Author Archives: Jessica Brodie

By Jessica Brodie. This Christmas, people who are incarcerated at Turbeville Correctional Institute will be getting some extra-special help from United Methodist churches and pastors thanks to a cry for help—and a heartfelt response.

By Jessica Brodie. It’s the final stretch, those last few weeks before financial books close on what has been a difficult and tumultuous year. The goal has changed, scaled back from 90 percent to 84 percent with a push toward achieving what can be done over focusing on what can’t. But if conference financial leaders get their Christmas wish, UMCs across South Carolina will send in something—anything—so missions and ministries can get back to a reasonable level of monetary support.

Here, we talk to each of the district lay leaders, new and returning, to learn what they most look forward to in their role, what they believe are the most pressing issues within the local churches, what is one thing a year from now they hope to look back on and know was successful, and a few things about their profession, hobbies, family and more.

After her nephew’s devastating accident, woman reflects on ‘unimaginable kindness’ shown to her family by United Methodist and other S.C. ‘angels.’ By D. Halvorsen.

By Jessica Brodie. Youth at Lexington United Methodist Church got together this fall and handcrafted winter scarves for homeless and other people who could use a bit of warmth, both for their bodies and their hearts.

The old adage, “When the Lord closes one door, he always opens another one,” proved true for Main Street UMC and FoodShare SC.

By Sha’Rome Henry and the Rev. Angela Ford Nelson. So you want to teach your Sunday school class, lead a meeting or offer your worship services via Zoom, Facebook Live, teleconference or another social media platform, but you don’t know where to start. Below you’ll find the beginning of a checklist we have compiled and use to offer our five online services, various meetings and classes to our church family and a growing online community.

The South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church has released updated best practices for in-person worship and other gatherings given the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Nov. 13, the conference treasurer reports total paid apportionments of $10.9 million of the $17.6 million budget for the year, or 61.97 percent. That’s a drop of 6.98 percentage points from this time last year, which saw $12.2 million collected, or 68.95 percent. By Jessica Brodie.