SPOTLIGHT ON...
Gregg Allen
Story written by Pam Anderson
Gregg Allen believes it was divine intervention that led him to Coronado Community UMC. The New York native and Syracuse University graduate arrived in New Smyrna Beach in 2019, via Binghamton, Savannah and Atlanta. He comes from a long line of Methodists including a grandfather who was a Methodist minister. After arriving in New Smyrna, Gregg and his wife started visiting area Methodist churches and finally made it to Coronado.
They were fortunate enough to sit near Bob Hammond and Beverly Judge and were warmly welcomed. The opening hymn that Sunday was Blest Be the Tie That Binds. Gregg couldn’t believe it, his 7th great grandfather, John Fawcett, had written the hymn. After church Gregg and Belinda talked with Jack Carter and Mike Williams about Belinda joining the choir and Lee Overfelt about Gregg becoming an usher--activities they had both participated in at their previous church in Atlanta.
The Sunday they joined the church, one of the hymns was a song Gregg had sung weekly at his childhood church in New York, They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love, affirming for him that they had definitely found their church home.
Deciding life in Atlanta was becoming too hectic and wanting a warmer climate the Allens chose the New Smyrna Beach area, mainly because of the beach. Visiting and house hunting in May
they found a home they loved. Unfortunately, they hadn’t done the repairs or put their Atlanta home on the market yet. But, when something is meant to be, it works out. The seller agreed to their offer and delayed the closing for three months. With some fancy financial negotiations, a cooperative seller and their home in Atlanta selling the first day it was on the market they arrived in Volusia County in October.
The Allens live in Edgewater and love their Hacienda del Rio community. By profession, Gregg was a home inspector in Atlanta. Georgia does not require a license for home inspectors, but Florida does. Immediately, after Gregg jumped through all the hoops to become licensed in Florida, Covid 19 hit. By the time the pandemic was over and the demand for home inspectors hadn’t recovered he decided the effort and expense to keep up the license just wasn’t worth it.
Fortunately, he had years of experience in the home construction industry prior to his career in home inspection. So, Gregg marketed his talents as a handyman and currently has enough jobs to keep three men busy mostly right in his own community.
You can see the Allens every Sunday at Coronado, Gregg is a greeter and usher and Belinda sings in the choir. Be sure and tell them hello.
