ORLANDO–Taylor Hatch, secretary of Florida’s Department of Children and Families, recently challenged hundreds of Florida Baptist pastors to “put on the armor of God” as they lead their churches to become partners in statewide efforts to serve the vulnerable.

“We want to put on the full armor of God because we are playing an offensive game (in serving the vulnerable), and we want to pursue,” she said. The biblical passage on the armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18, “never talks about protection on your back. Forward pursuit, right?”

“Listen, trust, be faithful’

Speaking at the 2025 Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference held at First Orlando, Hatch described her personal journey to care for and serve the vulnerable.

“I was blessed to have a mother and father who were God-fearing and raised me in the church,” she said, adding that her parents provided opportunities for her to serve through missions. She recalled one “moment” as she served when she saw words emblazoned on a “big, white concrete wall at the very top.” The paraphrased message was from Isaiah 6:8: “And whom shall I send? And Isaiah said, ‘Here am I, Lord; send me,’” she shared.

“Those words have been seared in my brain and in my heart and, unbeknownst to me, that was a seed that was planted back in my childhood that I believe has woven the path that I’m walking today,” she said.

“And what’s great about that,” she said, “is it’s God’s plan and it’s His design” to call His people to serve.

“It’s my job to listen, to trust and to be faithful to His plan.”

‘Every moment matters’

At Celebration Church in Tallahassee, where Hatch is a member, Pastor David Emmert often challenges the congregation with the words, “Every moment matters.”

Hatch has taken those words to heart, “You don’t know what moment–that interaction with another human being–is going to make all the difference in the world, not only to them but also for future generations. Moments matter.”

To maximize moments to serve the vulnerable, Hatch believes that partnerships are vital.

“Hope Florida works to serve people at the earliest moment possible,” working with churches, not-for-profits and the private sector “to help families get back on their feet,” she said.

“Government cannot nor should not be all things to everyone,” she believes, stating that partnerships with “the church, performing as a body, as the hands and feet of Jesus, serving people every single day” is a key to making a lasting difference throughout Florida, with each partner embracing specific roles and “making sure we do not work in isolation if we want to serve people well.”

Hatch said that “individuals reach out to government many times on one of the worst days of their lives.

“How do we make the most of that moment and be the bridge? How do we as government make sure that we lift up people who need help with people who want to help?”

Since 2019, because of partnerships forged through Hope Florida, statistics indicate significant decreases in children entering foster care, in families relying on public benefits, in criminal justice offenders re-offending and in opioid-related deaths.

The task, now, she said, is to “maximize the moment. We want to put our foot on the gas a little faster. We want to keep going.

“It’s not always easy. We live in an imperfect world.

“Our prayer is that we are ready, as His followers, to try to make that moment matter not just for today but also for future generations.”

For more information on how your church can become a partner in serving the vulnerable, go to hopeflorida.com