Rev. Andy Oliver (he/him/his) is Pastor of Allendale UMC in St. Petersburg, Florida, a church that is committed to anti-racism and radical solidarity with folx on the margins. He is grounded in liberation theology and following Jesus, a community organizer who always located himself with the oppressed, helping them to use their power to dismantle evil. He is currently president of Methodist Federation for Social Action, a national justice-seeking organization. Andy is a graduate of the University of Florida and Duke Divinity School. He previously served congregations in Lakeland, Ft. Lauderdale, and outside Gainesville. He loves spending time with his two boys building Legos and seeing the world through their eyes.
Rev. David Franks (he/him/his) is Minister of Pastoral Support. A graduate of Pacific School of Religion/Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, Rev. Franks held a number of pastorates in Northern California parishes before moving to St. Petersburg in 2003. He joined the Allendale UMC team after retiring from positions he held with Empath Partners in Care (EPIC), a subsidiary of Empath Health, providing supportive services to people living with HIV. Committed to being of support to people facing transitional times in their lives, Rev. Franks can be reached at david@allendaleumc.org or by making an appointment by calling the church office at (727) 527-6694.
Theresa Frost (she/they) is the Director of Student Ministries at Allendale UMC. She moved from MS to FL in 2018. She has been our Director of Student Ministries since 2021. She has a passion for social justice and equity. They graduated from the University of MS with a degree in criminal justice and political science. They have always had a passion for justice and advocacy and she is thankful to be able to do that work with our students. Theresa commits to continuing their passion for learning and providing education for all ages. She hopes to support our young people as they grow because Theresa believes that our young people are our leaders now.
Cameron (he/him) is the Creative Director at Allendale UMC. He grew up on the other side of the Skyway in Manatee County and focused his education on Television Production, Theater Technology, and Graphic Design. Cameron has over ten years of church leadership experience working with several United Methodist congregations in both the Florida Conference and South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, also serving as a camp counselor at Warren Willis United Methodist Camp and Conference Center. Some of Cameron’s skills include sound mixing, video editing, lighting design, stage design, web design, and graphic design. He loves learning new things and sharing what he’s learned with others.
Tru Mizzell (she/her) is the Director of Music Development. She has been a member of Allendale for years and is happy to work in and give back to the space that has always provided her with an unwavering and supportive community. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Music from Brenau University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Texas. Tru has a passion for music and justice; she is combining the two by creating music ensembles (Tru’ Time Orchestra) that elevates the voices of musicians and composers that have historically been discriminated against in the world of classical music. Tru gains inspiration from music leaders that have already paved the way for her to pave the way for others.
