Final crunch - South Carolina United Methodist Advocate

Transcription

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Too big, too small or just right?
January 2012
Season of
Epiphany
Task force begins study on number of districts in S.C.
gy and laity across the state has started evaluating the current number of districts, 12, and
will make a recommendation to the 2012
Annual Conference in June.
The 16-member diverse group of clergy
and laity from across South Carolina, chaired
By Jessica Connor
Does the S.C. Conference of the United
Methodist Church have too many or too few
districts – or is the system fine as-is?
A conference-mandated task force of cler-
Christmas in
South Carolina
Pa g e 1 4
by Spartanburg District Superintendent Dr.
Paul Harmon, held their first meeting in
November and expect to meet monthly from
now until June analyzing research and dialoguing in preparation for making a recommendation to Annual Conference.
“It’s too early to tell if we can finish our
Final
Wrapped in prayer
crunch
See “District Study,” Page 10
Eleventh-hour giving
in good shape as S.C.
prepares to close books
By Jessica Connor
Journey to Impact
in Florence District
Pa g e 1 3
Confirmation
collaboration
Pa g e 1 2
--
Martin Luther King
Jr. Day, Jan. 16
South Carolina apportionment giving
is “in an excellent position” as the S.C.
Conference Treasurer’s Office readies
itself to close 2011 books Jan. 18.
“We’re very optimistic about it,” said
Treasurer Tony Prestipino, estimating
United Methodist churches will pay at
least 85 percent of their apportionments
by year’s end.
As of the Advocate’s press time on
Dec. 15, apportionment payments were at
68.46 percent, up 2.48 percent from the
65.98 percent received this time last year.
That translates to $12.36 million
received so far of the $18 million total
conference budget for 2011.
Typically, churches pay at least 80 percent of the budget each year.
“I’m feeling extremely good about
where we will be at the end of the year,”
Prestipino said, noting that churches are
encouraged to send apportionment payments to the conference by noon Jan. 18,
when his office closes the books. “There
are still concerns out there, but we’re seeing a lot more optimism.”
Every quilt is crafted in prayer. Here, Regina Henson ties a prayer knot. (Photo by Jessica
Connor)
Quilters reach out through Spirit-crafted creations
By Jessica Connor
See “Final Crunch,” Page 10
LUGOFF – Imagine being diagnosed with
terminal cancer, your body racked with pain
and your mind swimming with fear, anger,
depression: Why me? What will my family
do? How did this happen?
Imagine lying there, alone in your bed,
needing comfort and prayer but struggling to
grasp what can so often seem like intangibles.
Now imagine you have a warm, soft quilt
wrapped around you, lovingly crafted by
faithful members of a church family. As you
snuggle deeper, you know you are nuzzling
into prayer – that every stitch, every knot,
every swatch of this fabric has been prayed
over not only by the quiltmakers but the entire
congregation.
You are, quite literally, wrapped in prayer.
See “Wrapped in Prayer,” Page 24
Conference credit union now open to all UMs in S.C.
By Jessica Connor
For years, the S.C. Methodist Conference
Credit Union has been there to help young
pastors buy their first car, establish credit
and take out loans with fair interest rates.
Now, thanks to hard work and some
Index
4-6
xxxx
7
Viewpoints
Education & Youth
History
hoop-jumping, those services are available
to every member of a United Methodist
church in this state.
Late in 2011, the S.C. Board of Financial
Institutions granted the credit union an
expanded field of membership to include
not only clergy, retired clergy and employ16-19 District News
20
Resource Center
20
Obituaries
22
22
23
ees of United Methodist institutions, but
also church members.
“We are just thrilled,” said the Rev. Rex
Wilson, credit union chief executive officer,
who said the decision has been four years of
tough research and legwork in the making.
See “Credit Union,” Page 2
Calendar of Events
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Page 2, January 2012
CREDIT UNION: Necessary for growth
The South Carolina United Methodist Advocate
Rev. Rex Wilson,
credit union CEO, displays the thick file representing all the hard
work the credit union
did in getting an
expanded field of
membership from the
state. Thanks to their
efforts, conference
credit union now available for all UMC members, not just clergy
and employees. (Photo
From Page 1
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Necessary for growth, good for the people
Credit union leaders had wanted to expand
the field of membership for some time, but
were limited by regulations and their bylaws.
The credit union’s attempts at expansion had
met with resistance from state banking officials,
who for a variety of reasons did not allow the
expansion, Wilson said.
But the credit union pushed for it. The longterm health of a credit union depends on a
thriving, active pool of members, Wilson said.
But because of the membership limitation, the
entire pool of people they could draw from was
less than 5,000. The largest number of members they ever had was 1,900 – quite small in
comparison to other banks and credit unions.
“It’s not enough for an institution,” Wilson
said. “We are well capitalized, but we have limited memberships, and our demographic is
older.”
Unless they could open themselves to a larger pool of members from which to draw lending opportunities, they were at their peak of
growth – and the only way left was down.
“We needed to get it done,” Wilson said.
A larger membership pool will enable the
credit union to expand services and better serve
congregations, said James Bradley, retired economics professor and former FDIC (Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation) examiner who
served on the credit union’s Committee for
Expanding the Field of Membership.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Bradley said.
“With the limited membership field, we couldn’t grow our size enough to justify putting in
some of the electronic-based sorts of things that
banks offer now. ... We’re not looking to
become huge – we may be the smallest financial institution in the state – but we will be
stronger and able to offer more services, and of
course be available to more people.”
As a financial ministry of the UMC in this
state, the credit union loans more graciously
than some other banks, and their interest rates
are less than or on par with other financial institutions – particularly the high-interest payday
lenders some of their clients have utilized in the
past, Wilson said.
“There is a significant percentage of loans
we make that no one else would make,”
Wilson said. “And some pastors have financial
difficulties from student loans and other things.
They often start out in a hole that can be very
difficult to get out of.”
Now, Wilson said, the credit union is not just
a financial institution, but a true United
Methodist financial institution, one that can be
fully connectional and helpful for all UMC
members in the state.
The Rev. Bob Vincent, chair of the committee and pastor of Shady Grove UMC in Irmo,
said he is excited about the opportunity, which
he, too, believes will further connectionalism.
“We’re looking forward to rolling this out
and being able to provide financial services to
some of those who are in need, and think it will
be a wonderful ministry for the S.C.
Conference,” Vincent said.
‘A massive amount of work’
Getting from A to B was no easy feat. It was
not a matter of the credit union deciding they
wanted to expand the field, but rather getting
the state Board of Financial Institutions, which
governs banks, credit unions and other institutions in S.C., to grant them permission.
Wilson said his predecessor, Andy Cox,
tried to expand the field of membership but
was unsuccessful. Early efforts by Wilson, too,
were met with resistance – in 2008, shortly
after he started as CEO, Wilson broached the
expansion idea with Commissioner of Banking
Louie A. Jacobs of the state BOFI, who
informed Wilson he was not willing to recommend the expansion.
“I was surprised (he said no),” Wilson said.
“I told Jacobs it’s not some cloudy, ‘we don’t
know who they are; they just show up in
church’ thing. We can go to every church and
get their names.”
But Jacobs wasn’t convinced, according to
Wilson. So the credit union tried a different tactic, forming the membership expansion committee filled with seasoned professionals to
research ways they could accomplish their goal.
The committee soon discovered that most, if
not all, credit unions for annual conferences
nationwide had an expanded field of membership – why not South Carolina? The committee
felt the S.C. Conference’s credit union met the
regulatory requirements for an expanded membership field because it represents the conference, which represents the full church. The
UMC has a charge conference in every church,
and the Annual Conference publishes a journal
reflecting its numbers. It all added up.
So they began the arduous task of proving
their hypothesis. They reached out to the
National Credit Union Administration, posing
the hypothetical question (which just happened
to be their situation): If I were a United
Methodist credit union, and my bylaws said
pastors of churches were the membership, and I
wanted to expand to members of churches,
how would that be handled?
To their delight, Acting Regional Director
Herbert Yolles wrote back saying not only
would this be allowed, but the NCUA would
advise them to use the “EZ form.”
“In other words, it’s that simple,” Wilson
said. “We had him saying it’d be easy.”
Armed with that information, the committee
convinced then-State Treasurer Converse
Chellis to arrange a meeting between them and
Jacobs, thinking permission for the expanded
field of membership would be certain.
Instead, at the meeting in spring 2010,
Jacobs requested a detailed business plan for
the credit union – a multiyear blueprint for
growing the credit union, as well as a pro forma
financial statements.
While it wasn’t the easy answer they’d
hoped for, the exercise ended up being a blessing in disguise, credit union leaders said.
“What they did was to help us to think
by Allison Trussell)
through what they felt was necessary in order
to be able to approve that,” said Steve Barden,
credit union board chair who is also business
administrator of Trenholm Road UMC in
Columbia. “So part was from their perspective,
they wanted to know we realized we’d have to
plan for all of these contingencies, but in a way
this guided us to do these things to be comfortable and confident in our ability to move forward. ... It was beneficial to the credit union.”
While working on the business plan, the
committee also secured the signatures of several hundred Annual Conference members all
over the state, who said they would be interested in joining the credit union if they could.
Finally in September 2011, their work complete, the committee presented to Jacobs and
the BOFI a business plan with pro forma statements, signatures and other supporting documentation – what Wilson called “a massive
amount of work.”
While the committee was prepared to present their case to the BOFI, on Oct. 18, Jacobs
requested that only Wilson come to his office
for a private chat about the expansion.
“He grilled me for four hours, from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m., asking me every question he could
think of about our plan to make sure I really
understood this,” Wilson said. “And when that
meeting was done, he said, ‘I want to do this.’”
Weeks later, the BOFI granted the credit
union formal approval.
Ready to go
Now, research done and permission granted,
the credit union is ready to begin accepting new
membership applications. They hope those
who are seeking loans will join the credit union.
“You start by joining and paying your $1
fee, then you deposit $5 in the membership
account, and then you have access to all the
financial products we offer,” Wilson said.
In addition to car and home loans and
revolving credit, the credit union has a variety
of products, such as their Holiday Helper Loan,
a low-interest loan to be paid off within one
year to help people avoid racking up their higher-interest credit cards for Christmas giving.
“We’re very excited about it,” Barden said.
“With more growth comes more financial challenges, and I’m sure other challenges as well,
but we are excited about the opportunity and
are looking forward to working through those
situations.”
January 2012, Page 3
General/Jurisdictional Conference & You
By the Rev. Kathy James
Politics and discernment at Jurisdictional Conference
Editor’s note: The following is new
educational series in the Advocate
between now and next year’s General and
Jurisdictional conferences designed to
help people understand how the gatherings impact the local church.
One definition of politics is “the complex or aggregate of relationships of people in society, especially those relationships involving authority or power.”
Given this definition, it should come as
no surprise that there are politics involved
in the work of Jurisdictional Conference.
The primary work of Jurisdictional
Conference is to elect bishops to lead the
annual conferences of the jurisdiction.
Beyond that, JCs elect persons to serve on
the boards and agencies of the General
Church and in the Southeastern
Jurisdiction – at least, to make decisions
related to Lake Junaluska, Gulfside
Assembly, Hinton Rural Life Center and
other jurisdictional concerns.
Because United Methodist episcopal
leaders have significant authority and
power within our denomination, and
because they are elected to serve and
appointed for life (in the United States, at
least), political realities are unavoidable.
Jurisdictional leaders in recent years have
worked hard to reduce the “politicking”
and increase the atmosphere of spiritual
discernment in the selection of episcopal
leaders.
The Jurisdictional Committee on the
Episcopacy is comprised of the previous
quadrennium’s first elected lay and clergy
delegates from each annual conference in
the jurisdiction. They meet during the quadrennium to make decisions about the
upcoming JC. This committee determines
how many bishops are to be elected based
on the number of bishops retiring. The
Committee on the Episcopacy also decides
where bishops will be appointed for the
coming quadrennium.
In July, the SEJ will elect five new
bishops. The South Carolina delegation
has endorsed the Rev. Tim McClendon,
Columbia District superintendent, as our
episcopal nominee.
In an effort to keep the focus on spiritual discernment, the Committee on the
Episcopacy has taken a number of actions
in recent years. Language is key in shifting the focus from politics to discernment.
Persons seeking to be elected as bishops
are often referred to as “episcopal candidates.” The actual term for those persons
who have been endorsed by a delegation,
an annual conference or another official
United Methodist body, however, is “episcopal nominee.”
The committee makes the rules regarding what kind of official communication a
nominee may produce and send to delegates. This time, nominees may send two
mailings to delegates, including in one a
video/DVD, and they may create a website. Episcopal nominees have been asked
by the committee to respond to a list of
questions related to their spiritual leadership of the denomination. In addition, their
biographical information will be posted on
the jurisdictional website.
Members of every annual conference
delegation are asked to sign a covenant
regarding their commitment to seeking
God’s will in the election process while
refraining from blatant political maneuvering such as vote-swapping and guaranteeing a certain number of votes from their
Delegation Meeting Updates
Editor’s note: From now until General and Jurisdictional conferences, the
Advocate will run monthly updates of
the meetings of South Carolina’s elected
delegates to these conferences.
Nov. 20 Delegation Meeting
Chairman Joe Heyward called the
meeting to order, and the Rev. John
Culp gave a devotional on God’s love.
He reminded us we are global
Christians as he presented a slide show
on Malawi, sharing efforts under way to
build facilities that will help those living
in this region. One such project is being
built in the name of Culp’s granddaughter.
Heyward said delegation members
are invited to attend a briefing of
General Conference issues sponsored
by the United Methodist Women. The
call is for one clergy and one lay representative. Lodging is provided, but travel is not. The Rev. Robin Dease volunteered to represent the clergy, and a representative from the laity will be determined at a later date.
James Salley presented an in-depth
overview of Africa University. He noted
that General Conference approved
Africa University in 1988. Today there
are more than 1,200 students.
In anticipation that the S.C.
Conference will receive a new resident
bishop, the Rev. Ken Nelson along with
the Revs. Kathy James and Tim Rogers
led the group in guided discussions to
discern the needs of this Annual
Conference. This will be the first of a
series of discussions about this.
Nelson presented three questions that
need to be answered over the next few
delegation meetings: 1) What is at
stake? 2) What characteristics should all
bishops have? 3) What characteristics
are needed in a bishop who will serve
the S.C. Conference?
Nelson reminded the group that no
bishop will have all the qualities we
may want, and we are not looking for a
litmus test that says the bishop must
have this trait or that trait to be the right
fit. However, we must discern what is
best for our Annual Conference and
convey that to those making the decisions.
Each delegation member was asked
to write down three things they feel are
at stake in regard to our receiving a new
bishop in 2012. Most responses centered on clergy and laity partnerships,
apportionment issues, the greater connection, personal characteristics, the
local church (passion for and concern
See “Delegation Update,” Page 5
delegation. The expectation presented to
delegates is that they will prayerfully vote
their conscience.
In the midst of this climate of spiritual
discernment, it is impossible to ignore that
selecting new bishops in the UMC is an
election process and therefore bound to
become political. In the not-too-distant
past, stories of delegations making deals
and swapping votes were commonplace.
Even within the current parameters, delegation members are expected to hold fast
in voting for their own nominee. Rumors
abound of larger delegations working
together to elect a particular nominee, and
speculation arises regarding informal
agreements between conference delegations who are expecting to receive a new
bishop. As is common with political
processes, tension exists between official
rules and informal alliances.
For the first time in the SEJ, balloting
will be conducted electronically. The
expectation is that a ballot may be taken
every seven minutes. In theory, such speed
would indicate that the elections might be
concluded more efficiently with minimal
political maneuvering. At previous JCs,
lengthy breaks while paper ballots were
being counted allowed ample time for delegates to try to persuade others to change
their votes. Rapid balloting will shorten
the breaks. Electronic balloting has the
potential to introduce new political
dynamics.
The rules in recent years have allowed
for “write-in” candidates who received 10
votes to be able to distribute printed biographical information and to address the
body. With electronic voting, every delegate to JC who is an elder in the UMC
will receive a number on the ballot. The
official nominees will be given the first
numbers, and the remaining elders will be
listed alphabetically. As previous, any
elder who receives 10 votes will be able to
distribute biographical information and
address the body. What impact this new
reality will have on the election process
remains to be seen.
Questions of inclusiveness and diversity emerge in both the episcopal election
process and the nominations process.
Historically, one clergy and one layperson
from each annual conference were elected
by jurisdictional conference to serve on
each General Church board and agency. In
recent years, boards of directors have been
elected by each JC with the expectation
that every annual conference will have
representation at the General Church level
If you have questions that you
wish to be addressed in this column,
email [email protected].
but not on every single board.
The Jurisdictional Nominating
Committee made up of clergy and lay delegates from each annual conference in the
jurisdiction is tasked with creating a slate
of persons to be elected by the conference
that is diverse and representative of the
whole church. They create the slate from a
pool that includes all persons elected to
General and Jurisdictional conferences, as
well as additional persons nominated by
each annual conference delegation to
ensure diversity. The slate presented to JC
for election includes persons from every
annual conference, laymen and -women,
clergymen and -women, persons of every
ethnicity of the UMC, youth, young adults
and older adults.
United Methodist values of diversity
and inclusiveness shape how nominations
are made to general boards and agencies.
This commitment to representation that
“looks like us” sometimes stands in tension with a desire for the most passionate
and skilled people to serve in leadership.
In the SEJ, the value of diversity is less
apparent in the matter of episcopal elections. Until 2004, there had never been
more than one woman and one AfricanAmerican man elected to the episcopacy
in our jurisdiction in any given year,
regardless of the number of bishops to be
elected. The SEJ is the only one who has
yet to elect an African-American woman
to the episcopacy.
There are those who view issues related
to inclusiveness as a political reality, making reference to political terms like
“tokenism” or “quotas.” Others view
diversity and having leaders who are representative of the whole church as a theological and spiritual issue.
At JC it is difficult to neatly separate
spiritual and political concerns. People
gathered to choose who will have power
over them are by definition engaging in
politics. At its worst, JC is about people
working to get what they want. At its best,
JC is about United Methodist leaders
engaged in political processes undergirded
by prayerful discernment and a spirit of
seeking God’s will for the future of the
church.
James is congregational specialist for the
S.C. Conference and delegate to the 2012
General and Jurisdictional conferences.
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VIEWPOINTS
Jessica Connor, Editor
Season of change
It’s been a busy year, one filled with wave upon wave of uplifting, inspirational tales
of Christians being God’s hands in the world. We’ve seen our share of sad times, too –
friends and loved ones lost, a longtime ministry closing its doors, daily challenges in
our families, communities, our nation and our world.
Speaking at Prospect United Methodist Church in Pamplico the week before we
went to press, I had the opportunity to talk deeply with one of the members there, a
man who urged me to write about the ways the seasons of life tie in perfectly with
themes in Christianity.
Spring is a time of new life, of growth and progress – the beauty in the bud of a
maple tree or the flash of yellow in the season’s first daffodils. Lush and fragrant summer is the prime of the year, a time to savor the full bloom of life and enjoy the energy
of abundance. Autumn is the harvest time, when we gather up all that has been sown
and prepare for the quiet ahead. And winter is a time of renewal, the silent whisper of
end with the promise of new life just ahead.
As the Advocate prepares to go to press on this edition, we learned President Barack
Obama finally got the chance to officially welcome home troops returning from Iraq as
the war there was formally shut down. Great change lies ahead, not only for Iraq but
for America, as well, as we work together to foster peace worldwide.
Looking back at a year’s worth of Advocates, we see that for United Methodists in
South Carolina, change was also a natural part of life – locally, globally, district-wide
and conference-wide.
We started the year with the announcement that apportionment-giving had come in
at 83 percent, a relief for boards and agencies who depend on support from UMCs to
stay afloat and do their work.
In March, preparation for Annual Conference 2011 racheted up to full swing, as
organizers of the yearly gathering planned worship, legislation, leadership development
opportunities and more. We also learned about a resolution that would be submitted
advocating reducing the number of districts in the conference from 12 to 10.
In April, the conference readied the new structure for Connectional Ministries,
rolling out final plans for the conference arm of that structure as work continued on the
already-approved district arm. The Advocate also announced it had been named best
newspaper publication in its division by the S.C. Press Association.
See “Season of Change,” Page 8
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Publisher
The S.C. United Methodist Advocate Trustees
Marilyn Murphy, chairperson; the Rev. Angela Nelson, vice chairperson;
the Rev. Steven King, secretary; Carmen Faulkner, treasurer;
Robert Bentley; the Rev. Audrey Boozer; the Rev. Jerry Gadsden;
the Rev. Keith Hunter; Rhonda Jones; Gladys Lemon; the Rev. Dean Lollis;
the Rev. Evelyn Middleton; Dr. Ralph Ostrom; the Rev. Rodney Powell; and Diane Wilson
Editors emeritus
J. Claude Evans, M. Eugene Mullikin, Maryneal Jones,
Willie S. Teague, Allison Askins, Karl F. Davie Burgdorf, Emily L. Cooper
Staff
Editor: Jessica Connor, [email protected]
Assistant Editor: Allison K. Trussell, [email protected]
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January 2012 • Volume 176 • No. 1
Bishop’s Corner
Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor
Louder than words
Sometimes pictures
speak louder than words.
This photograph was
taken at the Breakfast
with Santa held last
month at Mount Hebron
United Methodist Church
in West Columbia.
Everything had been prepared. The scent of pancakes and bacon lingered
in the air. For several
weeks, members of the
congregation had selected
the names of children from their Angel
Tree. Wrapped presents held clothes and
toys that had been purchased for each
individual child. As the Rev. Emily Sutton
called every child by name, he or she
came forward to receive the special gifts
from Santa Claus.
For the 70 children served by the West
Metro Hispanic Ministry, this was an
exciting time.
Of all the pictures taken that day, this
is my favorite. The faces of the children
in this portrait reveal the various ways we
may greet this New Year. A big sister is
eager to unwrap the surprises that await.
A baby sister wants everyone to know she
is not happy. Clearly, she does not like
Santa. And then caught in the middle is
the brother who is unsure about the whole
thing.
How will we face this New Year? In
his Gospel, Luke begins his story with the
announcement of a messenger named
John. The angel Gabriel tells Zachariah
that he and his wife, Elizabeth, are going
to have a son. The proclaimer reveals,
“He will turn many sons and daughters of
Israel back to their God. He will herald
God’s arrival in the style and strength of
Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding
among hardened skeptics – he’ll get the
people ready for God” (Luke 1:16-17).
During Advent, we focused on preparing ourselves for the birth of Jesus. But
often on the days following Christmas,
many persons experience a letdown. We
keep missing the point. Any new parent
will tell you that the birth of a child is
only the beginning. There are so many
wonderful days ahead. As Christians, we
rejoice that God is with us in Jesus.
The Santa suit may be packed away
for another year, but the invitation to herald God’s arrival, to soften hearts and to
kindle understanding among skeptics is
always before us. The task of Christians is
to get people ready for God. We are
always preparing the way.
In the middle of December, we traveled to Bishopville to celebrate the life of
Jeannie Alexander, the mother of one of
our pastors. It was said that day, “Her
glass was always half full.” Her positive
influence on the lives of her neighbors
and friends was evident. The sanctuary
was filled to overflowing.
At the cemetery, I overheard a woman
introduce herself to family members. She
was there because Mrs. Alexander had
meant so much to her mother who had
been her neighbor. On days such as this,
an exclamation point is placed on a life
well-lived for God.
So here is the question: How will we
live the days of this New Year? It has
been said that days sometimes go by
slowly, but years go fast.
It is my prayer that all of us will live
these days and this year sharing the good
news of Emmanuel!
Letter to the Editor
Jesus said ‘absolutely nothing’ on homosexuality
For all their verbiage to mollify the
dissidents on the issue of homosexuality, the Council of Bishops missed an
opportunity to dismiss the issue. They
should have just removed the statement
from the Book of Discipline that homosexuality is “incompatible with
Christian teachings.”
First and foremost, that position is
yet another example of scriptural interpretation with no regard to context. It is
just such interpretations that foster
exclusiveness, divisiveness and has
resulted in some 200 Christian denomi-
nations in the United States.
I take particular offense with the
emphasis on homosexuality being
incompatible with Christian teaching. I
have been a Christian all my life and
member of the Methodist Church for
almost 50 years. My primary reason for
being a Christian is that I cannot even
begin to comprehend God except
through the life and teachings of Jesus.
What did Jesus say about homosexuality? Absolutely nothing.
Bill Nelson, member
St. Mark UMC, Seneca
A Modest Proposal
The Rev. Michael Henderson
“Sit down, boy. I’ve got
something to ask you,” John
Dee said as I walked into the
coffee shop.
“And a happy new year to
you, too,” I said. “What’s on
your mind?”
“The world getting flatter,”
he said.
“Yup. Never did believe old
Pythagoras,” I said.
“No. I’m thinking of other things. The
Friedman, Brafman and Beckstrom kind
of flat world.”
“Huh?” I said, showing the depth of
my intellect.
The waitress came over and asked if
we’d like coffee.
“Do you have Aussie Flat White?”
John Dee asked.
“It’s the only kind we serve,” the waitress said.
“Good. Bring us two flattys. Now
where was I?”
“Uh … I’m not sure,” I said, trying to
figure out what he had just ordered.
“Oh, flat world. Technology has made
the world flatter. Twitter, Facebook, all
those other means of communicating
immediately from wherever you are to
wherever you want to communicate. We
see Arab Spring and Occupy Wherever
and other kinds of things making the
world less hierarchical,” John Dee said.
“Yeah, I know,” I said. “Just today I
talked with folks in Cayce, Cape Town
and Cairo. We shared photos and talked
about what was going on and how we
could support each other.”
“Churches are beginning to do that,
too,” John Dee said. “Over the holidays I
visited with a church in another denomination.”
“Spying it out?” I asked.
“No. Just wanted to see what was happening in a church that was different from
St. Bartholomew-By-The-Laundromat
UMC. Turns out the church I visited is
more involved in missions than I could
imagine.”
“How’s that?” I asked.
“While I was there, as part of the worship service, they video-skyped missionaries and groups and institutions they will
be supporting this year. Talked face-toface with them and projected it over a big
screen. Found out what was going on in
those missions and what they needed and
how they could support each other … ”
“Support each other?” I
interrupted.
“Yep. Seems that it wasn’t
just one way, with the church
basically sending money and
prayers to the mission field.
The mission folks asked the
church folks what they could
do for them! There was a lot
of sharing back and forth.”
“That sounds exciting!” I said.
“Oh, it was! And the number of people
who committed themselves not only to
the general mission of their church, but to
specific areas, was overwhelming!”
“Was this a large church?” I asked.
“Not yet,” John Dee said. “But I think
it will be within the year.”
“Why?”
“Because they are directly connecting
people to ministry beyond the walls of the
church. Some in town, and some a long
way off. But they are getting people to
radically follow Jesus into the world,”
John Dee said.
“You reckon that would work in our
church?” I asked.
“Maybe. No matter what we say, we
are still a very ‘top-down’ kind of church,
and organizationally we resist this flattening trend. But that’s where it’s at. I’ve
seen a few churches begin to do something like that, getting directly involved
with a ministry outside the walls. But
most just send money to the conference
and think that takes care of it,” he said.
“We are too far removed from what we
support,” I said.
“But it doesn’t have to be that way.
The technology is already here and in
place in almost every church and mission
place. And people want to get involved.
At least, it seems that younger people do.”
“Hey! We old folks want it just as
much!” I protested.
“Okay. Those who want to follow
Jesus into the world want it,” he said.
“And the rest … well … they don’t want
to follow Jesus into the world. They just
want Jesus to come into their world.”
“Great turn of the phrase,” I said.
“Yup. Sometimes it just comes to me.
I’ve got to go. You pay the bill. And a
happy and meaningful new year to you.”
He left. I finished my flatty and paid
the bill.
From Page 3
reminded the group all checks should be
made to the S.C. Annual Conference with
a memo on the check that says “S.C.
Episcopacy Nominee Fund” in order to
make sure it is credited to right account.
Briscoe then described what delegation
members can expect and should expect at
the Jurisdictional Conference in July. She
reminded the group of their responsibility
as delegates using the ABCs: A, Attend
everything (delegates are there to represent
the S.C. Conference and are expected to
attend all meetings and functions); B, Be
on time (each delegate is assigned a seat
and is expected to be on time and to be
seated for every vote and aspect of the
Michael Henderson pastors Cayce
UMC, Cayce.
HOW I GOT
MY
CALL
By the Rev. Wayne Major
Editor’s note: The following is a
new monthly series in the Advocate
showcasing the many different ways
South Carolina’s United Methodists
pastors received their call to the ministry. Clergy members are invited to
share their “call” story with the
Advocate. Email
[email protected].
I knew as early as fifth grade the
Lord wanted me to preach.
That call was not “finalized,”
though, until the summer of 1968, as
Rev. Enoch Finklea prayed with me at
an altar call at Epworth Camp
Meeting in Ninety-Six.
I made some preparations to
answer that call, enrolling at
Spartanburg Methodist College and
later taking the course for license to
preach at Duke. However, I had
allowed some other influences into
my life, and I found it easy to run
from that call. Within a couple of
years, drug abuse had taken over, and
I stayed lost wandering in that world
for several years.
But God did not leave me there.
On Saturday, Dec. 20, 1986, the Holy
Spirit invaded my home and took me
captive. In one day I was a completely changed man – a drug addict one
day, and back in the church the next
after 14 years running.
Two days later, as I sat at the piano
playing “On the Jericho Road,” that
call was reintroduced to me in the
question at the end of the last verse:
“Will you answer His call?”
That question stayed with me, and
the next day I was trying to find a
Christmas tree stand to put up my
mother’s Christmas tree. I had looked
everywhere for that stand, so I headed
out to her barn to see if it might be
there. I began looking through some
boxes that were stored there when she
had moved 12 years before. I found
some old pictures of her grandchildren that I knew she would want, and
I kept looking.
Then I found it: an envelope with a
Duke Divinity School logo and return
address, addressed to “Reverend
Wayne Robert Major.” It was a grade
report from the license school informing me I had passed the course.
To put this in perspective, I must
go back several months to a conversation with a co-worker, whom I had
told that I was once headed for the
ministry. She scoffed with a well-justified “Yeah, right,” knowing my
lifestyle at that time. So I pressed it
even further when I saw the hook was
set.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I just
received a letter from Duke Divinity
School that got delayed in the mail
for several years, telling me I passed
the course for my license,” I told her.
The really odd thing about it: I had
no knowledge of any such letter, and
did not recall ever getting a reply.
Finding that letter after inventing that
story about it, only to have it materialize six months later, gave me chills
to say the least.
Well, I took the letter and the pictures and went back to my mother’s
house, and eventually I found the tree
stand and put up the tree. When she
came home, I showed her the letter
and gave her both the pictures and the
letter, remarking how curious that was
to find it after all those years.
After three days – and much reflection – I went back over to her house
and told her, “You know, I think the
Lord was trying to tell me something
with that letter.”
Her reply: “I thought so, too, but I
knew I couldn’t say anything.”
Her faith and willingness to allow
the Lord to do that work – of making
that known to me – continues to be an
inspiration to me.
I’ve often wondered why the Lord
impressed this calling upon me in
such dramatic and undeniable fashion.
But after several years in ministry,
and after enduring trials that have
tested that calling to a degree I never
thought possible, I now understand.
The Lord knew there would be times
when that deep sense of call, which
had been impressed upon me by that
experience, was the only thing that
would keep me true to that calling.
My life has never been so wonderfully blessed as it has been since
yielding to the “hound of heaven” and
trying to stay right in the center of
God’s will.
Major is senior pastor of the Ruffin
Circuit in the Walterboro District.
DELEGATION UPDATES: Episcopacy process
about), and concern for church growth and
diversity.
Heyward then called on the Rev. Sara
White and Carolyn Briscoe to give a brief
overview of the episcopacy process. White
discussed the financial aspects of raising
funds to help with the costs of our nominee’s campaign to be elected a bishop;
there is about $9,000 in the fund from past
nominee campaigns. Many delegation
members have been donating their monthly travel expense to the meeting to this
fund. All funds acquired in this account
have and will come from individuals, not
from the Annual Conference. White
conference); C, Consider, Comment and
Contact (delegates should consider all
their responsibilities carefully, comment
and contact with as many folks as possible
in the SEJ to make them aware of our
endorsed nominee); D, have a Daily
Devotion to ask for guidance during this
process and make sure to lift up our nominee, the Rev. Tim McClendon, and his
family throughout these days; E, Elect the
best of the best for bishops.
Briscoe reminded the group there is a
Jurisdictional Conference Episcopacy
Committee that is charged with making
decisions regarding where elected bishop
will serve. Each Annual Conference in the
jurisdiction has two representatives on the
committee. Briscoe and McClendon were
the first laity and clergy respectively elected to General Conference in 2008 and will
serve as South Carolina’s representatives
on this committee. More information on
Jurisdictional Conference can be found at
www.sejumc.org/jurisdictional-conference.
Narcie Jeter then presented the website
that is up and running for South Carolina
episcopacy nominee McClendon:
www.timmcclendon.org/index.html.
The delegation voted to invite endorsed
nominees to attend delegation meetings if
they are interested.
– Adapted from meeting minutes
GUEST COMMENTARY
God’s extravagant
generosity
By Hayes Mizell
Editor’s note: The following is
excerpted from remarks by Hayes
Mizell at the Leadership Summit of
Trenholm Road United Methodist
Church, Columbia, Nov. 7.
It’s already begun. We are being
lured and pushed into the world’s season of extravagant generosity.
I’m speaking, of course, of the
world of our culture and commerce.
From all sides, this world tells us to be
extravagantly generous. It urges us to
show our love and caring for others by
buying the latest, buying the biggest,
buying the best, and even buying what
is unnecessary. If that means increasing
our personal debt, so be it, this world
tells us; maybe it will help reduce the
national unemployment rate.
That is just one of the many ways to
rationalize yielding to the world’s concept of extravagant generosity, including choosing to believe that we are
doing so to benefit others when, more
often than not, it’s really all about us.
As Christians, the season we will
soon enter can be difficult for us. On
the one hand, we are joyful because we
not only celebrate God’s extravagant
gift of Jesus Christ, but because we
understand the meaning of that gift in
our own lives. On the other hand,
because we are very much in this
world, though not of it, we often struggle with remaining true to God’s model
of extravagant generosity. As so often
is the case, the Apostle Paul provides
some helpful guidance for us. He
reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:12:
“Now we have received not the spirit
of the world, but the Spirit that is from
God, so that we may understand the
gifts bestowed on us by God.”
But with all good intentions, we
often take a narrow, physical view of
God’s gifts. We thank God, as we
should, for our creature comforts: our
comfortable homes, our comfortable
modes of transportation, etc. I wonder,
however, if the tangible manifestations
of God’s gifts are really what God
wants us to value the most.
Jesus told us not to worry about
whether we have clothes to wear
(Matthew 6:28). He said that “if anyone wants to sue you and take your
coat, give your cloak as well”
(Matthew 5:40). Jesus suggested to a
Samaritan woman that “living water”
was more important than the water she
could see, feel and taste at Jacob’s well
(John 4:7-15). And when his disciples
worried about Jesus because he had not
eaten and they told him “Rabbi, eat
something,” Jesus replied, “My food is
to do the will of him who sent me and
to complete his work” (John 4:31-34).
God’s extravagant generosity is
present not only in the birth, sacrifice
and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but in
God’s bountiful grace that we experience in many ways. Even if we were
stripped of all our creature comforts,
God’s extravagant generosity would
still be present in the love of those
around us. Husbands, consider your
wives. Wives, consider your husbands.
Parents, consider your children. Did we
even begin to understand love before
they came into our lives?
Though we too often allow the dailiness of our lives to eclipse the miracle
of our relationships, they are constant
reminders of God’s extravagant generosity.
There are times when our lives may
be difficult. Sometimes, we are at fault.
We make bad decisions. We place our
wants ahead of God’s intentions for us.
We sin.
Even during these dark times, perhaps particularly during these times,
God’s extravagant generosity breaks
through. We sometimes speak of the
God of second chances, and no group
understood that better than Christ’s disciples and the outcasts who ate and
drank with Jesus. When our loved ones
are restored by God’s redeeming grace,
even if they don’t know that’s what it
is, we are so overwhelmed that all we
can do is praise God and cry. We are
simply stunned because our finite
minds and emotions cannot fathom the
depth and constancy of God’s love,
though we should try to emulate it.
It is our privilege to help sustain and
enhance this institution that enables so
many people to understand and experience God’s extravagant generosity. If I
asked each of you to enumerate how
God’s extravagant generosity is manifest through this church and in our personal lives, we would be here all night.
Think about it as you consider your
giving. Our pledges will be a tangible
indicator of our joyful response to
God’s extravagant generosity.
Four years ago, the Rev. George
Strait was guest preacher at Trenholm
Road’s consecration service. During
his sermon, he directly addressed a
question that is on the minds of most
people as they consider their annual
gift to the church: “How much is
enough?”
“‘Enough,’ Strait said, “is the joyful,
abundant life that comes to us through
Jesus Christ.” That is the essence of
God’s extravagant generosity.
Thanks be to God.
Mizell is chair of the Trenholm Road
UMC Church Council.
GUEST COMMENTARY
A wedding
address
By the Rev. Phil Thrailkill
There are some things that just are, that
are seen and affirmed by honest persons
of common sense.
As Americans, we affirm this idea in
the second sentence of our Declaration of
Independence, “We hold these truths to be
self-evident...” We then proceed to name
some of the self-evident truths that do not
require elaborate arguments: “that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights.”
Some things just are and are seen to be
so. They present themselves to us as the
very nature of things and gain wide
assent; we know them in our bones and
reason from them.
One of the self-evident truths philosophers have come to call natural law is that
human beings come in two models: male
and female. Equal in dignity, but also
delightfully different in design and with a
clear purpose. That in the union of their
hearts, their lives and gendered bodies,
they might marry one another and forge a
bond with power to endure all the surprises and difficulties of this life and to be a
protective covering for children, whether
natural or adopted.
It is for their good as adults, and for
the good of children who – as we know –
are the first casualties when adults either
do not or find themselves unable to keep
their sacred pledges. With every divorce,
something shatters. Thank God for a
church that allows a new marriage and
makes it possible because of our doctrines
of confession and forgiveness and the
grace of a new beginning.
One is a lonely number, and in intimate matters, three or more is a confusing
crowd, but two in a bonded, blessed and
faithful pair is the proper order of life. A
small domestic economy, a man and wife
building a home and taking their place in
the public order as an exclusive couple –
Mr. and Mrs.
Doesn’t that have a wonderful ring to
it? The ring of truth and goodness, as signified by the gold wedding bands that will
soon encircle their fingers as a reminder
to them – and the world – they are now
married, not just boy and girlfriend, not
just living together without the commitment of a covenant, but pledged to one
another in holy marriage, which as the old
English service said with such dignity, is
“an honorable estate.”
Each such home, when well-ordered
and faithful and when uncompromised by
addiction or betrayal, is a brick in the wall
against chaos, a national resource in the
best sense of the term because it carries
with it the hope of domestic tranquility.
They make love in the literal sense of creating affection and holy passion and deep
respect, and – as a factory of love – when
they create more than they need, it overflows in service and care for the larger
community.
Much of the current social chaos of our
land and the increasing cost of welfare
programs is because we have ignored
marriage as a public good. Marriage is
deeply personal, intimately so, but never
merely private. It is public good.
The current TV program, “Say Yes To
The Dress,” is not just about being beautiful for a day. Beneath all the fluff and
fashion is the deep hope of a woman that
one good man will love her all her life,
not just when she is young and sleek, but
when she carries a few extra pounds, has
crow’s feet around her eyes, gray hair and
age spots on her hands. The culture has
the hype, but the church has the realities:
“For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until we are
parted by death.”
This is an honorable estate.
Marriage, as licensed by the state and
blessed by the church, is the natural order
of life in a gendered creation. All other
arrangements are less because they do not
approach the ideal written into our minds
and bodies. But when the impulses of
biology and the structures of commitment
and public order come together in marriage, there a deep and sweet goodness is
being enacted. Something basic and primal is celebrated. We are back in Genesis
chapter 2 where God presented Eve to
Adam as his equal, his earthly fulfillment
and forever friend.
Societies that honor and protect marriage are more stable and vital than those
who neglect or else undermine it by redefinition. One man and one woman in a
lifelong bond is self-evidently the best
way to go.
But there is a deeper logic still.
As Christians, we do not rest our confidence in natural law, on what is self-evident, though we welcome its confirmations. We have something even more
secure, and that is the witness of the Holy
Scriptures as God’s Word to the church,
and through the church to a world of
seekers and skeptics. What we see in the
natural order is no accident; it is the purpose of God written into our gendered
bodies and stamped onto our consciences.
It is God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who made us from the moment of
conception male and female, who charged
us with sexual energies as man and
woman and who brings order and fruitfulness to those powers through the enduring
structures and dignity of public Christian
marriage.
“Those whom God has joined together,
let no one put asunder.”
Thrailkill is senior pastor of St. Luke
UMC, Hartsville.
ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE!
Contact the Rev. Bob Keely at [email protected] or 864-420-2074
History
Central UMC marks 175 years of ministry Jan. 22
SPARTANBURG – On Jan. 25, 1837, nine trustees
signed a deed to property for the church that would
become Central United Methodist Church. On Jan. 22,
Central will celebrate the 175th anniversary of that event
with a special service and a dinner.
Central UMC played a leading role in the development of Methodism and its institutions in Spartanburg
and the Upstate. It was the first church of any denomination established in Spartanburg. It was involved in the
founding of Wofford College, and it helped start many
other Methodist Churches in the Spartanburg community.
For many years, Central UMC was the location of the
ordination services for the S.C. Annual Conference.
Three bishops have come from Central, and six other
bishops have been affiliated with it in one capacity or
another.
Central played a leading role in the development of
Methodism and its institutions in the Upstate.
Central still stands on its original site in the center of
Spartanburg on Church Street and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. This historic church
shares a block with the new Marriot Convention Center
and the new University of South Carolina Upstate School
of Business. It continues to be a leading presence for
Christ in the Spartanburg community.
The 175th anniversary celebration will include a worship service at 11 a.m. Jan. 22 featuring the Central
Chancel Choir and handbell choirs. The message that
day will be brought by the Rev. Willie Teague, director
of Connectional Ministries for the conference and a former pastor of Central. There will be a catered dinner
after the service.
All are encouraged to join Central in celebrating the
great things God has done. Those who want to participate in the dinner should contact the church office at
864-582-7263 to make a reservation.
Wesley UMC celebrates 178 years of mission for God
By Alvesta Robertson
BEAUFORT – The members of
Wesley United Methodist Church
approached their 178th anniversary with
heartfelt gratitude to God for the blessing
of remaining “a church with a mission.”
According to documentation, the
church was chartered in 1833 as “the
Beaufort mission.” Ten pastors were sent
to minister to the then-enslaved population
of six islands in this area.
When reflecting upon those words from
our history, the congregation’s thoughts
turned to Mark 16:15. They believe that
venture was in answer to God’s call for all
believers to “go into all the world and
preach the good news to all creation.”
The theme for the anniversary celebration, “The Great Commission: Go Forth
for God,” was chosen for its divine con-
nection to Wesley UMC’s beginnings, as
well as a reminder that members are still
called today to continue the mission.
A picture of the church in the 1840s
was used for the front cover of the
anniversary bulletin. The significance lies
in the fact that the congregation is still
worshiping today within the original structure of the church pictured.
The Rev. Davie Sanders and congregants from the district led the crowd in a
spirit-filled worship service focused on
going forward with mission. The scriptural
reference for the challenge mirrored the
David and Goliath story, reminding all that
obstacles will come, but we are not to “let
any one take your anointing.”
The use of the stone, symbolizing the
firmness of our foundation in God, not
only came through in the pastor’s message, but in the music and other areas of
the program. For these, the pianist played
a medley of appropriate, humbling songs.
First, the congregation paused to pay tribute to veterans. One of Wesley’s own veterans spoke of the courage, commitment,
pride and sacrifice of every veteran whose
unified purpose was to ensure the freedom
we enjoy today. The veteran’s tribute continued with another presentation enhanced
with a special setting for ultimate effect.
Maj. Marvin D. Goodwin, United States
Marine Corps, Parris Island, did “Missing
in Action” (MIA). His presentation was
impressive and touching.
Second, to memorialize church members and others, a water fountain was temporarily placed in the church. Each person
in attendance was given a stone on which
to place the name of their loved one.
Following the comforting, poetic words of
the presenter, everyone was invited to
place their stone in the fountain. The water
fountain will be permanently placed in the
church’s Prayer Garden available for all to
use for reflective moments.
Third, to their surprise, three church
members were honored as the “quiet
heroes” whose services to Wesley have not
gone unnoticed. The presenter used a
unique approach to the great reveal, making it mysterious and exciting for everyone. Each honoree was presented a certificate of appreciation.
Wesley members were challenged and
motivated at this 178th celebration to
“keep our anointing” and to “continue the
mission.” We give God all the praise and
thanksgiving for the blessing of having the
opportunity to start another year of service
to Him.
Robertson is chairperson of Wesley
UMC anniversary committee.
Methodism Revisited
By the Rev. J. Robert Huggins
Answer to last month’s trivia: Q: In the
current United Methodist Hymnal, there
are only two Christmas hymns of Charles
Wesley’s: “Come, Thou Long-Expected
Jesus” and “Hark! The Herald Angels
Sing” which has three stanzas listed. How
many stanzas are in the original draft of
“Hark, How All the Welkin Rings?” A:
Ten
John Wesley’s hallmark of his ministry
was the saving of souls through his teaching and preaching. Wesley traveled the
countryside of England and Ireland, largely itinerant as ordinary pulpits were closed
to him, using the solace gained from the
Moravians of justification by faith alone.
Wesley seldom got into politics, as
quoted in one of his pamphlets, in which
he stated, “I am no politician: Politics lie
quite out of my Province.” Yet in 1775,
Wesley published a tract titled “Calm
Address to our American Colonies,”
which reversed his position of a year earlier on British oppression of the colonies
and brought him down squarely on the
side of the British, much to their delight.
The tract was much that of an extract and
paraphrase of Samuel Johnson’s “Taxation
no Tyranny.”
In Dr. Richard P. Heitzenrater’s “The
Elusive Mr. Wesley,” Heitzenrater states
that in addition to the inherently debatable
controversy surrounding Wesley’s publication, 1) he had not acknowledged his
debt to Johnson’s publication; and 2) he
had, by adopting Johnson’s position,
reversed his own position as stated in an
earlier tract, “Free Thoughts on the
Present State of Public Affairs” (1771).
Consequently, Wesley was charged with
plagiarism and inconsistency, to which
was added a string of other criticisms.
Opponents were quick to remind him of
his previous position about his political
involvement.
Heitzenrater goes on to state that one of
the sharpest attacks on Wesley came from
Augustus Toplady, an evangelical Church
of England priest whose satiric comments
in “An Old Fox Tarr’d and Feather’d”
(1775) were aimed particularly at the
question of plagiarism and inconsistency.
About half of Toplady’s 24-page tract displays parallel passages from Johnson and
Wesley, demonstrating Wesley’s plagiarism. The rest is a fanciful and satiric
account of Wesley’s motives and tactics as
a “tadpole in Divinity” turned politician.
Several other responses to Wesley’s
publication can be seen in the comparatively mild, anonymous “A Constitutional
Answer to the Rev. Mr. John Wesley’s
Calm Address” (1775) and John
Fletcher’s “The Bible and the Sword”
(1776). As Donald H. Kirkham has summarized the invective aroused by “A Calm
Address”: “Calumny, name calling, and
scurrilous innuendo (bordering on libel),
abounded. Wesley was denounced as a
wolf in sheep’s clothing, a madman, a
chaplain in ordinary to the furies, a cunning fox, a Jesuit in disguise, and a
Jacobite traitor.”
That the cause of Methodism was not
more adversely affected in America thereafter than it actually was turns on the fact
that American ports were closed on July
20, 1775, and such copies as had arrived
were promptly destroyed by American
Methodists.
Even Francis Asbury was affected by
the controversy that ensued from Wesley’s
publication and position of the American
Colonies. As Kenneth Cracknell states in
“The Cambridge Companion to John
Wesley,” “In America, the question of
authority would remain a vital issue.
Francis Asbury saw the dilemma that
faced him. In the new democratic nation,
any authority he might exercise over
American Methodists had to come from
below rather than from above. It would
not help him to be seen as having been
given his right to exercise authority in
American Methodism by John Wesley,
who was by then an unpopular figure in
America for his views on the American
Revolution.
“Asbury therefore was dismayed when
he met the English party at Barratt’s
Chapel, Delaware, on Nov. 14, 1784, and
they told him of Mr. Wesley’s plan to
commission him as superintendent. He
wrote in his Journal that he was ‘shocked,’
but allowed that ‘it may be of God.’
Astutely, he insisted that he had to be
elected to the role of superintendent by the
American preachers, commenting, ‘I shall
not act in the capacity I have hitherto done
by Mr. Wesley’s appointment.’
“Asbury made his point, and the group
of American preachers with him in
Delaware put the possibility of an independent church overseen by superintendents or ‘bishops’: a Methodist Episcopal
Church (MEC).”
Trivia: On Dec. 24, 1784, Francis
Asbury and Dr. Thomas Coke were unanimously elected to the superintendency of
the new church by American itinerant
preachers at what is referred to as the
“Christmas Conference.” In 1788, Asbury
dropped the title “superintendent” in favor
of what?
Huggins is senior pastor of St. John
UMC in Sumter.
Ministries & Missions
Ministry of the Month:
Columbia Bethlehem Center
Editor’s note: The following is a monthly series in the Advocate to help
people better understand the S.C. Conference’s Advance Special Ministries,
which receive conference dollars, plus depend on additional donations from
individuals to operate.
What does the ministry do? Established in 1945, the mission of the
Columbia Bethlehem Community Center is to provide a safe, Christ-centered
environment where youth are nurtured through activities and programs that
address their spiritual, mental, emotional, physical and educational needs.
Additionally, CBCC seeks to empower women and families. Programs
include an after-school enrichment and tutorial center that serves kindergarten to middle-school aged students; summer camps that expose youth to
non-traditional and traditional careers, academic re-inforcement and the arts;
and community enrichment activities that build unity and community pride
while engaging families in cultural enrichment activities. Furthermore,
CBCC extends services beyond its traditional scope when needed. It’s not
unusual for them to help a family in need of food or clothing, or lend support
to another organization in need of hands-on help. Throughout the years they
have offered diversified services ranging from the Kid’s Café, Angel Food
distribution, parenting, GED preparation and computer literacy. Today, they
are evolving to meet the needs of their constituents. As they rebuild and refocus, you can expect to see more programming for women and out-of-school
initiatives that focus on science, engineering, technology, service learning
and the arts. Also, they are excited about rolling out a new film production
camp in 2012 that introduces youth to the film-making process.
Where is it located? While the Columbia Bethlehem Community Center
has moved to a new location, the organization still has roots in the
Edgewood Community and a commitment to serving these long-time constituents, along with its new neighbors. Now, CBCC is nestled in a quaint
neighborhood in the Broad River Terrace and Riverside communities, located
at 344 McRae St., Columbia, SC 29203. The mailing address is P.O. Box
4186, Columbia, SC 29240. All are invited to visit with them.
How can United Methodist churches get involved and help? United
Methodist churches can get involved with the CBCC programs in various
ways: volunteering, marketing, collaborative partnerships, fundraising (individual contributions always make a difference; they seek grants, sponsorships and support of their fundraising activities; and they accept donations of
educational supplies, toiletry items, computers and other office equipment).
More information: 803-807-9582 or email Carolyn Lucas, board chairperson, [email protected], or Natalie Brown, executive coordinator,
[email protected].
Martin Luther King Jr.
Chapel set for Jan. 18
COLUMBIA – Columbia College will
honor the late visionary Christian leader
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special
worship service.
The college will sponsor Martin Luther
King Jr. Chapel at College Place United
Methodist Church at 1 p.m. on
Wednesday, Jan. 18.
The service will feature Dr. James
Thomas, associate professor of church
and ministry and the director of AfricanAmerican ministries at Lutheran
Theological Southern Seminary.
All are welcome, both students and the
general public.
Columbia College holds chapel each
Wednesday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at
College Place UMC. This special service
was arranged by the college’s Diversity
Committee in working with Chaplain Roy
Mitchell.
Dr. James Thomas
Caring for Creation offers resources
for starting green ministries
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – For many
churches, being environmentally conscious
isn’t a new concept. Congregations across
the United States have been actively seeking
to educate and to promote a green ministry
for years. And many churches promote
green programs within their churches.
The 2012 Caring for Creation experience
will offer opportunities to explore and learn.
Set for March 15-18 at Lake Junaluska, the
experience will include a hydroelectric plant
tour, a trip to Max Patch and the Appalachian Trail, a chance to spend 48 hours in a
sustainable community and a variety of ple-
nary sessions and workshops led by persons
such as Bill McKibben, author and founder
of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org.
Advance registration is available at
www.lakejunaluska.com/caring-for-creation.
Check it out!
www.timmcclendon.org
SEASON OF CHANGE: 2011 in review
From Page 4
Work continued in preparation for
Annual Conference, with the Council on
Finance and Administration setting a
tighter budgetary goal (15 percent of total
conference average net funds by 2015)
and the Board of Pensions and Health
Benefits announcing a new percentagepay pharmacy benefit and the introduction of a health reimbursement arrangement.
Mid-year crested with Salkehatchie,
vacation Bible schools and Annual
Conference.
In September, news hit that the United
Methodist Relief Center would be filing
bankruptcy and closing its doors after 21
years of service. Also that month, the
newly approved Conference Connectional
Ministries elected officers and fleshed out
its body in preparation for the official start
of work in January
In October, churches began reporting
various things they are doing to pay their
2011 apportionments, from cost-cutting to
creative fundraising, while Rural Mission
announced a new mission, streamlining to
focus only on housing and crisis assistance and no longer operating its migrant
Head Start program.
In November, a flood uprooted six special needs women in an Aldersgate inde-
pendent living home, though quick work
and donations from supporters and volunteers quickly enabled them to move back
home. The Advocate also announced it
had won 12 writing and overall publication awards from the United Methodist
Association of Communicators – including Best in Class for writing.
December closed with the news that
the UMC’s top court, the Judicial
Council, had ruled the new structure for
Connectional Ministries is not in full
compliance, and the conference would
need to fix a few defects before it could
be fully legal. Members of the structure’s
transition team are working to fix those
four areas. We also learned the longtime
conference Print Media Center – plagued
by years of rising costs and dwindling
numbers – was launching a new business
plan in an effort to help it stay afloat.
Now, we turn our eyes toward a fresh
start, 2012 – a triple-conference year
when we’ll head first to General
Conference’s quadrennial gathering in
Tampa, Fla., April 24-May 4; then to
Florence for Annual Conference 2012
June 10-13; then to Lake Junaluska, N.C.,
July 18-20 for the quadrennial
Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.
As we enter this new season of growth
and chance, let’s all pray that we can do
God’s will as we accomplish the work of
the church in this state and across the
world.
South Carolina Delegation
Episcopal Nominee
Ministries & Missions
Greenville District to hold
‘Stop Hunger Now’ service day
COLUMBIA DISTRICT UMW
HONORED – The Columbia District
United Methodist Women received
an honoree award from the
Columbia Chapter of the American
Association of University Women.
Pictured here are Evelyn Moss,
president of AAUW and member of
Cayce UMW, and Betty JeffcoatVoid, president of The Columbia
District UMW.
Epworth News
Gamecocks invite Epworth children
for Thanksgiving dinner
Thanksgiving was a day the residents of
Epworth Children’s Home will not soon forget.
By invitation from University of South
Carolina Gamecocks Head Football Coach
Steve Spurrier, the children of Epworth
enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal
with the team and coaches at the Zone at
Williams-Brice Stadium.
This is the fourth year the children have
spent Thanksgiving Day with the team. The
first two years the meal was hosted with the
players on Epworth’s campus. Last year,
Spurrier invited the children to the stadium
and even took them on a tour. With the game
being away last year, the children were
allowed to run around on the field and throw
the football with some of the players.
This year, with Clemson traveling to
USC, the children learned how the field is
lined and groomed for games.
The children and players spread out
around the room eating together and talking.
Each child received a brand new Gamecocks
ball cap from the players to fill with signatures while there. The players answered
questions and even received game play
“advice” from some of the younger Epworth
residents.
The children presented the players and
Spurrier with a poster that read, “Thank you
Gamecocks! From Epworth.” Each child
signed the poster with his or her name and
well wishes.
As the coach made his way around the
room speaking with the adults and children
from Epworth he asked, “Are the children
enjoying themselves?”
Mitzie Schafer, director of development
for Epworth Children’s Home replied,
“Indeed Coach. Those four boys with their
hats full of signatures were homeless last
week. Today, they are eating Thanksgiving
dinner with the Gamecocks.”
Spurrier’s simple reply was powerful and
heartfelt: “Thank you for what you do for
these children.”
“Being here keeps their minds busy,” said
the Rev. John Holler, president of Epworth
Children’s Home. “They don’t have time to
think about being away from their families.”
Several of the players concurred.
“You know, you want to be with your
family on Thanksgiving, but this is better
than being with family,” said Melvin
Ingram, defensive end for the Gamecocks.
One of the players blessed the meal and
the time the two groups shared together. The
children experienced the thrill of meeting the
players. The players spoke highly of doing
something on Thanksgiving that made it special for the children.
On a day when families around the country gather to give thanks and celebrate, these
two groups mixed and mingled, and brought
family to each other.
JOHNSONVILLE – Johnsonville United
Methodist Church is a church in mission.
After much discussion concerning the
horrific weather being reported for various
parts of the country, Johnsonville UMC’s
United Methodist Women, led by Carol
Jordan, president, collected and delivered
13 flood buckets as this year’s group mission project.
Johnsonville has also sent one of its
members, Kathryn Robarge, to Uganda,
Africa, as a member of a medical mission
trip. The team left Dec. 9 and returned
Dec. 19. Members look forward to hearing Robarge’s report after her return.
Another Johnsonville member, David
Mack Poston, is partnering with Johnsonville UMC in prison ministry. The needs
are simple: toothpaste, soap and deodor-
ant. Inmates will receive these items as
needed.
Johnsonville UMC is also partnering
with the Caring and Sharing food pantry
in Hemingway. Busy seasons of the year
are especially deluged with those needing
additional help getting through the holidays. Johnsonville has already sent 361
pounds of non-perishable food items this
season, hoping that Thanksgiving was
made to be a more memorable event for
many because of the church’s generosity.
Members also collected non-perishable
food items in preparation
for the Christmas season’s needs.
“Johnsonville UMC is a small
church in large missions, and I am so very
proud of her,” said the Rev. Miriam J.
Graham-Hadden.
JUMC strives to be ‘church in mission’
SIMPSONVILLE – The Greenville
District will come together April 12 at
Advent United Methodist Church to serve
others through a Stop Hunger Now packaging event.
Stop Hunger Now is an organization
driven by a vision to end world hunger in
our lifetime and a mission to provide food
and life-saving aid to the world’s most
destitute and hungry in the most efficient,
sustainable and effective manner.
“This summer I had the opportunity to
attend a national conference of youth at
Purdue University, where we worshipped,
learned and served together,” one Advent
youth wrote. “Stop Hunger Now hosted a
packaging event for us to be a part of. It
was a transformative afternoon for a small
group of us. As I listened, I learned; the
world market produces over four pounds
of food per person every day, yet over one
billion go hungry and 25,000 die of
hunger-related causes each day. In the
next few days, I continued to listen. My
heart heard a call: help stop hunger now!”
Stop Hunger Now’s meal packaging
program is a volunteer-based program
that coordinates the streamlined packaging of highly nutritious dehydrated meals
comprised of rice, soy, vegetables, flavoring and 21 essential vitamins and minerals. The meals are easily transported to
crisis-burdened areas or supplied to
school feeding programs around the
world. The meals cost only $0.25 per
meal to create.
With recognition that no one UMC
can accomplish the goal of one full container or 285,000 meals packaged, youth
from Advent and St. Matthews knew they
must reach beyond themselves. The goal
will require the whole Greenville District
to raise funds and then to package meals.
Connected together, churches small
and large, we can begin to Stop Hunger
Now.
More details can be found at www.stophungernow.org/upstate or at the district
lay leader orientation on Jan. 22.
For questions or more information,
contact Virginia Crews at [email protected].
Native American Ministries
Native American training set
COLUMBIA – Mark your calendars: the
10th annual Native American Representative
Training is set for Feb. 4 at Bethel United
Methodist Church.
The Book of Discipline, paragraph 654,
states that all churches are required to have
one person per charge (without regard to
race) to be the church’s Native American
Representative. The representative is the contact person between their church and the
NAC; secures a calendar date to observe
Native American Ministries Sunday; encourages awareness and appreciation of Native
American history, traditions and spirituality;
advocates for inclusion of Native Americans
within the conference; provides reports to
their church; and assists with the S.C. Native
American Comprehensive Plan.
The training features historical information about American Indians, especially S.C.
American Indians, myths and stereotypes,
Native American spirituality and the mission
and function of the NAC. After lunch, organ-
izers provide an orientation into a traditional
worship service for American Indians, which
may include drumming, singing and flute
playing.
In addition to Native American representative, anyone interested in the mission and
advocacy of Native American ministries is
encouraged to attend: clergy, UMC staff,
Cabinet members, etc. As well, schoolteachers, who are responsible for Native American
Social Studies Standards (especially third
and fourth grade teachers), are being encouraged to attend so they can learn the myths,
stereotypes and culture to improve their
classroom presentations.
Registration for the training starts at 9
a.m.; the training starts at 9:30. Lunch is provided. There is a $7 non-refundable registration fee. The training will end no later than 3
p.m. T-shirts will be available for purchase.
To attend, contact Beckee Garris at 803325-4194 or [email protected].
Registration deadline is Jan. 25.
Leave A Legacy To Change Lives
The South Carolina United Methodist Foundation
P. O. Box 5087, Columbia, SC 29250-5087
[email protected]
DISTRICT STUDY:
From Page 1
work by next June,” Harmon said, citing the
incredible amount of data and research
required. “But at the very least, I hope we’ll
be able to recommend a well-defined action
plan of how we would like to proceed stepby-step.”
The resolution to create the task force
was brought by the Rev. John Culp, pastor
of Virginia Wingard UMC, Columbia, who
called for the study because the current
model was developed nearly 40 years ago,
in 1972. The resolution noted a detailed
assessment of the current number of districts
could result in more productive administrative systems and more strategic use of lay
and clergy persons in leadership, and perhaps result in financial savings.
“The question is how are districts organized? How does the way we organize our
districts help us carry out – or hinder – the
mission of the church?” explained the Rev.
Ken Nelson, congregational specialist for
African-American Ministries and member of
the task force. “What could we do differently
to make us more effective disciples?”
At their meeting Dec. 9, task force members explored S.C. Conference statistics,
reviewed data from other conferences that
recently reduced their number of districts,
and brainstormed about next steps.
Rev. Tim Rogers, conference secretary
and task force member, cited figures from
the Florida and North Alabama conferences
of the UMC. North Alabama, which cut
their districts from 12 to eight in 2006, saw
their average weekly conference-wide worship numbers and annual professions of faith
spike after the redistricting, then drop back
down to the level they had been before the
change. In Florida, which went from 14 to
nine districts in 2005, conference-wide worship numbers and professions of faith have
consistently gone down since the change.
But task force members were quick to
point out that research evidence cannot stand
alone and often does not apply to the unique
situations in South Carolina.
“Causation is incredibly illusive,” said
task force member the Rev. Michael Turner,
Wightman UMC, Prosperity. “Research evidence does not predict the outcome. ... I
think we have to start with what we expect
from superintendents, because anything after
that is putting the cart before the horse.”
Rock Hill District Superintendent Sara
White, also on the task force, said the group
must “superimpose South Carolina” on
every piece of research they examine.
“How do we apply this to South
Carolina? What is a good plan for South
Carolina?” she said. “Florida is an entirely
different animal from South Carolina.”
Task force member Myra Heath said the
group needs to approach the study by first
determining the role and goal of the district
office in the conference, district and local
church. “Then ask how many people can we
do that with,” she said.
At the December meeting, task force
member David Braddon presented the group
with hard data about South Carolina:
• Total church membership at the close of
2010: 235,977
• Total number of UMCs, 2010: 1,011
• Average change in yearly membership
from 2006 to 2010: A drop of 1,305
• Average worship attendance at the close
of 2010: 93,612
• Average attendance per church: 93
Braddon presented the spread of members in districts statewide, and noted the percentage of United Methodists in the total
population of the state dropped from 6.1 percent in 2000 to 5.1 percent in 2011. He also
cited a rough estimate that districts cost the
conference on average about $190,000 each
to carry out all the work they do.
“We’re looking at what’s South Carolina
like; which other conferences have done this
and what are they trying to accomplish; what
has been the outcome – did they get what
they expected or did they get things that
were not expected, positive or negative,”
Braddon told the Advocate. Through the lens
of South Carolina, “We’re trying to learn
from them and see if there is some way we
can be more efficient and effective.”
The group discussed a few unconventional things other conferences are doing to
address the district administrative workload.
Harmon cited how, in Arkansas, a colleague
is now managing two districts but only deals
with churches that have an average worship
attendance of 125 or more. Elders serving
congregations are assigned, without compensation, as “circuit elders” to handle
groups of smaller churches.
The Rev. Willie Teague, conference
director of Connectional Ministries, said the
Western North Carolina Conference cut districts radically and now assigns two elders in
each district to do charge conferences –
rather than the district superintendent.
“But that’s not legal (per the Book of
Discipline),” Teague said.
The task force also discussed the tremendous amount of work district offices and district superintendents do to maintain a connectional S.C. Conference.
Harmon said a district superintendent
being physically in each church is critical to
that connectionalism. From personal experience, he said, “I don’t know what we’d do if
we didn’t have that.”
The task force is spending their holidays
doing research homework. They will gather
again in January to explore results and take
their evaluation to the next level.
Watch the Advocate for future updates.
FINAL CRUNCH: Cont’d
From Page 1
District-wide giving is up across the
board, he said. The Columbia District is
leading the conference in giving, with 83.86
percent paid to date. The Marion District is
next at 74.38 percent, followed by the Rock
Hill District at 71.06 percent. The Florence
District is last, at 46.95 percent.
But there is still time to shift those standings, Prestipino said, as most of the apportionment payments come in at the very end
of the year when churches have wrapped up
their own financial accounting.
“We just encourage them to think about
the ministries of the conference as we move
into the end of the year,” Prestipino said.
Columbia District Superintendent Dr.
Tim McClendon agreed: “Though it sometimes may not seem like it, apportionment
payment is a tangible expression of United
Methodist connectionalism. What we can’t
do alone is accomplished together through
connectional giving.”
To see the most updated daily apportionment percentages on the conference website,
visit www.umcsc.org/treasurer.html.
Becoming More Vile
Signs of God’s truth in the world at-large
By the Rev. Jonathan Tompkins
Editor’s note: “Becoming More
Vile” refers to John Wesley’s remark, “I
have submitted to be more vile,” when
he made the controversial decision to
leave the church pulpit and preach in
the fields.
The Cold War Kids’ album “Mine is
Yours” has been in continuous heavy
rotation on my iPod for the past year.
This is a very big deal.
Let me explain: I’m a little “liturgical” when it comes to music (some
folks would substitute “liturgical” with
“weirdly OCD”). I have seasonal
playlists – I arrange my albums and
songs according to the season they
remind me of. For example, Dave
Matthews Band’s “Under the Table and
Dreaming” is quintessential winter listening, while their album “Crash” can
only be played in the summer.
Grouping my music like this not only
assures that all of my music is heard
and the stories told, it also prevents it
from getting old and stale and allows
me to hear it as I originally did but
reappropriate it to the present time as
well (much like our liturgical seasons
are supposed to do).
So for an album to play for an entire
year without being relegated to a seasonal status is a big deal. The Cold War
Kids have transcended my liturgical
quirkiness with “Mine is Yours.”
Lead singer Nathan Willett doesn’t
come right out and say “God” on this
album, but he and the band are known
to be “stealth Christians.” While he has
been quoted as saying there’s no hidden
Christian agenda on this album, he does
want the listener to approach the music
with a desire to hear honest lyrics and
good music. And this listener, in addition to catchy hooks and soaring cho-
ruses, definitely hears songs about
human relationships and divine connection, honest portrayals of lives that have
headed in the wrong direction only to
be “broken open” and turned around by
God’s love.
The opening title track could simultaneously serve as a wedding vow to a
spouse and a covenant with God:
“What is mine is yours … All of my
stones become your pearls, all of my
trials are your treasures, all of my debt
you inherit, all of my clumsy lines will
shine ‘cause what is mine is yours.”
“Louder than Ever” speaks of God’s
whisper reverberating loud enough to
break through barred windows and
bring us out of our zombie-like darkness, while “Finally Begin” thankfully
concedes to a lover, either a human or
divine one: “Finally opened my arms
wide, finally I let you inside, finally
made it past the end, to finally begin.”
“Bulldozer” speaks honestly about
problems in a relationship and the need
for something bigger than us to help,
even if it hurts in the process:
“Bulldozer, run right over us, feel us
snap and crush and burn and tear;
Bulldozer, clear a space for us, let’s
rebuild this love on what we were.”
“Broken Open” is my favorite and
the most moving for me. I’m not sure if
Willett’s singing to Jesus, but when I
sing it I certainly am: “I have been broken open, this was not my master plan,
I was comfortable watching from the
stands … all my edges are exposed, I
was once content alone, now you are
the one that I call home, I’ve been broken open.” (If I had enough room to
quote the entire song, I would – it’s that
good).
Happy listening, season after season!
Tompkins is associate pastor of First
UMC, Myrtle Beach.
Education & Youth
CONFARMATION
OUTING – The
Confirmation Class from
Zion UMC, Anderson,
gathered at Split Creek
Farm Nov. 19 to enjoy the
sights and sounds of a
real goat farm. There were
animals everywhere:
goats, dogs, an owl, a rescued skunk in a playpen, a
rabbit, a potbellied pig and
more. Goat cheese was
the treat of the day. There
were also crafts, safe shelter groups, the Split Creek
Farm Store, and food.
Here, Cody Hudson enjoys
a little one-on-one with a
goat at the farm.
Ready for Revolution?
Got S.W.A.G.?
St. John’s youth ministry T-shirt glorifies God
LUGOFF – In a time when people point to themselves with both
thumbs and yell, “Look at me –
I’m so great,” the youth of St.
John’s United Methodist Church
are pointing to God.
Every school year since she
began as St. John’s director of
youth ministries in 2009, Annah Gulledge
Hiers has encouraged the youth to design
their own youth group T-shirt. This year, the
Holy Spirit showed up like always, Hiers
said. Gunnar Catoe, an eighth grade studentathlete at Lugoff-Elgin Middle School and
active member of St. John’s UMC, “hit a
homerun,” Hiers said.
The template he handed in had
a four-word acronym scribbled on
it: “S.W.A.G.: Serving, Worshipping and Appreciating God.”
“Swag” is short for “swagger,”
and, in teenager-speak, translates
into a confident style or flair. In 1
Corinthians 1:31 it says, “If you
want to boast, boast only about the Lord”
(NLT). Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then
approach God’s throne of grace with confidence” (NIV). Based on these verses, Hiers
said, the youth of St. John’s are proclaiming
that true “swag” comes from a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. All good things
about us are gifts from Him.
Registration in full swing for March event
Have you registered your youth group
yet for Revolution 2012?
You will not want to miss what is being
called an “awesome spiritual weekend”
March 16-18 at the Colonial Life Arena in
Columbia.
The design team is hard at work to
make this year’s Revolution the best yet.
The speaker, Jeniffer Dake, comes from
Nashville, Tenn. Dake has spoken to youth
and young adults all over the world. She
has the widest-ranging resume imaginable:
modeling, acting, cake decorating, waiting
tables and now teaching high school students. But above everything, her number
one passion is leading young people into a
relationship with Jesus Christ.
“Dake’s fun and quirky personality,
paired with her raw honesty about being a
disciple for Christ is sure to inspire all of
us,” said the Rev. Mandy Young.
In addition to welcoming a new speaker,
several new bands will grace the stage at
this year’s Revolution. The worship band
that will lead the group throughout the
weekend is The Spark, an eclectic group of
musicians and worship leaders from
Kenosha, Wisc. The band has a fresh
sound that incorporates new, original songs
with familiar songs that many attendees
already know. They are an up-and-coming
band with each member experienced in
leading worship in the local church.
“The Design Team was especially
attracted to their diversity, not just physically (they are varied in gender and race), but
also their diversity in music, and personal
backgrounds,” Young said.
In addition to the main worship band, an
additional late-night concert will be offered
Saturday. Special guests include Grammy
nominees and Dove Award winners
DecembeRadio, as well as Humble TIP, a
rapper who is new to the music scene, but
whose energy and passion for God is infectious.
“We look forward to welcoming all of
our special Revolution guests to South
Carolina in March,” Young said.
Next month is the deadline to sign up
and receive the standard registration fee of
$40. After Feb. 15, the rate increases to
$50.
If you haven’t registered yet, or need
more information, email the design team at
[email protected].
WESLEY REACHES OUT THROUGH VBS – Wesley UMC, Aiken, reached
out to area children through a fun-filled Island Odyssey week June 29-July 1.
With the theme “To the Ends of the Earth with Jesus Christ,” the VBS
Committee helped youth better understand Jesus through an exciting and
vibrant setting. Each morning, a devotional was held in the sanctuary, and the
fellowship building was decorated to simulate an island complete with palm
tree murals, island flags and more. The children sang praise songs, leared
Bible stories, played games and did arts and crafts. They took a trip to the
Water Park at Fort Jackson, and a special closing Fun Day rounded out the
week of learning and laughter. Here, Charlotte Raiford instructs the children.
TRICK-OR-TREAT FOOD DRIVE – Continuing its annual tradition, the
Francis Marion Wesley Foundation (known on-campus as Alive in Christ
Student Ministries) celebrated Halloween early with a Trick-or-Treat Food
Drive the week before the holiday, Oct. 24. Students from the group dressed
in costumes and went door-to-door in the dormitories and student apartments
to collect non-perishable food items for the Harvest Hope Food Bank of
Florence. (Photo by Ricky Howell)
Confirmation collaboration
Two Charleston UMCs net stronger energy, resources by partnering in youth faith rite
By Jessica Connor
CHARLESTON – Two Lowcountry
churches stepped out of their comfort zones
and teamed up for what can be one of the
most church-centric rites in the faith: confirmation.
Now, they are reaping the benefits.
St. Andrews Parish United Methodist
Church and Grace UMC, both small
Charleston congregations, decided they
would do a collaborative partnership rather
than separately guide their youth in learning
about the meaning of Christian faith, the history and teachings of the UMC and an
explanation of the baptismal and membership vows they will be professing.
The churches’ pastors started talking
about a year ago, in December 2010, deciding to do a lengthier nine-month confirmation experience that focused on the seven C’s
– from creation to Christ’s covenant all the
way to new creation. From February
through November, six St. Andrews youth
and eight Grace youth met weekly, alternating churches, to delve into their faith walk.
“It exceeded our expectations, it really
did,” said the Rev. Chris Barrett, St.
Andrews pastor. “We got the kids together
and had some high-energy stuff at the beginning in particular, because we knew the kids
were a little skeptical; they weren’t really
sure this was something they wanted to do.
But what we saw over the course of it was
the kids matured a great deal, stuck with the
program, really bought in to what we were
doing. And by the time we went on the confirmation retreat in November … the kids
were operating as a unit.”
The Rev. Dick Broomall, Grace pastor,
said the collaboration was “a great experience” that enabled them to broaden their
reach and generate new energy.
“I thought it was one of the best things
we’ve done here,” Broomall said. “The kids
right from the get-go accepted each other,
talked with each other, palled around with
each other. I was a little bit surprised.”
Putting the ‘united’ in United Methodist
While on the surface, a confirmation collaboration might seem like an easy, common
partnership, it’s actually not common at all,
said the Rev. Judson King, congregational
specialist for the S.C. Conference’s Division
of Ministries with Young People.
While he and other specialists try hard to
encourage such partnerships, “there is that
fear,” King said – the defensive fear that perhaps a member of Church A might prefer
Church B and switch churches.
“We tend to be fiefdoms whether we
acknowledge that or not, tend to operate very
independently of one another,” Barrett said.
“Often there is a resistance to the kind of
partnership we’re doing because there’s risk
involved – you might like that other church
better than our church.”
But when churches take that risk, stepping out on faith for the connectional good,
they benefit, King said. It does what the connectional church is supposed to – it connects.
“Your resources increase by bringing
churches together,” King said. “The number
of youth increase, so there are more things
you can do with more kids: more games you
can play, stuff like that. The kids like it, too –
it’s more people they can connect with.”
A small breakout group of confirmands illustrates Genesis. (Photo courtesy of the
Rev. Chris Barrett)
Barrett said the experience has been energetic and positive for the church and youth.
“We sought to put the ‘united’ in United
Methodist,” Barrett said – and it worked.
“It’s about how can we collaborate, not how
can we compete. It was win, win, win across
the board for me.”
Now, St. Andrews Parish is exploring
other things they can do collaboratively –
with Grace, with other churches in the district, even district-wide.
Broomall said Grace, too, is thinking
about ways they can foster connectionalism.
“This might be one of those cases where
the young lead the way,” Broomall said.
“They have a lot fewer self-built walls that
separate their church from someone else’s
church, their ministry from someone else’s
ministry. As adults we often feel ownership
of our church, but the downside of that is we
sometimes get defensive.”
However, Broomall said seeing the youth
come together and work creatively and
cooperatively, seeing how well the partnership worked, opened his eyes to how easily
such partnerships can work elsewhere.
Helping kids ‘get it’
Parents and youth, too, said they were
impressed with the easy collaboration
between the churches – and with the impact
the larger group made.
Parent Jon McCall, who attends St.
Andrews Parish, said there are not a lot of
youth at his church, so teaming up with
another small congregation broadened his
son Seth’s confirmation experience.
“This gave Seth a chance to share faith
with other kids his age … it really added to
the experience,” McCall said. “At the age of
13, there are not many things you can say to
your friends that are honest and open regardless of what the subject is; they don’t share
their feelings very much. But this (confirmation opportunity) broadened the group, and it
was a safe haven to discuss topics, your
faith, your beliefs, and talk things out.”
What really struck McCall was the
straightforward, congenial leadership-sharing
between the two pastors.
“The thing that made it work was that
Chris and Dick got along so well; there was
no ‘my group,’ ‘your group,’ ‘I’m the leader,’
‘you’re the leader’ kind of thing,” McCall
said. “It was very seamless.”
McCall also said the opportunity to interact with other kids outside Seth’s home
church made the teen a more confident
evangelizer. Now, Seth invites school friends
to church.
“When I went to the first confirmation
meeting, my friends and I didn’t like the idea
of pairing with another church because we
didn’t know any of them,” Seth said. “It was
like that for about three weeks, but by the
end of the 18 weeks, we didn’t want to quit
meeting with each other. ... We had to share
things about ourselves and our faith, and we
found out that we weren’t very different. We
grew closer week by week, and we felt like
they were part of our church and vice versa
by the end of the process. It taught us how to
share our ideas with others freely and work
well with people we didn’t know.”
Debbie Underwood, whose daughter
Mary Wagenbrenner went through the confirmation collaboration, called it “a mountaintop experience” between the faith transformation in the kids and the natural way the
churches teamed up.
“It was a perfect combination from the
get-go,” Underwood said.
Underwood said her older daughter was
confirmed several years ago in the typical
single-church, shorter-time manner. She
doesn’t know whether it was the collaboration or the fact that the kids journeyed
together for nine months, but Mary “got a
whole lot more out of it” than her sister did.
“The different things they did, and going
back and forth each week to each other’s
churches so nobody felt they were in unchartered territory, was really (key),” she said,
noting the group started a Facebook page so
they can stay in touch now that confirmation
is over. “They had no barriers.”
And in the end, that’s really what confirmation is all about – helping kids feel comfortable so they can fully understand what it
means to be an authentic Christian.
“This was a real opportunity for us,”
Broomall said.
Journey to IMPACT
Florence District fosters stronger clergy, lay leadership for good of Kingdom
By Jessica Connor
FLORENCE – Better leaders will make better, stronger disciples – and more of them.
That’s the idea behind a new initiative in
the S.C. Conference’s Florence District. The
conference and district have teamed up to
launch a spiritual leadership program that
will help churches revitalize and glorify God
to their fullest potential. Called Journey to
Impact, the two-year program begins by fostering leadership among seven pastors representing 11 congregations. After six months,
the program extends to newly created lay
leader Impact Teams in their churches.
Ultimately, organizers hope the leadership
program will renew and revive congregational life, provide more opportunity for clergy effectiveness and help churches be better
equipped and connected to make disciples of
Christ for the transformation of the world.
“What they wanted was an intentional
effort to develop strong pastoral leadership in
the church,” said Rev. Millie Nelson, congregational specialist for the Florence District
who is helping manage the initiative. “The
best way we can do that is by providing
encouragement, empowerment and support.”
Journey to Impact is the brainchild of
Florence District Superintendent the Rev.
James Friday and the Rev. Ray Litts, pastor
of Highland Park United Methodist Church,
together with conference leaders Nelson,
Director of Connectional Ministries the Rev.
Willie Teague and Congregational Specialist
the Rev. Jim Arant
“It’s about how to make church be more
vital,” said Arant, who is helping Nelson
with Journey to Impact because of his passion for and skills in leadership development.
“A church that doesn’t connect with its community is going to die. We want them to
catch God’s vision for their church; we want
to transform churches.”
That transformative process can be quite
different for every church, Arant said – one
might have a gift for music, another for food
ministry, another for youth evangelism.
But it’s all outward-focused, he said, all
about creating disciples and connecting in
Christian love.
Intense, personal learning
The clergy, who were hand-selected
because of their potential to grow in vitality,
meet monthly throughout the two-year journey. They include Litts along with the Revs.
Ernest Frierson, Gregg Varner, J.C. Lane,
Jerry Gadsden, Joyce Chiles, Michael Arant
and Gerald Truluck.
During the first six months, the pastors
gather for powerful, covenant-oriented, several-hour meetings that are focused on personal reflection, leadership inventory, didactic analysis, peer coaching and private
assignments. The group is currently reading
and discussing two books, “Bearing Fruit,”
by Lovett H. Weems Jr. and Tom Berlin, and
“Strengths Finder 2.0,” by Tom Rath.
The meetings are intense, beginning with
an hour-long devotional with prayer and
time for reflection. Participants are encouraged to write down what they learn from
God during this time of discernment.
Next is didactic time, where the group
spends more than an hour analyzing lessons
The Rev. J.C. Lane shares about the time God gave him a vision – in the middle
of a sermon – of his church’s new life center. Thankfully, he said, his congregation trusted that vision and enabled the life center to be built to God’s exact specifications. “When God gives you the vision, you don’t have to worry about the battles,” Lane said – God will fight them. (Photo by Jessica Connor)
learned from that month’s reading selection.
Then comes lunch and peer coaching,
with the full group divided into small circles
of four. Here, pastors share their struggles
and challenges, taking notes and discussing
how they can individually grow. Each peer
coaching session builds upon the last.
After peer coaching, the pastors discuss
personal assignments, and the day closes
with full worship and communion. Nelson
said they are prioritizing worship with communion intentionally.
“I believe when you are constantly pouring out of yourself into others … you can
become empty, so it is important that pastors
have a time of worship, as well,” she said.
“Leaders need to be nurtured, too.”
The day the Advocate visited, Dec. 12,
the pastors were on Session Three of the sixsession initial program. In three more
months, they will be bringing their individual
church’s Impact Team on board, and they are
hard at work identifying seven to nine lay
leaders who will serve on that team to help
guide the church to a stronger, more Godfocused future.
In her devotional Dec. 12, Chiles read
from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
reminding her fellow clergy about the importance of catching fish (new disciples and
believers) above all.
“That’s what we need to teach our congregations to do – let down our nets,” Chiles
encouraged her peers.
That’s exactly what Journey to Impact is
hoping to accomplish.
‘A collective energy’
The pastors have high hopes for their
journey. Gadsden said he is involved with
Journey to Impact because, after 20 years in
the ministry, he thinks now is a good time to
reflect on things he is doing in the church
and ways he can help his congregation move
forward in Christian impact.
“I want to learn more about myself so I
can be not the leader I want to be, but the
leader God wants me to be,” Gadsden said.
Lane hopes the journey brings about a
revitalization of some of the principles upon
which his church stands. While his church is
highly active in community outreach, Lane
wants to see it move to the next level and be
more fruitful from within.
“We want to do more, to make disciples
for Jesus Christ who know God is the savior
through Jesus Christ,” Lane said, pointing
out that stronger leadership can help them do
this more effectively. “To be a fruitful people, we need to be constantly fertilized, constantly strengthened.”
Like Lane, Chiles said her congregation is
already quite vital. So for her, what is key is
developing a core vision that is so obvious
people can’t miss it: “I want them to have a
vision so plain that I can articulate it (immediately).”
Nelson said she can already see the journey coming together.
“This is our third session and fourth meeting, and I can see the synergy,” Nelson said.
“You get some highly effective people
together, and they create a collective energy.
… I can feel it happening. We’re all connecting, becoming more open and being real
with each other.”
Out of busy-ness, light
Friday said it’s all about looking through
the lens of God’s eyes – by delving deeper,
by discerning through Journey to Impact,
pastors can go to the “eye doctor” and adjust
that lens.
“Sometimes, we get so busy that we forget the people,” Friday noted. “The people
engage in the vision with the pastor, share it
in the community.”
Truluck agreed, saying pastors and their
flock frequently need to step back, look at
where they are and make sure they are doing
the things God is calling them to do.
“We get so busy doing things that have to
be done that we kind of get lost in it,”
Truluck said.
Lane said it all comes down to the “so
that” – we are doing X “so that” Y. If we can
focus on the main reason behind why we are
doing what we are doing, which is “so that”
we can make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world, then we won’t get
lost along the way.
“We have to ask ourselves, ‘Are all these
things being tied together so we can bring
about the transformation of the world, or are
we just being busy?’” Lane asked the group.
Jim Arant agreed, noting the phrase “so
that” appears in Scripture 1,306 times (800
times in the New Testament alone).
And it’s not just the busy-ness of life that
can get in the way, Friday said. Sometimes
we can get so caught up in race and gender
and age and other circumstances that we
sometimes miss those “golden moments”
God gives us.
“But God is working the vision,” Friday
said – we just need to recognize that vision
and run with it.
And the moment that vision catches, Rev.
Michael Arant said, “Get out of the way.”
All about the impact
The pastors have three more months of
their initial journey before their Impact
Teams are brought in. Then those teams will
receive training – either during an intensive
weekend or spread out through several meetings – even as the next phase of monthly
pastor meetings continue.
The crux: No matter what their church’s
vision is revealed to be, no matter how they
revitalize, all involved know their congregations are being well served by Journey to
Impact. They are journeying to make an
impact, and they are resting safe in the assurance that with God at the heart, they can’t
fail.
“When God gives you the vision, you
don’t have to worry about the battles,” Lane
reminded the group. “God will fight the battles.”
Christmas in S.C.
Woodland UMC presented “The Women Who Knew Jesus,” a poignant drama
telling the story of the birth of Christ from different vantage points, the first Sunday
of Advent. (Photo by Ben James)
Birth of Christ told through eyes
of ‘The Women Who Knew Jesus’
ROCK HILL – On the first Sunday of
Advent, Nov. 27, Woodland United
Methodist Church presented “The Women
Who Knew Jesus,” a poignant drama
telling the story of the birth of Christ from
different vantage points.
Elizabeth, the mother of John the
Baptist, the mother of Joseph, the mother
of Mary, the wife of the shepherd, the wife
of the innkeeper and Mary herself speak of
the miracle of Christ’s birth. Tender scenes
of love and dedication to God were dramatized through the portrayals.
Elizabeth recounted how it was to be a
barren woman and the joy of her pregnancy; how Zechariah suffered the silence of
discipline, and how the baby within her
leapt when Mary came for a visit.
The Mother of Joseph spoke of the
heartbreak of the discovery of Mary’s
being with child before the wedding.
Mary’s mother told of her child, whom
she had conceived and reared, “for whom I
had wiped tears and mended broken dolls,
who had prayed at my knee and worked at
my side, was to be the mother of God. I
who knew her better than anyone else in
the whole world, knew she was fit for her
calling.”
The wife of the shepherd told the story
of being in the fields, seeing the vast heaven with stars hanging “so low at night you
can reach up and pull one down with the
crooked end of my husband’s staff.” She
told of the fear of the heavens exploding
with music and light as the angels told of
the miracle and the divine gift of retelling
the story generation after generation.
The wife of the innkeeper spoke of seeing a dignified young man leading a donkey with a woman great with child. There
was absolutely no space in the inn but the
stable – at the back filled with clean sweet
straw and open areas to admit freshness
and light – offered peace and privacy for
the birth. “I saw him, lying still and small,
in a common manger. I stood by while
humble shepherds filled with the power
and perception of the Holy Spirit bore witness that he was, indeed, the Messiah.”
And Mary spoke of the divine partnership formed with God in providing a mortal temple for the Christ child.
The congregation and Chancel Choir
sang hymns and anthems that correlated
with the presentation.
By the Rev. Miriam J. Graham-Hadden
sheep, a donkey, a llama, goats and a
Brahma bull. Slowly the shepherds move
into place, and the baby lamb goes into a
frenzy, trying to yank itself free of its tether.
Its mom and brother munch hay, calm and
serene. Atop a black plastic covered ladder,
arms extended, the angel’s arms have
formed the shape of a cross, grimly anticipating the future of this child. The reader,
against a background of beautiful and
appropriate for the purpose, music, offers
the shepherd’s story. They receive, with
great fear, the birth announcement of the
Christ child.
CHILDREN GO WILD OVER OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD – Children
from Cannon’s Camp Ground UMC, Spartanburg, assembled 100 boxes for
Operation Christmas Child for Samaritan’s Purse Nov. 16. Here, Lane Lytle
(from left), Andrew Sturgill and Baylee Anderson work hard putting together
their boxes. (Photo by Kathy Ann Johnston)
KIDS FOR CHRIST – The junior youth group at New Hope UMC, Anderson,
participated in the annual Anderson Christmas parade on Dec. 4. Fifteen children aged 6-13, accompanied by six adults (Rev. Joyce Murphy, Terry and
Carole Hawkins, Tonya Hart, Margie Carithers and Kay Nichols), sang
Christmas carols and greeted bystanders with a hearty “Merry Christmas.” Garbed in burgundy choir robes, contrasted by the glistening bright
blue of the float background, the youth were thrilled to be recognized as “Kids
for Christ.” (Photo courtesy of Aggie Hennessy)
‘Live Nativity’ in Johnsonville UMC’s DNA
JOHNSONVILLE – Tea-light luminaries
adorn the walkway welcoming those wandering through the set, which has been prepared for, and awaits, the night’s production. Promptly at 7 p.m., in the darkness
under the old moss-covered oak trees, the
Live Nativity begins its re-enactment. Mary
and Joseph move into view, followed by
the pony that she might have ridden so
many centuries ago.
The innkeeper accepts the holy couple
into the stable, which is surrounded by
SHOWING
HER
SPIRIT –The
Rev. Cathy
JamiesonOgg, senior
pastor of
Trinity UMC,
Blythewood,
rides in the
2012
Blythewood
Christmas
Parade.
And the angels danced – nine of them
from Cheri and Company. Two of the nine
then give liturgical movement to Mark
Lowry’s “Mary Did You Know?” Finally,
the wise men from the East, also exquisitely clad in period costume, make their pilgrimage to honor the Christ child.
The Rev. Miriam J. Graham-Hadden
moves from the darkness expressing appreciation to the participants and to those who
have come to watch. All are invited into the
sanctuary to hear the Christmas concert,
offered by the Johnsonville Elementary
School choir, The Sparkle Tones.
Finally, exhausted from the excitement,
all pour into the fellowship hall to enjoy an
assortment of finger sandwiches, cookies,
candies and liquid refreshments.
Dec. 8 was Johnsonville United
Methodist Church’s 21st performance of
the Live Nativity. Each year, something
new is either added or changed in its ongoing production. In addition, Johnsonville’s
interdenominational community either participates or comes to enjoy this truly ecumenical and multicultural experience,
which by now has become part of
Johnsonville’s community DNA.
UNITING – The
Florence District of the
UMC held a district-wide
Advent Worship Service
Dec. 2 at Highland Park
UMC in Florence.
Pastors and all laity from
across the full district
were encouraged to
come together to worship “The Manger King.”
Light refreshments followed the service.
(Photo by Ray Litts)
Health & Fitness
Jan. 9 deadline to register for Youth Basketball Tourney
Youth teams have until Jan. 9 to register
for the S.C. Conference’s annual Youth
Basketball Tournament, set for Jan. 27-29
in the Greenville-Simpsonville area.
Games will be played in Greenville area
United Methodist church gyms, with the
championship games on Sunday, Jan. 29, at
Hillcrest High School. Cost is $250.
Additionally, two worship services are
planned for Saturday and Sunday. The services will be at Buncombe Street UMC and
Simpsonville UMC.
Teams will consist of boy and girl junior
and senior high teams (ages under 15 and
over 15). Team members include active
youth in a UMC. If a single UMC cannot
field a team, that church may combine with
another UMC for a team. Small churches
are encouraged to use this avenue.
All youth in the S.C. Conference are
invited to play by this process. Each team
will play games Friday evening and all day
Saturday. Each team is placed in a pool,
with the winners of their pool advancing to
the final four. Teams not winning their pool
will play like finishers in consolation games
on Saturday night for divisional trophies.
Founded in 1977, the tournament’s
objective is to promote recreation with worship in a Christian atmosphere for the youth
of the S.C. Conference. It also provides for
those who cannot play with their schools a
chance to participate in basketball.
For more information, visit www.sc
methodistbasketball.org, or email dseals@
umcsc.org or [email protected].
At last year’s
tournament,
Brandon Bodie
dribbles around
a Shandon
UMC defender.
Bodie’s team,
Mount Horeb,
Lexington,
defeated
Shandon for the
Junior Boys
Championship
title. This year’s
tournament is
Jan. 27-29 in
the Upstate.
(Photo by Allison
Trussell)
To Your Health
By the Rev. Sandra King
Do you or someone in your church struggle to pay
medical expenses? Is there someone in your congregation
who is pursuing a career in nursing or health care and
needs some assistance with tuition?
The annual Golden Cross offering, collected in all S.C.
United Methodist churches on the first Sunday in
February, may be an answer to prayer if you answered
“yes” to either of these questions.
The purpose of the Golden Cross offering is to improve
the health and welfare of United Methodists. This purpose
is accomplished through two areas of Golden Cross:
1. Providing up to $1,200 toward outstanding medical
bills not covered by Medicaid, Medicare and/or private
insurance in the presence of financial hardship. You must
submit two copies of the completed application form,
copies of your medical bills and documentation as to your
financial need, along with a letter of recommendation by
your pastor, to the Conference Connectional Ministries
office by the deadlines indicated on the application form in
order to be evaluated for this assistance. You will find the
application form on the conference website,
www.umcsc.org. Click on the Resources tab, then click on
Grants from the drop-down menu and look under Board
of Health and Welfare for the Golden Cross Medical
Assistance tab. Print out the application form, complete it
and follow the instructions.
2. Making available a $1,000 scholarship to students
enrolled in a higher education program leading toward a
degree in nursing or the health care field. Priority is given
to students enrolled in nursing, but other health care
degrees will be considered based on availability of funds.
You must submit the completed application form and provide two references plus a recommendation by your pastor
by the deadline indicated on
the form. You will find the
application on the conference website (see instructions above).
Golden Cross is a ministry of the S.C.
Canaan UMC female athletes shine
through basketball competition
By Dr. B. DaNine J. Fleming
RIDGEVILLE – This year, Canaan United
Methodist Church was well represented in
the Amateur Athletic Union by having
three young women compete in girls’ basketball.
As members of the Lowcountry Ballers
Basketball Association, Chelsi Anderson,
Shelby Daly and Zuri Green competed on
the ninth-grade girls’ team.
After a rough start in their first outing at
Super Regionals in Greenville, the girls
regrouped and won five of their next six
tournaments. Their only defeat occurred in
the championship game of a tournament
held in Charleston.
This six-tournament stretch also included the AAU Ninth Grade Girls State
Championship, where they automatically
qualified for the national tournament in
Orlando, Fla.
The AAU is one of the largest nonprofit
volunteer sports organizations in the U.S. A
multisports organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and
development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. The organization
focuses on more than athletics; it introduces the participants to volunteerism,
community service and helping others.
Canaan UMC members Chelsi
Anderson, Shelby Daly and Zuri Green
competed on the girls’ team.
The Lowcountry Ballers Basketball
Association (member of the AAU) participates in local, regional and national tournaments
The girls competed in Division 1 in the
national tournament in July. Although they
performed wonderfully, they did not win
the championship. Next year, they plan to
be in the tenth grade division and hope to
bring not only another state championship
back to the Lowcountry, but also a national
championship. They said support from
their church, Canaan UMC, played a major
role in their success.
Coaches for the Lowcountry Ballers
ninth grade girls include Frederick
Paden, Derwin Daly and Dana Garrett.
Fleming is lay leader at Canaan UMC.
Conference, and it is just one of the ways in which we
care for one another as members of the connectional
church. Through the Health and Welfare group of the
Outreach Ministry Area of the Conference Connectional
Ministries and Golden Cross, we work to improve and
protect the health and welfare of our people.
You can help by getting the word out in your congregation about the Golden Cross opportunities, and by making
sure that the Golden Cross offering is collected in your
church every year the first Sunday in February. Together,
we can make a difference in the lives of people who need
to know that the church, cares.
King serves as minister at Leesville UMC. She is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in health nursing.
District & Local News
Advent UMC gets grant to replace needed heating, a/c units
SIMPSONVILLE – Advent United
Methodist Church has received a check for
$21,000 to assist in paying for new heating
and air conditioning units they needed.
The current units are more than 20 years
old and were starting to fail. In the summer,
trustees of the church began investigating
the cost to replace the units. The price was
huge, and in the current economic climate,
church leaders were concerned about
where the money would come. As with
many churches, the last three years have
been difficult financially.
Leaders began to pray and to look at
options. In the midst of these events,
Advent’s pastor, Dr. Michael Wolfe, spoke
with Susan Sachs and Lisa Lane, executive
directors of the Project Hope Foundation,
about the new units. Project Hope operates
a school at Advent and works with families
who have children with autism. Hope
Academy runs an inclusion educational
program, intermingling typical children and
children with autism. About 80 children
attend Hope Academy at the church.
Wolfe asked Sachs and Lane if they
could help in any small way.
Sachs and Lane wanted to help the
church with this need, as the church had
provided them a home for the school for 15
years. They said the school would not exist
without Advent. So they applied for a grant
from the Graham Foundation in Greenville,
which provides funds for special schools.
The foundation does not normally provide grants to churches, but it was interested in this application because of the close
relationship between this very special
school and the church. It seemed a long
shot, but everyone felt it was worth trying.
With many prayers, the application was
made. And to their delight, in late
November, Hope Academy received a
check for $21,000 to help in replacing the
heating and air conditioning units.
The school principals presented the
check to the church’s Administrative
Council at their last meeting Dec. 13.
“Everyone was thrilled and thankful to
God for this provision,” Wolfe said. ”The
church and the school look forward to
many years of future ministry together and
are glad to have a warm building in which
to do so.”
HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE – Kennedyville UMC, Nesmith, honored
their deceased veterans, as well as their active soldiers, in a memorial service
held at their church cemetery Nov. 13. The Rev. Lindora F. James commended the fallen and active soldiers for all they have done and still do to make
our country safe. Here, James leads the congregation in the service.
UNIQUE BEAUTY – Columbia District clergy gather for their November meeting at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Columbia, where Father Michael
Platanis speaks about faith while discussing the unique architecture of the
church. (Photo by the Rev. John Culp)
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Make your donation online at AdvocateSC.org (see box, top right), or
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The Idea Exchange
Take it and run with it!
Reaching out in many ways
FEATHERS, FINS AND FUR – A nice crowd
gathered with their pets in the parking lot of
Toxaway UMC, Anderson, for the church’s
annual Pet Blessing. Held Oct. 23, each pet
(13 in total) was blessed by the Rev. Kurt
Stutler (pictured above), and each pet
received a certificate suitable for framing.
Pictures of pets who could not attend were
also blessed. The Pet Blessing has become
a much-anticipated event, bringing more animals each year. The event is free and open
to all, as long as the pets are properly
restrained. (Photo courtesy of Bobbie Sickler)
Editor’s note: This new feature in the Advocate is a
place where churches can share what works for them so
other churches with a similar need may benefit from the
United Methodist connection. What works for you?
We’d love to hear. Send your ideas to advocate
@umcsc.org.
Suber-Marshall Memorial United Methodist Church,
Columbia, is engaging in a number of ministries with its
community that have been revitalizing the congregation.
Adopt-A-Block is off to a great start. One lady took
this seed and is making it grow by getting people to
team up and go two-by-two to neighbors, meeting them
and beginning to form relationships. This ministry is
supported by people on prayer teams and teams who
provide food for the walkers. It is already blossoming
with a great Trunk or Treat Oct. 30 and letting our
neighbors know the love of God, as well as a yard sale
with free clothes.
Caring Casseroles is fairly steady. This ministry
assembles small entrees to keep in the church freezer to
be given to people in their time of need as it arises.
A flower ministry is under way. This ministry
involves getting a bunch of flowers, putting them in a
simple vase and getting them to people who don’t get
many visitors – in a sense, letting them know God still
loves them. This ministry delivers flowers to anyone
who needs their day brightened: shut-ins, those recovering from illness or injury, neighbors in the community
who appear to need a little lift, etc.
Food Bank: this is a big one and quickly done with
great results for new idea. Volunteers make bags of
meals (three squares/day), all assembled and ready to go
so when an emergency arises, the church is ready to
give that person or family something to keep them from
hunger. (This ministry was probably the direct result of
a churchwide Sunday school program – and, of course,
the Holy Spirit.)
HERITAGE SUNDAY – On
Oct. 16 Broad Street UMC,
Clinton, celebrated its heritage as a Methodist congregation of nearly 100
years. The Archives and
History committee arranged
exhibits of Broad Street’s
past, including genealogy,
photos, church records and
the original property deed
for the purchase of the
church site. The Friendship
Class presented the church
a portrait of the Rev. Ben
and Jane Cunningham, for
whom the activities center
was named. Cunningham
served Broad Street from
1970-1975 and was designated pastor emeritus in
1999.
No Name Communion involves fellowship with people facing serious health issues to lift them and their
families in the body of Christ. What’s important is that
we do it and the way it affects everyone involved, and it
gets the congregation out of the church building.
Grab Bag Communion involves getting the laity to
realize we can share the table with consecrated elements
and show the love of God outside of the church building – even to those we don’t know.
Business Cards Ministry – These let people know we
are the body of Christ and care about them, as well as
what Suber-Marshall Memorial UMC can do to help
them grow in faith. Each person who did this put their
name and contact information on the card (not the
church phone number!), so we stepped out to say “We
are here and will do what we can do to help you.” It is
stepping out of our comfort zone and being ready to be
the face of Jesus to someone.
The Trunk or Treat Ministry is another outreach
effort involving people of all ages and races who came
to enjoy games, candy, hot dogs, cupcakes, basketball,
costumes, decorated cars and more. It was a win-win
for all involved, giving us a great chance to meet our
neighbors.
Supporting Local Needs – We have answered specific needs quickly because we knew the purpose and
believed in it: once for a specific Salkehatchie need and
once for a Wounded Warrior family traveling for his
operations. Our preacher gave us the incentive that if
we wanted to make it a competition between Clemson
and University of South Carolina supporters, he would
agree to drive with the bumper sticker on his car of his
least favorite team for one year. It was a fun way to
make sure we met our financial goal and, in the end,
had a little fun with his college allegiance. Whatever it
takes!
– Joan Proffitt
DAVIDIC DANCE AND PRAISE – Daughters of Zion Ministry of Chapin were
guests of Beulah United Methodist Youth Fellowship, Gilbert, for an evening
of Davidic dance and praise. Daughters of Zion is a Messianic Christian
community who honor the Old Testament form of dancing before the Lord.
(Photo by Linda Dunn)
SING ALL YE PEOPLE – Goose Creek UMC, Charleston District, celebrated the diversity and unity of God’s church with its 22nd
Ecumenical Music Worship Celebration Oct. 30. Known as the “Fall
Sing,” it is an annual gathering of more than 200 throughout the community coming together to praise God through music from different
denominations, cultures and ethnic groups. Four languages –
Korean, Hispanic, Filipino and English – were represented. Choirs
from Charleston Korean UMC, All Saints Chapel at Joint Base
Charleston, Joshua UMC, The Church of God Dance Team, Iglesia
Bautista Church of Goose Creek and the Filipino Community Choir
sang and danced selections that reflected their worship traditions.
Anderson District
Each Thanksgiving, Toxaway UMC,
Anderson, serves turkey meals to anyone who comes. Two years ago it was
about 300 people; last year they ran out
of food at 400 plates. This
Thanksgiving, they served their largest
number ever: 562 people and one cat!
(The kitty just wandered in, and everyone fed her.) They also provide coats
and blankets, flu shots and more.
Columbia District
Rehoboth UMC, Columbia, celebrated its 100th anniversary Dec. 11.
Following the morning service, a covered dish luncheon was held.
The youth of Washington Street
UMC, Columbia, hosted a Parents’
Day Out Dec. 10 so parents could
enjoy a “kid-free” day of shopping.
Children were entertained with crafts,
games and a movie. The Parents Day
Out is a fundraiser for the youth group.
Washington Street UMC,
Columbia, held its annual Sing-along
Messiah Dec. 19. Everyone was invited
to attend, sing along with the choir and
orchestra, or sit back and enjoy the glorious sounds of Handel’s musical masterpiece. Musical scores were available
on loan for singers that do not have a
personal score. Admission was free.
However, donations are welcome.
In an effort to cut costs, Mount
Horeb UMC, Lexington, has stopped
printing its Burning Bush newsletter
and weekly bulletin. Instead the church
will send out an ebulletin each
Thursday and a few copies of that
email will be available for those without email. The church’s website has
also been enhanced and updated.
RAISING NEEDED INCOME – The woodworking team at Mauldin UMC sell
their wares during the church’s Fall Festival Oct. 30. The festival
featured many craft items and toys, as well as children’s activities and a cake
sale – and the chance to watch senior pastor the Rev. Smoke Kanipe get hit
in the face with whipped cream pies! More than 1,000 attended the festival,
which raised needed funds for the church and its ministries.
Florence District
Kennedyville UMC, Nesmith, held
its annual Christmas program Dec. 18.
The youth, along with the Rev. Lindora
F. James, re-enacted “The King’s
Birthday.”
Greenville District
Esperanza Mission Congregation,
Greenville, is in need of winter coats
for students at Berea Elementary
School. If you would like to donate,
please bring coats to the congregation
at 3601 Old Buncombe Road,
Greenville, or call the Rev. Enrique
Gordon at 864-561-7337.
Congratulations to the Rev. Lloyd
and Kathy White on the birth of their
grandson. Asher-Everly Lloyd White
Christian men serve God
at Wesley Grove UMC
COTTAGEVILLE – The men of
Wesley Grove UMC celebrated their
39th annual Men’s Day Program on
Dec. 4.
The speaker of the evening was the
Rev. Davie Sanders of Harleyville, who
brought the message, “Work While It’s
Day, Cause When Night Come No Man
Shall Work,” from Matthew 20.
Sanders spoke on how we as individuals need to get up and do something
now – while it’s still day. He said sometimes when you work for Jesus you
work for no pay. You have to go, even if
you have to go by yourself. We need to
follow Jesus for the rest of your life and
be good workers in the vineyard, he told
the crowd.
The men of
Wesley Grove
UMC celebrate
their 39th annual
Men’s Day
Program Dec. 4.
Sanders said some of us are just
looking for glory, but we need to humble ourselves and work with others. He
said if the men were to get together in
the church and do their best, God will
get the glory. He also said that people
may change, but God will stay the
same. “Christian Men Serving God”
means that you are living right. But if
you are doing anything that is not of
God’s word, you are not living right.
The Rev. Paul Y. Thomas, Ernest
Ford and the rest of the men of Wesley
Grove expressed deep appreciation to
everyone who participated in their
annual program, particularly Sanders,
the Harleyville Parish and The Mason &
The Men Choirs from various churches.
was born Dec. 8, 2011. White is the
pastor of Lee Road UMC, Taylors.
Greenwood District
For the sixth year, Broad Street
UMC, Clinton, assisted by several
other local churches, has celebrated
Thanksgiving by providing a free holiday dinner to the underprivileged in the
community. This year about 476 plates
were served and 99 coats were given
away from our seasonal coat and blanket closet. Also at Broad Street, in
order to keep low-income school children from being hungry and undernour-
ished on the weekend, the church is
heavily involved in the “Snack-Pack”
program in local elementary and middle schools. Needy children are identified by principals and faculty; to qualify, the student must already be on a
reduced price or free lunch program.
Parental approval is necessary. Broad
Street provides money to purchase food
for 17 middle school children in
Clinton. Each Friday morning, volunteers fill backpacks and deliver them to
schools. Meals usually include two
breakfast and two lunch foods, plus
snacks. Children come by the school
office after school on Friday, pick up
the full packs and return them to the
office first thing Monday morning.
After a single school pilot program in
the 2010-2011 school year, the program
expanded to include all elementary and
middle schools in the school district,
bringing the number of students fed to
119.
Marion District
Belin Memorial UMC, Murrells
Inlet, packed 716 Operation Christmas
Child shoeboxes this year.
After a break during the summer
months, Wednesday night is again
“Spirit Night” at Surfside UMC,
Surfside Beach. Church members and
others gather in the Family Life Center
at 5:15 pm for a catered meal and fellowship. Following the meal, those
who wish to stay can participate in an
“iPraise” contemporary service in the
sanctuary. A Bible/contemporary religious book study class is also offered.
Appointment Changes
Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor has
announced the following changes of
appointment:
Effective Dec. 1, 2011
Greenwood District, Kathy
Bostrom – Ark Hospice (1/2)
Orangeburg District, Beulah –
Bruce Rucker (FL)
Orangeburg District, Calvary-Oak
Grove – Debra Gibson (PL)
Effective Jan. 1, 2012
Charleston District, Lebanon
Charge – Kenneth C. Burr (FL)
Charleston District, Charleston
Korean – Yon Taek Bae (FL)
Walterboro District, Smoaks
Circuit – Kevin Stoops (SY)
The Advocate
5 for $25
T
It’s not too late to turn in
your 2012 form!
hrough the 5 for $25 program, each UMC in South Carolina
has the chance to receive five annual subscriptions to the
Advocate for $25 – just $5 each! (Regular price is $15/each.)
Get the form at
www.advocatesc.org/home/documents/5-for-25.pdf
or email [email protected].
Newman Swamp UMC marks 195 years of ministry
LAMAR – On Oct. 16, members of Newman Swamp
United Methodist Church in the Hartsville District celebrated 195 years of doing the work of the Lord.
Gathering for worship at their regular hour of 10
a.m., Newman Swamp commemorated their 195th
anniversary with special music by the choir and a message from their pastor, the Rev. W. Edward Herlong.
Herlong preached from Joshua 4 on “Crossing Over.”
After, families and friends attended a covered dish
dinner in the Newman Swamp schoolhouse located on
the church campus.
Church members and community friends gathered at
the church that evening for the fall quarterly song service. Favorite hymns, choir anthems and special selections were sung.
The church continued its celebration with preaching
services on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Dr. James C. Adams, retired, brought the message for
Monday’s service. Tuesday’s service featured the youth
of the church, who provided special music, and the
speaker was John T. Windham, a certified lay speaker
who is exploring candidacy for ordained ministry in the
UMC. On Wednesday, the Rev. Melvin Flail, pastor of
Lamar UMC, delivered the message.
Plans for the church to be recognized with a historical marker have been completed. The marker is scheduled to be installed within the next three years.
History of Newman Swamp UMC
The earliest Methodist churches in Darlington
County were the Gully, now Wesley Church, Hebron,
Darlington, Damascus, now Hartsville, Cypress,
Windham Meetinghouse, now Newman Swamp,
Newman Swamp UMC’s present building was erected in 1901. It is the fourth house of worship the
church built. The first church was a log house, and
others were framed buildings.
Liberty Chapel Garner’s Meetinghouse, Society Hill
and Jeffries Creek Meetinghouse. The last three have
long been discontinued.
Newman Swamp was first known as Windham
Meetinghouse. “Father” Jenkins preached there about
1816, at which time Bishop Francis Asbury passed
through this county for the last time on his way to
General Conference held in Baltimore, Md.
Rev. James Windham, a local preacher, was one of
the oldest members. After his tenure as pastor, such
men as Captain George Mims, Miles Joye, G.T. Taylor,
J.J. Reynolds, Eli Windham, and others led Newman
Swamp to become the church it is today.
The oldest deed on record, which was given May 14,
1840, shows the gift of a lot by S.K. Jeffords to the
church trustees: John H. Yarborough, Spencer
Atkinson, William Parnell, James Windham and
George Mims. The present building was erected in
1901. It is the fourth house of worship the church built.
The first church was a log house, and others were
framed buildings.
Since Newman Swamp became a member of the
Lamar Circuit, the church has made major improvements. Both facilities are handicapped-accessible. The
church building has a steeple mounted on its roof. A
columned front porch has been added to the 1901 structure. Members of the church placed a time capsule in
the foundation of the porch in 2002 to commemorate
the turn of the century.
A flagpole stands nestled in the trees along the front
lawn. United States and Christian flags are displayed
on appropriate days. Floodlights have been installed at
its mount. The services held in the sanctuary are
enhanced with the assistance of a modern sound system. Interior details include memorial windows, carpet
and a stained glass portrayal of Jesus praying in the
garden. The physical location of the church site is
marked by a lighted sign bearing the name and date of
inception.
The Newman Swamp congregation continues to
serve with a commitment to fiscal responsibility to the
conference ministry initiatives, community mission
projects and other efforts to share the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Faith’s Fall Fling accents hospitality, re-introduces UMC
GREER – Faith United Methodist
Church, in the Greenville District, is a
small, 50-member, 45-year-old church,
mostly of elderly members.
It sits in the midst of large subdivisions, old and new. Its low building,
without a steeple, is often overlooked by
the people in the 20,000-plus cars a day
going up and down busy State Highway
14.
With a new pastor (the Rev. Laura
Price) and a desire to have a “new beginning,” the church wanted to make a big
splash to introduce themselves anew to
the community. Their Faith Fall Fling
was to be the culmination that put a large
exclamation point on much planning and
a six-week study on hospitality.
How does a perceived declining
church of older adults, a number not easily mobile, exhibit hospitality to those in
the community and work toward making
disciples for Christ? This is a question
facing many small churches in the S.C.
Conference – how do we re-invent ourselves, to be relevant in today’s society,
and find ways to grow and fulfill Christ’s
commandment?
Faith’s first effort was to reach out to
the community. Many things were part of
Faith’s plan. A new church logo was
approved with a type font giving a “moving ahead” feel. With a large cross in
front of the building, a motto of “meet us
at the cross” was adopted and used extensively in announcements and advertising.
An attractive card/flyer with the new
church logo was developed and handed
out by the pastor and youth, including
some from other churches, to 800 or so
homes in the area.
A six-week Wednesday night supper
and Bible study was held focusing on
the UMC. People were shown through
the church, and several made a point of
commenting positively with promises to
come and visit, including those with
small children. There were even reports
of some saying they did not normally
come to church, but were impressed and
may pay a visit.
About four dozen children, and a few
adults, got their faces painted and had fun
on the 20-foot inflatable slide, the bounce
house and air-supported T-ball game. One
person was heard to say about the Gap
Creek Singers, “That is the best music I
The “fling” was not a fundraiser, but
rather a way to reintroduce the church
to the surrounding community. (Photo
by Bill Smith)
hospitality, an undertaking designed to
help better understand true hospitality.
The local paper, the Greer Citizen, did
articles on the new pastor and the upcoming events.
Finally, the “exclamation point” was
the Fling, featuring large inflatables, face
painting and games for the children (all
free of charge), a large neighborhood
yard sale and silent auction, a recital by
the Gap Creek Singers, a bake sale and
food plates.
Price said the idea was not to be a
fundraiser, but to reintroduce Faith UMC
to the surrounding community and newcomers living in new subdivisions. Each
person who helped wore name badges
with the church logo, with “Ask me
about … Faith UMC” above their names.
A table offered literature about Faith and
have heard in a long time.”
Faith leadership said they accomplished what they intended. The event
brought the church membership closer,
and the exposure of the church to a widely diverse community was a major success. While the focus was on hospitality
to the community and not to make
money, the event netted several hundred
dollars with most proceeds donated to the
Greer Community Ministries food bank
and to a center providing off-site religious instruction for Greer’s early-release
junior and senior high school students.
Jean “Jeannie” Huggins
Alexander
BISHOPVILLE – Jean “Jeannie”
Huggins Alexander, mother of the Rev.
Mike Alexander, died Dec. 8, 2011. Rev.
Alexander is the pastor of Belin
Memorial United Methodist Church,
Murrells Inlet.
Funeral services were held Dec. 11 at
Bethlehem UMC, Bishopville.
Memorials may be sent to the Karl E.
Alexander Endowed Scholarship Fund,
Wofford College, 429 N. Church St.,
Spartanburg, SC 29303.
Mrs. Alexander is survived by her
three sons.
Virginia P. Claytor
GREENVILLE – Virginia P. Claytor,
widow of the Rev. William “Bill”
Claytor, died Dec. 4, 2011.
Buncombe Street United Methodist
Church, with a private burial.
Memorials may be made to the Pipe
Organ Fund, Buncombe Street UMC,
200 Buncombe St., Greenville, SC
Obituaries
29601.
Mrs. Claytor is survived by her three
daughters and son.
Sarah Clifton Crump Connell
LAKE CITY – Sarah Clifton Crump
Connell, mother of the Rev. Frances S.
Connell, died Nov. 20, 2011. Rev.
Connell is pastor of Scranton-St. John
Charge, Scranton.
Funeral services were held Nov. 22 at
Scranton United Methodist Church, with
burial in Rosemont Cemetery, Newberry.
Memorials may be made to McLeod
Hospice House, 1203 E. Cheves St.,
Florence, SC 29506.
Mrs. Connell is survived by her two
daughters and son.
Herman K. Davis
WINTERVILLE, N.C. – Herman K.
Davis, grandfather of the Rev. Andrea M.
Davis, died Nov. 18, 2011. Rev. Davis is
the pastor of Union-Elim Charge, Union.
A graveside service was held Nov. 23
at Lake Wales Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Florida
The S.C. Conference UMC Resource Center’s top
10 DVD resources used in 2011:
1. The Journey
2. What Does It Mean To Be United Methodist?
3. 24 Hours that Changed the World
4. Christianity and World Religions:
Obituary policy:
The Advocate prints death notices of
clergy and their immediate families and
laypersons who have served on conference boards and agencies or who work
for the S.C. Conference of the United
Methodist Church.
Baptist Children’s Homes, P.O. Box
8190, Lakeland, FL 33802.
Mr. Davis is survived by his two sons
and daughter.
Samuel Norwood Gasque Sr.
LATTA – Judge Samuel Norwood
Gasque Sr., father of the Rev. Paul
Gasque, died Dec. 10, 2011. Rev. Gasque
is the pastor of Trinity and Berea United
Methodist churches, Clio.
Latta UMC, with burial in Magnolia
Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Harvest
Hope Food Bank, P.O. Box 451,
Columbia, SC 29202-0451 (designate
Pee Dee Branch).
Resource Center
5. Outlive Your Life
6. Confronting the Controversies
7. Daniel
8. Everything is Spiritual
9. If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to
Get Out of the Boat
Mr. Gasque is survived by his two
sons and daughter.
Gorgi Anna Price Lipsey
PACOLET – Gorgi Anna Price Lipsey,
daughter of the Rev. Angelia Price, died
Nov. 23, 2011. Rev. Price is the pastor of
Mesopotamia-Asbury Charge, Gaffney.
Funeral services were held Nov. 25 at
Bogansville United Methodist Church,
with burial in the church cemetery.
Memorials may be made to
Bogansville UMC, Cemetery Fund, 4052
Buffalo-West Springs Hwy., Jonesville,
SC 29353.
Mrs. Lipsey is survived by her husband, David B. Lipsey, mother and son.
Carrie Louise
Bailey Singletary
KINGSTREE – Carrie Louise Bailey
Singletary, widow of the Rev. Peter
Singletary, died Dec. 4, 2011.
St. Michael United Methodist Church,
with burial in Singletary Cemetery.
Mrs. Singletary is survived by her son.
10. The Easter Experience
The S.C. Conference UMC Resource Center is
your connection to VHS tapes, DVDs and seasonal
musicals. They are here to serve your church family.
To reserve resources, call 888-678-6272.
www.umcsc.org/resourcecenter.
2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Art, essay and Multimedia
Contest
One winner and one honorable mentioned will be recognized in each of the
three categories. Winners will receive $100 each. Honorable Mentions will
receive $25 each.
Theme
Dr. King dreamed of living in a world more
tolerant and inclusive than the one he lived in
and made efforts in his daily life to bring
about change. Participants are asked to consider one of the fourteen quotes from The
New King Memorial Inscription Wall on the
National Mall and submit art, essays or multimedia presentations that answer the following question:
What can you do to promote equality in your
church, community, neighborhood or school
in order to create a more tolerant and just
society?
Deadline and Submission
For complete rules and regulations, go to www.umcsc.org.
All projects must be submitted to the address below no later than Feb. 17, 2012
at 5 p.m. (EST).
Robin Landers
4908 Colonial Dr.
Columbia, SC 29203
803-786-9486 ext. 316
Essays may be electronically submitted to
[email protected]
with the Subject Line MLK Contest Entry
Sponsored by the Conference Committee on Religion and Race.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ADVOCATE
See box page 3
Seniors
Betty Shuler honored for service
to Older Adult Council
Betty Ferson
(right) and her
sister, Ruth
Gorten, purchase their
favorite pink
goodies.
Pink Bake Sale raises dough
GREENWOOD – During a week filled
with Thanksgiving, a number of Wesley
Commons residents and staff expressed
their thanks in a special way.
On Tuesday, Nov. 22, they joined
together to show they care, foster hope
and encourage those suffering with breast
cancer during the fifth annual
Passionately Pink for a Cure celebration.
People flooded into the Bistro at
Wesley Commons when the bake sale
opened at 11 a.m. to get their favorite
treats. Meanwhile, more than 90 people
showed off their pink long-sleeved “care,
hope, encourage” T-shirts, and dozens of
others sported pink clothing throughout
the day.
Proceeds from the T-shirt sale and the
popular bake sale generated more than
$1,000 for the Susan G. Komen
Foundation.
“We were excited that so many participated in both the bake sale and the T-shirt
sale,” said Jennifer Larkins, event coordinator. “Once again, the residents and staff
at Wesley Commons joined our fight for a
cure for breast cancer.”
To learn more about Passionately Pink
events at Wesley Commons, contact
Jennifer Larkins at 864-227-7368.
FUN AT EVERY SEASON OF LIFE –
Carol Lewis (front) and other
dancers giggle during some linedancing fun at last year’s Older
Adults Spiritual Retreat. This year’s
retreat is set for Feb. 7-9 at
Springmaid Beach Resort, Myrtle
Beach. With a theme of “Listening
for the Melody of God,” the retreat
will feature Dr. Connie Shelton,
senior pastor of Galloway UMC,
Jackson, Miss., as guest speaker.
The annual variety show will be held,
and attendees are asked to bring
their talents to share. Registration
forms may be found on the
conference website, www.umcsc.org,
(click on 2012 Older Adult Retreat)
or at your district office, or call Doris
Seals at 803-786-9486 or 888-6786272, ext. 317.
Betty Shuler, chair of the S.C.
Conference’s Older Adult Council, was
recently presented with a certificate of
appreciation for her service to the ministry.
Also praised were S.C. Conference
members who volunteer beyond the conference in older adult capacities. The Rev.
Hazel Bennett served on the General
Conference Committee for Older Adult
Ministries for eight years, and the Rev.
Rodney Powell serves as president of the
Southeastern Jurisdiction Association of
Older Adults. June Willson begins service
in January as vice president for Education
and Advocacy.
The Older Adult Council is gearing up
now for their annual spiritual retreat (see
information this page).
Upcoming Events
December
Carter at [email protected]
or 803-315-8014; visit their
Facebook page (Chrysalis of the
Midlands); or download a
Chrysalis application at www.midlandsemmaus.com.
Dec. 23-27 – United Methodist
Conference Center closed.
Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve
Dec. 25 – Christmas Day
Dec. 29-Jan. 1 – INFUSE Youth Ski
Retreat I at Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Worship, ski and celebrate New
Year’s during this weekend of fun
and fellowship. Visit
www.myp.lakejunaluska.com or
call 800-222-4930.
January
Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day
Jan. 2 – United Methodist Conference
Center closed.
Jan. 6 – Epiphany of the Lord
Jan. 6-8 – INFUSE Youth Ski Retreat II
at Lake Junaluska, N.C. Worship,
ski and celebrate New Year’s during this weekend of fun and fellowship. Visit www.myp.lakejunaluska.com or call 800-2224930.
Jan 8 – Anderson District Leadership
Orientation, Trinity UMC,
Anderson, 3-5 p.m.
Jan. 11 – Human Trafficking Awareness
Day
Jan. 13-15 – Chrysalis of the Midlands
“Boys Flight” weekend, Lexington
UMC, Lexington. Info: Debbie
Jan. 13-16 – INFUSE Youth Ski Retreat
III at Lake Junaluska, N.C.
call 800-222-4930.
Jan. 15 – Human Relations Day (offering)
Jan. 16 – Martin Luther King Jr.’s
Birthday Observance (conference
center closed)
Jan. 17-20 – Cabinet Consultation,
Epworth by the Sea, www.lakejunaluska.com/cabinet.
Jan. 18 – Columbia College will host
MLK Jr. Chapel at College Place
UMC at 1 p.m. Dr. James
Thomas, associate professor of
church and ministry and the director of African-American Ministries
at Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary, will be featured.
Jan. 27-29 – INFUSE Youth Ski Retreat
IV at Lake Junaluska, N.C.
call 800-222-4930.
Feb. 4 – Native American Representative Training, Bethel UMC, Columbia, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Registration is
$7 and lunch will be provided. To
attend, contact Beckee Garris,
803-325-4194 or beckeeg@
yahoo.com. Deadline is Jan. 25.
Jan. 28 – Florence District Leadership
Function Workshop, location TBA,
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Feb. 5 – Golden Cross Sunday
February
Feb. 2 – Lead Like Jesus Encounter, a
one-day workshop for exploring
Christian leadership, will be
offered for the Marion District at
Aynor UMC from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost is $50, which covers the
workbook and other materials provided that day. To register, call
843-423-1202, or download a registration form at http://sites.
google.com/site/mariondistrict/.
Feb. 4 – WISH Women’s Conference,
Tranquil UMC, Greenwood, 8:30
a.m.-3:30 p.m. Registration is
$15. Call the church at 223-5333.
Jan. 18-25 – Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity
Feb. 7-9 – Older Adults Spiritual Life
Retreat, Springmaid Beach.
Registration forms can be found
at www.umcsc.org (click on 2012
Older Adult Retreat) or call Doris
Seals at 803-786-9486.
Feb. 8 – Conflict Transformation Skills
Workshop, United Methodist
Center, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Feb. 12 – Boy Scout Sunday (Scouting
Ministries Sunday)
Feb. 17-19 – Chrysalis of the Midlands
“Girls Flight” weekend, Lexington
UMC, Lexington. Info: Debbie
Carter at [email protected]
or 803-315-8014.
Christian Jazz Trio
Jan. 22 – Ecumenical Sunday
Call us to provide music at your next church event.
Jan. 27-29 – S.C. Conference Youth
Basketball Tournament, Greenville
Contact: Frank Hill at [email protected]
Phones: (803) 338-0115 or (803) 736-6908 | Web: [email protected]
Classified Advertising
8 8 8 - 6 7 8 - 6 2 7 2 • 8 0 3 - 7 8 6 - 9 4 8 6 • [email protected]
Church Furnishings
Pew Upholstering – Reversible Cushions
New Pews – Pew Refinishing
Audio/Video Systems
www.churchinteriors.com
High Point, North Carolina
1-800-289-7397
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NEW
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New Pews • Pew Upholstering • Pew Refinishing •
Pulpit Furniture • Carpet • Steeples/Baptistries • Chime
Systems • Stained Glass • Classroom Furniture • Office
Furniture • Social Hall Furniture • Budget & Project
Analysis • Project Management
Nu-Idea
Church Furnishings
Sumter, South Carolina
1-800-922-0424
www.nu-idea.com
“Serving South Carolina’s churches since 1921”
Subscribe today!
go online to www.advocatesc.org
or call Allison at 888-678-6272
Church Furnishings
• Steeples
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Superior Church Furnishings
1•800•975•2129
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Call for free Estimates & References
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advocatesc.org
facebook.com/advocatesc
•@advocatesc
Miscellaneous
FOR SALE
Two clergy robes, 1 white and 1 black.
For more information, contact 803-783-0263.
Positions Open
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES
Cokesbury UMC in Charleston, SC, is a growing
church with a deep desire to fulfill God’s calling.
We are accepting applications for a Director of
Music Ministries (part time – approx. 20 hrs).
Prior background in Christian church music
direction is a prerequisite. Please email resumes
to [email protected].
JOB OPENING:
Church of the Covenant is prepared to hire
a part-time Children’s Director to supervise
our children’s programs and activities
(approx. 10-12 hrs. wk).
If you are energetic and have had experience
working with children and would be interested in
joining our staff, please mail a resume with your
qualifications Attention to: Rev. Dan Blair,
United Methodist Church of the Covenant @ 9020
Asheville Hwy., Spartanburg, SC 29316 or email to:
[email protected].
If you have any questions, you may call the church
office, (864) 578-6717 Monday-Thursday.
International Bible School Lessons
By Rev. Telley Lynnette
Gadson
Gadson is the pastor of St.
Mark UMC, Sumter, Hartsville
District. She is chairperson of
the District Committee on
Superintendency, a mentor for
ministerial candidates, a delegate to the 2012 Jurisdictional Conference,
and a second alternate to the 2012 General
Conference. She is well regarded as a
prophetic preacher and evangelism-engager.
Jan. 1
God Watches Over Joseph
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 39:7-21
Background Scripture: Genesis 39:1-23
Key Verse: Genesis 39:9 – “No one is
greater in this house than I am. My
master has withheld nothing from me
except you, because you are his wife.
How then could I do such a wicked
thing and sin against God?”
Have you ever felt like you were being
followed? I do not mean the familiar paranoia of walking in a parking lot alone after
dark. My point of reference is the feeling that
somebody bigger than yourself is keeping
watch of your every move in such a way that
you are protected in all situations. For the
believer, that somebody, without a doubt, is
God.
Joseph, an Old Testament biblical personality, can testify about the somebody named
God who was not only following him, but
keeping close watch of his “rising and setting.” As one becomes familiar with Genesis
39, it becomes hard to miss that Joseph was
a man of integrity. He gained the confidence
of Potiphar to the extent that Potiphar made
Joseph “chief operating officer” of the house.
Joseph believed God was the author of this
promotion and he wanted to serve with
excellence.
Joseph walked in righteousness and was
loyal to his master. Unfortunately, the master’s wife did not have the same kind of loyalty to her spouse. She propositioned Joseph
with an “indecent proposal” – the invitation
to “come to bed” with her. When he flees in
resistance to her inappropriate request, she
fabricates a story that misrepresents the actual events. Her account angers Potiphar, and
Joseph is moved from the house to the
prison.
The majority of Christians believe that
Joseph was innocent of the charges, and that
Joseph would not have participated in such
“a wicked thing and sin against God” (verse
9). I will go with “majority rules” in the case
of Joseph, and use verses 20 (part c) and 21
to substantiate: “But while Joseph was there
in the prison, the Lord was with him; he
showed him kindness.”
God watches over Joseph. If you can
identify with this assurance, feel free to put
your name where Joseph’s is. Today’s technological jargon leads me to say, “God was
tracking Joseph.” Let me further submit that
God is tracking each of us. God’s GPS gives
me “Grace, Purpose (and) Security.” In the
final analysis, God’s eyes are watching the
little sparrow, and I am confident the same
God is watching you and me!
Jan. 8
Joseph Finds Favor
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52
Key Verse: Genesis 41:38 – “So Pharoah
asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like
this man, one in whom is the spirit of
God’?”
To the spiritually naked eye, the title of
this lesson might lead one to ask two questions. What is favor? How is favor found?
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary
defines favor as “gracious kindness.”
To answer the latter, I would elect to share
my personal witness that favor is found in
God, the One who has a planned purpose for
each person on the earth. Finding favor has
nothing to do with favor ever being lost –
finding favor has to do with us being found
in the will of God to the glory of God!
A songwriter declared, “The safest place
in the whole-wide-world is in the will of
God.” It is definitely the safest place, but my
transparent-self knows it is not always the
most convenient place.
I am sure Joseph would agree from his
prison-perspective. How could an innocent
man find favor when his address for two
years has been a prison cell? Of course, it is
a long story. The cliff notes version is that
while Joseph was in prison, King Pharoah of
Egypt was having dreams that no one could
interpret. One of his staff persons remembered being confined with Joseph, who was
a gifted interpreter of dreams. Joseph is
brought from the prison to the king’s palace
for an interview.
Joseph translated the images of the dream
into “reality language,” He further offered a
plan of action in response to what the dream
forewarned. The plan was well received, and
he found favor, being named “deputy chief
of operations” in Egypt.
In essence, while Joseph was in prison,
favor was commissioned by God to tap him
on the shoulder. Before he could process the
touch, God put him before a great man who
gives him an opportunity to operate in his
gifts. Joseph found God’s “gracious kindness” nestled in the will of God. He
unashamedly acknowledged where his help
came from, and his conviction caused others
to make the same observations.
Have you found favor? Where have you
encountered God’s “gracious kindness?” Are
you hiding from God’s will because you are
comfortable with convenient-faith?
Come out, come out wherever you are!
God has a planned purpose for your life – a
plan that will employ your gifts to make
room just for you!
Jan. 15
God Preserves A Remnant
Background Scripture: Genesis 42:1-38;
45:1-28
Key Verse: Genesis 45:8 – “So then, it was
not you who sent me here, but God.”
Famine. Destruction. Pestilence. All three
words make me want to run for cover!
Where do you run when there is no hiding place? What do you do when resources
have all dried up? What’s the appropriate
course of action when help becomes helpless
and hope becomes hopeless? In the face of
disaster and calamity, God is the only source
of refuge and strength!
God preserved Joseph so he could be a
blessing to his own family. It is no secret that
his family was plagued by dysfunction. The
very ones who should have been his keepers
(his brothers) sold him into slavery.
True to form of God’s character, God
miraculously and mysteriously turned things
around. In the midst of famine that threatened genocide, Joseph was on the King’s
side, which put him in a position to extend
help and hope to the ones who turned their
backs on him.
As this story of forgiveness and reconciliation comes to life, Joseph recognized his
brothers after years of separation. His brothers were among the masses seeking to “buy
grain” from the Egyptian “Sam’s Club.”
Joseph was the operations manager. At this
point, Psalm 118:22 rings in my ear, “The
stone the builders rejected has become the
capstone.” Joseph, who could have acted out
of revenge, acted out of the spirit of redemption. He desired new life for his family and
made provisions for them to be with him in
Egypt. He wanted them to enjoy the fruit of
his labor rather than suffer in their homeland
of famine. Joseph understood God’s plan as
he told his brothers, “So then, it was not you
who sent me here, but God.”
God took Joseph from Potiphar’s house
to prison, and from prison to Pharoah’s kingdom. Joseph was positioned to represent the
remnants of help and hope in a time of trouble. God’s work wasn’t finished with
Joseph’s journey. Today, many know famine,
destruction and pestilence through the lens of
job loss, foreclosure, bankruptcy, cancer,
HIV/AIDS and other unfortunate realities of
life. Faith says that God has preserved for
each of us remnants of grace.
Thank you, Lord for our daily bread of
joy, peace, provision and love. Amen.
Jan. 22
Joseph Transmits Abraham’s
Promise
Key Verse: Genesis 50:20 – “You intended
to harm me, but God intended it for
good to accomplish what is now being
done, the saving of many lives.”
An age-old rhetorical question resurfaces
from time to time. “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The answer to such a
query is neither quick nor easy, but there is a
solace rendered by faith. The solace echoes
Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things
work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are called according to
His purpose.”
Joseph loved God, and Joseph was called
according to God’s purpose. Ultimately, he
could testify that even the things meant to
harm him in life worked out for his good.
Faith requires work. It is important to
remember that God does not seek to operate
as a magician. Instead, God invites us to be
involved in the work God is doing in the
earth so that we become living testimonies.
As we live, God wants us to learn that He
has the power to redirect harmful energy to
become kinetic energy – a catalyst for an
outcome that is good. Joseph was busy
working as one called according to God’s
purpose. God turned what was to be intended destruction into an invitation for deliverance.
Joseph could have become self-employed
with bitterness, hatred, malice and rage;
however, he decided that those wages carried
too much spiritual taxation. To the contrary,
Joseph concerned himself with being faithful, resourceful and forgiving. Joseph spoke
life. Joseph spoke hope. Joseph spoke peace.
Joseph spoke the promise of Abraham upon
his family, “But God will surely come to
your aid and take you up out of this land to
the land He promised on oath to
Abraham…”
What are we speaking today? Are we
transmitting reconciliation or retaliation?
Have we become vessels of empowerment
or imprisonment? The language we speak
can transmit the promise of transformation,
or the words we say can project the pain of
revenge that locks us in dry and faithless
places. The choice is personal. Time is of the
essence. In all things, let us work together for
good and for God’s sake!
Jan. 29
Out of Egypt
Lesson Scripture: Exodus 15:1-3, 19, 22-26
Background Scripture: Exodus 1:8-14;
15:1-27
Key Verse: Exodus 15:19 – “But the
Israelites walked through the sea on
dry ground.”
Mapquest is a wonderful Internet service
that offers the convenience of getting directions to a destination or mapping a designated location. When you are using the service,
it will ask if you want to route the shortest
distance or the shortest time.
If only life was as simple as Mapquest! I
would venture to say that Mapquest was not
yet in place when Moses was leading God’s
people out of Egypt. I am not sure how
Mapquest would have calculated the route
from Egypt to Canaan. I do not know if
Moses would have asked for the shortest distance or the shortest time. What I am confident of is Moses was walking by faith and
trusting in God as the map for the quest out
of Egypt.
For most people, the idea of “leaving
Egypt” denotes freedom and liberation from
a “Pharoah” of slavery and exploitation.
Somehow the idea does not seem to offer
any hint as to how much work, sacrifice, and
risk are involved in pursuing Canaan. In the
case of Moses and the Israelites, God was
not only their source for direction, but also
their secure protection.
Picture this – you are pressing to get to
the promise, there is a sea in front of you,
there is an “enemy army” behind you and
there is no Mapquest to give you alternate
directions. The only thing to do is to trust in
the God who told you to go in the first place,
and that is exactly what Moses did!
As Moses and the Israelites journeyed out
of Egypt, they sang praises to God. They
sang and God moved on their behalf. God
parted the waters so that “the Israelites
walked through the sea on dry ground.”
Then, this same God reunited the waters so
that the “enemy army” was rendered lifeless
and no longer able to pursue Moses and
company. For them, leaving Egypt was filled
with inconveniences and uncertainties –
from bitter water encounters to murmuring
experiences. When it becomes clear leaving
is better than staying, the envisioned Canaan
becomes worth the sacrifices of the journey.
Where is your Egypt? Who is your
Pharoah? How are you trying to travel –
shortest distance or shortest time?
I am sure by now you realize that this is
not a task for Mapquest. This calls for a closer walk with God, one that will keep you
coming to the garden of prayer while the
dew is still on the roses. The blessing is that
you have faith that will move mountains,
raise valleys, part sea waters and protect you
from lions, tigers, and bears – oh my!
Don’t give up now. Your Canaan is just
ahead!
WRAPPED IN PRAYER: Each knot is a prayer
From Page 1
And you take comfort. For no matter
what happens to you, you are safe.
That is the ministry of the Prayers and
Squares group of St. John’s United
Methodist Church, Lugoff.
Since March, the quiltmakers who
comprise the outreach effort have been
hard at work creating hand-knotted quilts
for people in need.
“Each knot is a prayer,” said Regina
Henson, founding member of the St.
John’s group, which is a chapter of the
international Prayers and Squares interfaith outreach and is an official ministry of
St. John’s United Methodist Women.
Henson said the ministry follows three
“commandments”: It’s not about the quilt
but all about the prayers. A person must
agree to accept the gift of prayer in the
form of a quilt. And no payment can ever
be accepted for a prayer quilt.
The quilters gather once or twice a
month, usually on a Thursday morning, to
start a project together. There, in the warm
and well-lit fellowship hall of St. John’s,
the dozen or so women pray and chat
while they encourage each other. Then
they bring their projects home to complete
and pray over privately. Finally, when the
quilts are complete, they are taken to
Sunday worship, where the entire congregation prays over them while tying prayer
knots.
“It’s almost like a tangible Holy Spirit,”
said Annah Hiers, St. John’s director of
youth ministries. “We have toddlers coming to the altar on Sundays to tie knots,
and 90-year-olds. It’s bringing together all
ages and interests in globalization.”
As of December, more than two-dozen
Quilters Margaret DeGroat (from left), Betty Hawkins, Mary Bess Johnson, Pat
Dixon, Regina Henson and Sue Ansley work on their latest project: a springthemed pink and grass-green floral quilt. (Photo by Jessica Connor)
quilts have been given to those in need of
prayer, including one for the church’s daycare. That quilt hangs just outside the daycare door, where all who enter may stop,
tie a knot and say a prayer.
Lisa Wilson, the church’s daycare
director, said knowing people are praying
for her daycare kids through the quilt
knots “just blesses me to my bones.”
Henson said she’s heard from the families of quilt recipients how much they
have appreciated them. She said one man
requested no flowers at his funeral, yet the
family allowed the coffin to be draped in
the quilt because it meant more to him
than anything else in his last few months.
Another quilter, Sue Ansley, knew a
woman who passed away with her quilt
wrapped around her. “It made me feel
warm inside to know we played a part in
encouraging her,” Ansley said.
Quilter Mary Bess Johnson agreed: “A
lot of joy comes from doing something
you know someone’s going to hold and
snuggle.”
The Rev. John Mims, St. John’s senior
pastor, said the quilts can almost be compared to a laying-on of hands – it’s a tangible expression of prayer reflecting the
heartfelt love of the full church.
“It’s phenomenal – the entire congregation is involved,” Mims said. “It’s not just
the group of ladies; it’s the spirit of the
entire church as the quilt is blessed on the
altar. They all come down, even the youth,
to tie the knots. It’s amazing. … You put
your hands on the quilt and you’re just
overwhelmed.”
Hiers noted how scientific tests demonstrate the power of a soft touch – and the
power of prayer. She said the prayer quilts
are a “channel of God’s love and mercy –
literally, through your hands, a conduit.”
And not only does it help the quilt
recipients, but also the quilters and those
who add their prayers by tying knots.
On Sunday mornings, when the full
congregation is invited to tie knots and
pray over the quilts at the altar, Henson
said the children are especially intrigued.
“The children want to know, ‘Now,
who’s that for?’” she said, pointing out the
teaching opportunity the exercise creates.
Quilter Betty Hawkins said the ministry
is “so rewarding” for her and her peers.
“We get as much out of it as the people
we give them to,” Hawkins said.
After all, the quilters thoroughly enjoy
each other’s company, working as a team
to glorify God, and often spend extra time
together bargain-shopping for material.
“We have a ball – it’s lots of fun,”
Johnson said, hugging one of her fellow
quilters as they prepare to piece together
their latest project: a spring-themed pink
and grass-green floral quilt.
At the end of the day, the quilters are all
quick to point out that the quilt ministry
has nothing to do with the quilt at all. It’s
all about the prayer, the love and the
Christian touch of a church doing all it can
to serve the Lord. It’s about reaching out
and showing the love of Jesus any way
they can.
“Our mission concept is to spread the
kingdom of God, and to do that we’ve got
to go outside the church,” Mims said.
With nearly two-dozen handcrafted
quilts given in Christian love to date – and
only a third of those to church members –
they’re on the right track.

Final crunch - South Carolina United Methodist Advocate

Transcription

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