The Rev. Dr. Audrey Warren

Denomination: United Methodist Church (UMC)
Organization: First United Methodist Church, Miami, FL

Rev. Dr. Audrey Warren, is the pastor of First United Methodist Church of Miami, Florida re-emerging church in the heart of Downtown Miami. Her appointment to the church was a turning point for the church and community as she had the incredible vision and task of leading the redevelopment of the church through the sale to developers and leading the development of the new church within the 49-story tower at the same address. Through many meetings and hours of devotion and sacrificial service of members and staff the church opened December 2023. Dr. Warren and First Church staff continue to lead and trust in God for their continued growth and Christian influence in Downtown Miami.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Florida Southern College where she majored in Religion. This was followed by a Masters of Divinity Degree from Duke Divinity School. In May of 2016, she received her Doctorate of Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

As a native Floridian, Dr. Audrey Warren did not venture too far from her hometown of Naples to plant some roots. She has been in Miami–Dade County serving as a United Methodist pastor for more than fifteen years. Dr. Warren spent her first six years in ministry at Branches United Methodist Mission in Florida City, where she rebuild the church and community after a fire burnt it to the floor. The rebuild was a large project both for the structure and its people. The building and community that stand there today are a stronger force than ever before and Dr. Warren is very proud of the community there and their strength and devotion. She still stays connected with them through her passion in working with children and youth.

Dr. Warren has served in Central Florida, North Carolina, South Africa, and Miami. She has a passion for outreach and mission. Under the direction of Bishop Ken Carter, Audrey worked with a team to found the Florida Fresh Expressions Movement. Although she no longer leads at the conference level she is grateful for the Fresh Expressions First Church Miami leads such as Kayak Chapel and Yoga Chapel. Dr. Warren has published two books with Bishop Kenneth Carter: Fresh Expressions: A New Kind of Methodist Church for People Not In Church, People Over Property; Scripture, Stories and Strategies to Help People of Faith Reimagine their Space. Dr. Warren has also published a number of professional articles that can be found in, “Faith and Leadership.” Dr. Warren recently preached on the Nationally Syndicated preaching platform, “Day 1.”

Dr. Warren is a dynamic preacher and educator and has a special passion for children’s education in which area she wrote her dissertation. She has a passion for both contemporary and traditional worship and has a deep love for scripture. She is a courageous leader and motivator and has a passion for bringing diverse people together to carry out the work of Christ in community. She is fluent in English and Spanish. She also has a 200 hr. Yoga Alliance Teacher Certificate, which she uses to create a Yoga Chapel at FUMC. In her spare time, you can find her at the beach with a good book, running in Miami or a yoga class in town!