Mount Seal celebrates with historical marker, mortgage burning

HEMINGWAY—One United Methodist church in the Florence District celebrated its birthday in a unique way, burning its paid-in-full mortgage and unveiling a new South Carolina historical marker before a large crowd of worshippers and supporters.

Mount Seal United Methodist Church celebrated 167 years of ministry June 29 at 10 a.m. with a service that commemorated the long history of the church, which organized in the 1870s and was originally known as Turkey Creek Church. Members reportedly first worshipped under a brush arbor.

In 1887, nine church trustees acquired two acres at this site along what was known as “the public road to Indiantown Church.” They constructed a wood frame church, likely using trees harvested from the purchased land.

By the early 20th century, the congregation changed its name to Mount Seal Methodist Church.

“Mount Seal is the oldest United Methodist church in the Nesmith community,” said its pastor, the Rev. Cynthia B. Williams, who has served there since 2021. “The marker installed will serve as a reminder of those who paved the way for worship service in this community.”

A lengthy history of the church, compiled by church historian Julia B. McFadden with some information from the late Joseph V. Barr, notes that faith and love were the cornerstones that established the church.

As McFadden wrote, “The burning zeal, in the hearts of small groups of Christians needing a place to assemble to witness and worship, led to the beginning of this church.”

McFadden noted the first meeting place was a brush arbor, a shelter in the woods made from trees. The arbor shade established in 1856 during the dark days of slavery was by a pond, which was located approximately 200 yards west of the church’s present-day structure. This spot was selected because this was the place where Black slaves, who were then members of the present-day Indiantown Presbyterian Church, were baptized.

McFadden wrote that this meeting place for the worshippers was called Mount Cedar. They would go to this meeting place to sing, pray and tell God and each other about the trials and tribulations they encountered.

“It was in the year 1891 that members of this group decided it was time to build a church to protect them from the cold and rainy weather,” she wrote. “On January 8, 1891, four and one fourth acres of land were purchased from J. E. Kennedy for the sum of twenty-one dollars to build the church. The new church was located on the east side of the present-day church. This was a wood frame structure; the men cut down trees on the property and from this timber, they hewed the sills, boards, and shingles to put the building together.”

On March 9, 1897, an additional two acres of land for a parsonage was purchased for $25 from W. H. Kennedy.

In the early sixties, the Rev. C. R. Brown Jr. came to Mount Seal and began to lead the congregation in the awareness of the need for structural change. The structure was completed in 1971 under the leadership of Rev. O. J. Nelson.  During this time the church was a part of the Cades Charge, which consisted of Mount Seal, Hickory Grove and Wilson Chapel UMCs. Hickory Grove and Wilson Chapel churches merged which brought about the present Faith UMC.

In 1982, the Rev. W. S. James was appointed to serve Mount Seal. Under his leadership, the educational building was completed in 1989 and the cornerstone was laid. At this time, Jeremiah and Mount Seal were joined as a charge. Members saw the need for the church to have its doors opened every Sunday and as often as possible during the week.

In 2001, the Rev. J. P. Thomas was appointed to serve the Jeremiah-Mount Seal Charge. In 2004 a female clergy was appointed to serve at Mount Seal United Methodist Church—the Rev. Geneva Stafford. She introduced new ideas and services with the main focus on worship services and ministries. In 2013, Rev. Joseph A. Wilson Jr. was appointed, then in 2015 the Rev. Ernest Frierson, in 2019 Dr. Christopher Thompson, and in 2021 the Rev. Patsy S. McCrea.

The current pastor, serving since November 2021, is the Rev. Cynthia Williams.

Williams has been instrumental in securing the 501 (c)(3) status for Mount Seal as well as receiving a $10,000 grant for youth and children ministries, among many other things.