Service helps body surrender grief after separations, move toward hope
South Carolina United Methodists were invited to come forward to surrender their lamentations to God, placing stones in baskets in an effort to next move forward in hope. Photo by Matt Brodie.
By Jessica Brodie
GREENVILLE—The last several years have been a difficult season in the life of the church, from strife over theological differences about homosexuality to the loss of more 225 churches in the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church.
On the final day of the 2025 Annual Conference, the body took steps to heal with A Service of Lament to Hope led by Bishop Leonard Fairley. The service honored the pain experienced by many over division and grief in separation.
“The last several years have been tense, full of anxiety and discord. We have much to grieve,” the Rev. Cathy Mitchell offered. “We live in a world that is uncomfortable with hard emotions. When we are faced with pain, grief and hurt, it is tempting to rush ahead, to set the grief aside and run toward the next thing. But God is inviting us to stop, to be honest about our grief, to cry and rage and tell the truth, because the worst thing we can take with us into the future of who we are as United Methodists is a numbness toward the pain we are experiencing now.”
A symbolic surrender
The body sang “Come and Find the Quiet Center,” alternating verses with readings from Psalm 77. Then, all were given a rock to symbolize their pain, and various people offered petitions—mourning the uncertain church, the discord and division, the weakness of witness, those who lost churches to call home, clergy who led churches who left the UMC and all who grapple with feelings of betrayal and confusion.
As the petitions were spoken, Fairley dropped a rock into the baptismal font, asking people to imagine they are handing over their laments to God.
“Lamentation, grief, is a necessary part of what we as children of God must travel with,” Fairley preached in a homily.
Fairley noted that when he lost loved ones, particularly his late wife, people urged him to remember an important lesson about experiencing grief: “There’s no way through this but to go through it. If you take a shortcut, you won’t go through it; you won’t come out on the other side.”
Indeed, Fairley reminded people that, as the old hymn reminds, “You’ll never come out as pure gold unless you go through the fire.” We must lament.
Next steps: Plant seeds
But, he asked, what happens when the lamentation is over? Then comes hope, he said.
“What if we allow the tears that we have cried to calm the waters, to birth and fertilize and water something new?” Fairley asked.
He urged the body not to let their tears go to waste: “After the weeping is done, plant some gardens. Plant some seeds that sow love, peace and justice.”
Next, prayers were offered by various people asking God to renew our hope. Then people were invited to come forward to surrender their lamentations to God, placing stones in baskets in an effort to next move forward in hope.
With this complete, Fairley then led the body in the fixing of appointments, which cemented where each pastor will serve this conference year.
The service and entirety of Annual Conference closed with the body singing the South African hymn “Siyahamba,” triumphantly declaring they are marching, singing, praying and dancing, for the Lord is our light.