By Jessica Brodie. A relationship-based effort to break the cycle of poverty called Circles is working its way across South Carolina, and United Methodist churches are getting solidly on board. Mount Horeb UMC, Lexington, is starting a new Circles chapter, and Buncombe Street UMC will begin its second cycle in January.
By Jessica Brodie. It all started from a photo, one the Rev. Robert Walker considered to be a highly unflattering though accurate portrayal of how much weight he’d gained over the years. Little did he know he’d soon become a walking example—literally. Since then he’s walked an average of about 180 miles a month for the year, whether from walking to and from work or doing walking pilgrimages while on vacation, and lost 40 pounds in the process.
By Jessica Brodie. One little boy is alive today thanks to the quick thinking of his mom—and the first aid training she received at her United Methodist church the week prior.
Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Greenville, is taking a stand for women by creating kits for Days for Girls, holding donation drives for the Period Project and educating themselves about local and federal laws.
Nearly 300 United Methodists gathered in person and were joined by more than 50 online sites around the world as the Uniting Methodists movement met Nov. 13-14 at Impact United Methodist Church, Atlanta.
By Jessica Brodie. Together and individually, United Methodists across South Carolina are joining in a week of intentional prayer Dec. 24-30 for God’s will and wisdom to prevail as the denomination struggles with theological differences over sexuality.
By Jessica Brodie. Imagine losing almost everything and having to start over with just the essentials. Now imagine it’s Christmas, and the cheerful tree and festive decorations are absent, lost to mold and muck and other flood-related devastation. For hundreds of South Carolina hurricane and flood victims, that’s exactly what happened. Members of Macedonia United Methodist Church, Mullins, saw this firsthand, and this Christmas, they decided to pitch in and help make their neighbors’ holiday season a bit brighter by donating Christmas trees, garland, ornaments and other decorations.
By Jessica Brodie. United Methodists were among the people of faith and other advocates who rallied in protest and prayer recently over the thousands of young adults slated to lose their legal status and face deportation because the Trump administration is ending a government policy to protect them.
By Jessica Brodie. Horrible stuff happens to the most beautiful people. Tom Russell has seen it too many times. “We don’t know why,” he says, recounting the stories: the 16-year-old who came seeking hope and a cure—and died just a month later. The 10-year-old in remission five years from leukemia who was bouncing in a bounce house one day, then rushed to the hospital the next, cancer back with a vengeance.
By Jessica Brodie. Again and again, Jane Hinnant felt the tug on her heart. She knew it was God, knew He wanted her to step up and do something to help, but the why-not reasons piled on. “I just kept shoving it back,” said Hinnant, longtime member of First UMC, Winnsboro—but God had other plans.
By Jessica Brodie. United Methodist bishops—including South Carolina’s Bishop Jonathan Holston—are reviewing three possible models for the denomination’s future courtesy of a report from the Commission on a Way Forward stemming from the denomination’s widely differing views on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer issues and the difficulty of addressing 56 pieces of sexuality legislation at the 2016 General Conference.
By Jessica Brodie. A South Carolina United Methodist church that itself was a victim of an armed robbery five years ago held a candlelight vigil last month to pray for the families of a mass shooting in rural Texas, joining other UMCs across the state and nation grieving over the tragedy.