Meet Our Team
Rev. Tamara Isidore
Tamara Isidore is a native of Haiti. She is a member of the Florida Conference since 1991. She had the blessed opportunity to serve five United Methodist churches in the Tampa Bay area from 1995 to the present. She is married to Jean-Robert Isidore, her high school sweetheart. They have seven children and six grandchildren. She is a graduate of Elim Bible Institute and College in New York where she obtained in 1983 a Degree in Applied Science in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Minor in Christian Education. Licensed to teach by the Evangelical Teacher Training Association in 1984 in the New York States and in 2011 she received a Master of Divinity Degree from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Tamara served as President of the Conference Haitian Committee on Ministry. Vice-President of Haiti/Florida Covenant and hosted Justice for Our Neighbors for 7 years in Tampa. She is a former member of the Haitian League of Pastors of Tampa Bay. She also served as a member of the Gulf Central Leadership Council, the former South Central District Nomination Team and the South Central District Board of Ordained Ministry.
Tamara enjoys reading, cooking, walking early mornings, singing the old hymns and meditating. Water amazes her whether rivers, lakes or the ocean, she always envisioned Jesus and his trips going to the other side with his disciples or fishing with his disciples. She partnered with colleagues and churches to raise funding and installed through a licensed company 8 wells in different communities in Haiti. She is involved in supporting mission work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Tamara is a bond servant of Jesus Christ and of God’s people on a mission to love as Jesus loves her. She is blessed beyond measure and there’s no greater joy than answering God’s call for her life to serve those in need.).
Love and Towel (St. John 13:1-5).
Ann W. McCandless
Ann was born in Birmingham, AL, 1946. She was active in mission programs throughout her youth at the Baptist Church in Fairfield, AL and served as a Summer Missionary in New Mexico during a summer while in college. Ann received a BS degree in Mathematics from Judson College and MA degree in Mathematics from U of Alabama. She was employed by ITT Federal Services Corporation at Vandenberg AFB as Senior Systems Analyst for 15 years. Ann has taught math at the community college of Santa Maria, CA, and high school math at North Cobb High in Georgia and Leesburg, VA. She had a math tutoring business for three years while residing in Leesburg, VA.
Ann was involved with community and business volunteer activities while employed at Vandenberg AFB, CA including President of Lompoc Valley Industry Education Council, scholarship chairperson for Lompoc Valley Women in Chamber, scholarship and community chair for Lompoc Women of the Moose, and president and vice president of the ITT Federal Services Corporation National Management Association.
After retiring, Ann moved to Melbourne Florida and became an active member of the Suntree United Methodist Church. She has served on the Stewardship Campaign Committee, as the Community Service Coordinator, facilitator for United Methodist Women (UMW) mission studies, treasurer for UMW, Christmas Bazaar coordinator, Operation Christmas Child coordinator, President of Dorcas Circle, facilitator for Women’s Oasis Bible study classes, nominating committee member, mentor for Hope Builders partner and as the volunteer and activities coordinator for the partnership with Harbor City Elementary Public School.
Volunteer community activities in Brevard County, Florida include volunteering with Rolling Readers, classroom tutor volunteer, AVID tutor, driver, tutor and mentor for organizations assisting homeless mothers and their children, part-time foster parent for teen, and driver for Daily Bread food pick-up. Ann also helped found the Zamar Ministries, INC., a 501c3 organization that supported a school in Croix des Bouquet, Haiti, and served as treasurer of the Board of Directors for two years.
Professional and Civic Memberships and Honors received include the following:
Pi Mu Epsilon, U of AL Chapter, (National Honorary Math. Fraternity)
National Association for University Professors
Phi Delta Kappa, (National Honorary Educators Fraternity)
Recipient of Brevard Public Schools Volunteer Award of Excellence (FL)
Recipient of Volunteer of the Year Award, Harbor City School, Melbourne, FL
Nancy Carson Gray
Nancy has worked in the area of missions both locally and internationally most of her adult life. She received her AA from Gulf Park College (now a branch of the University of Southern Mississippi). She received her BA in psychology and social work from LaGrange College and later her AS degree in ultrasound technology from Hillsborough Community College and served as an obstetrical sonographer with A Woman’s Place Medical Clinic for eleven years until her retirement in December of 2020. Early in her career, she served as director of the Title VII Nutrition Program for the Elderly for a five-county area in the State of Georgia and later taught in the public school systems in Georgia and Florida and in church preschool programs.
Most of the mission trips she partnered in were medical, dental, and construction focused in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. She has served in Cuba and the Ukraine. She also volunteers with the Walk for Life, with our community homeless ministry, and supports other local and national charitable organizations. She and her husband, Joe, are faithful members of First United Methodist Church of Lutz.