About Our Pastor
Retha Garten

After a long career in banking in Roanoke, Virginia, Retha felt the call upon her life to enter full-time ministry.  The Lord divinely connected her with Roxanne Brant. In 1975 she became Roxanne’s administrative assistant, a position she held for more than eleven years. During that time, they crisscrossed America and other parts of the world holding crusades in churches, auditoriums and stadiums. Hundreds were born again, thousands were taught the Word of God and healed through this ministry.

 Roxanne’s untimely death in 1986 thrust Retha into a leadership role. Soon after Roxanne’s death, she was installed as President of Northern Florida Christian Center, and a short time later, became the pastor of the Center church. 

Comments from her parishioners: “Retha has a lovely spirit and gentle nature that we have all grown to admire and love. As our pastor, she is devoted and dedicated to the vision God has given her, the surrounding community and people around the world. She has taught us to reach out beyond our church’s four walls to the hurting and needy. There are a number of people across America who call her ‘Pastor’ even though they are not a member of her local congregation.” “The Lord gave us a home in the country at NFCC and a wonderful church to which we are proud to belong. There is true leadership and good Christian people who belong to NFCC. We have a loving church family that we love dearly and appreciate.”

Retha holds a Bachelor of Theology degree.  She has also earned a Diploma in Biblical Studies, Concentration in Biblical Counseling With Distinction and an Associate Teacher Diploma from Trinity College of the Bible.   In addition to pastoring the Center church, she oversees the 240-acre Center and its many outreaches, does personal, premarital, marital and family counseling by appointment.