WINTER SPRINGS - The First Baptist Church of Winter Springs had been searching for a new senior pastor for most of the year.

Bob Caraballo had a passion for ministry and a lifetime of experience in the church. When they met, as Caraballo put it, the love affair began.

Caraballo, a Brooklyn native who moved to Florida 15 years ago, grew up in the church under his father’s ministry in New York.

“I was brought up under the fear and admonition of the Lord and I had been in church all my life, but realized at 16 that I needed my own relationship (with God),” Caraballo said of the first turning point in his Christian walk.

Caraballo felt called to ministry at the age of 17 and got his first taste of work in the church as a youth counselor at age 19. Six years later, he moved to adult ministry with his father. He said his ministry in his younger years helped him to grow to who he is now.

“The great part of my ministry back then was that I had a safety net,” Caraballo said of working with his father. “I was under the leadership of my spiritual hero.

“I did not know much about people then; I have learned much more and feel through the mistakes and the hurt of the past I can be a better leader.”

It was Caraballo’s father and mentor’s death that brought Caraballo to Florida. His father was retiring and in the process of moving to Florida when he passed away. Caraballo moved South to care for his widowed mother.

And now, 15 years later, that move has placed him at the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Winter Springs.

The church had been searching for a senior pastor and had interviewed two candidates when they found out that Caraballo was interested.

“We had the opportunity to hear him preach three or four times before we called him because he was filling in for the interim pastor,” said Winter Springs Mayor John Bush, who is also the church’s administrator. “People just really liked him.”

Bush said both the leadership and the congregation voted on the decision to hire Bob - both votes were unanimous.

Caraballo’s preaching style is part of what drew the congregation to him, Bush said.

“We are extremely pleased that we were able to call Bob to be our pastor,” he said. “He’s just an outstanding preacher. He really he is.”

Caraballo said that despite his reserved personality, his passion for the Bible comes out when he preaches.

“I believe that the Bible has every answer for every situation that we currently face or will ever face,” Caraballo said. “It is extremely exciting to guide people to those answers and give them a brand new outlook to life.

“It has always been my passion to make the Scriptures come alive in the hearts of people by simply applying what God has clearly laid out for us.”

Both Caraballo and Bush said that Caraballo’s transition into the position has been smooth for the congregation so far. “We felt very confident that he’s right person for the job,” Bush said.

The only hitch, Caraballo said, is that he started as senior pastor during the busiest time of the year-Christmastime. “The problem with the transition is the time of year,” he said. “It’s hard to put plan together. We’ll hit ground running in January.”

And when they hit the ground running, Caraballo said the church’s focus will be on outreach and evangelism. Caraballo speaks both English and Spanish, so he hopes to increase outreach to the Spanish-speaking population as well.

“I have already seen that my ability to speak Spanish has come in very handy,” Caraballo said. “It gives the Hispanic community a sense of calm as I share with them in the language of their childhood.

“We want to be … the lifesaving station in Winter Springs and in the Orlando area; that’s our Jerusalem. We’re there to help and provide a message of truth and provide the only thing that people need in these troubling times: a savior.”

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