Lay Servant Ministries is getting a leadership shift. Instead of just one director, now it has two co-directors, Becky Green and David Salter, each with equal responsibilities.

These bring the newspaper’s total to 121 awards for journalism excellence in the last decade from groups such as the SCPA, the United Methodist Association of Communicators and the Religion Communicators Council.

With the theme “Seeking A More Excellent Way—Taking the Next Faithful Step,” this year’s Annual Conference will be held in Florence at the Florence Center, with the Florence District and Cumberland United Methodist Church as hosts. However, in-person attendance will be limited strictly to those who must be onsite to conduct the business.

Bishop L. Jonathan Holston has appointed the Rev. Telley Lynnette Gadson as new superintendent of the Hartsville District. Gadson, senior pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Taylors since 2013, will succeed Dr. Robin Dease after the 2021 Annual Conference. Dease has served the Hartsville District as superintendent since 2013.

They will focus on developing leaders, growing disciples, engaging communities and measuring current realities/missional possibilities.

Because of the soaring rates of depression and anxiety in this country today, Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church recently held mental health workshops for youth and adults.

Mount Carmel United Methodist Church was awarded $3,000 from the South Carolina United Methodist Church’s Ethnic Local Church Concerns to improve its technology and security initiatives.

South Carolina communicators Matt Brodie and Dan O'Mara won four awards from UMAC in the video and photography categories, Annual Conference/Local Church Division.

The South Carolina United Methodist Advocate has selected Garrison Burrows, a rising freshman at Spartanburg Methodist College, as the newspaper’s 2021 college scholarship recipient.

South Carolina Methodist history lovers are reeling this month after news that the World Methodist Council Museum has closed. The museum, housed at nearby Lake Junaluska, was established in 1956 and has one of the largest collections of artifacts from the early days of Methodism, including rare paintings, significant historical Methodist findings and artifacts from the time of Jesus. By Jessica Brodie.

Continuing pandemic concerns prompt the UMCSC's 2021 Annual Conference to convene virtually June 6-7.

One Midlands church showed some extra special love to its elderly homebound members in honor of “love month.” Cayce United Methodist Church members, from preschoolers to older adults, handcrafted Valentine’s Day cards for the church’s elderly who are confined to their homes or nursing facilities. The 24 shut-ins, all in their 90s, got 15-20 valentines apiece. By Jessica Brodie.