Pastors.
Article by Emily Coughlan, collections manager at the Orange County Regional History Center.
The Faith Arts Village Orlando, or FAVO as it is affectionately known, is an unlikely artist sanctuary with a charming backstory.
Originally, the property was the family-owned and -operated Davis Park Motel, built by William “Bill” and Mary Jo Davis, both respected members of the Orlando community. Constructed in 1955, the motel welcomed visitors for decades. It was heralded as the “newest and most modern motel” by the Orlando Evening Star and boasted “comfort and relaxation” in the Orlando Sentinel.
The Davises cared for the property until selling it in 1966. The motel became a Knights Inn, which later fell into disrepair in the 1990s.
Across the street, leadership of the Park Lake Presbyterian Church watched the inn’s decline. In 2002, they purchased the property for approximately $2 million for additional congregational parking. It seemed a natural fit as Bill and Mary Jo had been members of the church.
The church owned the motel operation until closing the inn’s doors in 2007. Unsure what to do with the property, the congregation brainstormed ways to utilize the former motel in a way that would benefit both the church and the community. The church’s pastor, Helen DeBevoise brought the concept of making the motel property a creative place. Others in the church plus organist, Will Benton, suggested the motel rooms be converted into artist studios available to creators 24 hours a day.
To gain support for his proposal, Benton prepared four sample studios and invited the congregation to witness the opportunity. Benton’s work paid off, and the members moved forward with the establishment of the Faith Arts Village Orlando.
The next step to transforming the former Davis Park Motel required renovating one of the buildings. For this, the church enlisted the assistance of the University of Central Florida’s Advanced Design Lab, under the direction of Robert Reedy. Thirty teams of lab students competed to produce the winning design of the motel’s conversion into FAVO.
A team named CAVO, or Colonial Arts Village of Orlando because the property is located on Colonial Drive, won the competition. Over the following semester, the students refined their work before presenting it to an architectural firm. Renovations would be undertaken in phases as funding allowed, especially as the building needed to be brought up to code prior to reopening as studio rentals.
Today, FAVO welcomes local artists to rent studio space for a low monthly fee. Currently, 25 artists are leasing studio space.
The village’s mission statement — to encourage art as an expression of faith — explains on its website that “Faith Arts Village Orlando is a ministry of Park Lake Presbyterian Church that provides a place where the faith community and local artists can work together to share their gifts of inspiration, beauty, and spiritual expression to promote peace, understanding, and well-being in the larger community.”
Despite the village’s name, artists are not bound to create religious work. The congregation does not seek to censor artists and is receptive to secular works.
While the past few years have been difficult for artists due to COVID-19, FAVO artists imbued the studios with creative energy and inspiration. Many of the village’s artists feel they did some of their best work during this time.
Each month, FAVO hosts First Friday and Saturday open houses, welcoming the public to visit the artists’ studios and purchase art. Thanks to Park Lake Presbyterian Church, the once dilapidated Davis Park Motel has become a bustling cooperative for creators.
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Emily Coughlan is the collections manager at the Orange County Regional History Center.
