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South Carolina Annual Conference
June 4-7, Orangeburg, S.C.
With a theme of “Following Jesus In This Way of Life,” the South Carolina Annual
Conference marked Pentecost with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of women
receiving full clergy rights. A video was shown of the history of female clergy
in the conference, beginning with Bessie Bellamy Parker, a local pastor who
began serving at the Ruby Charge in 1950, and continuing until present day.
Throughout the conference, clergywomen took the lead, serving as communion
servers and delivering sermons.
The conference began a mission emphasis in April called ACTION (Annual
Conference Trinity Initiative of Needs) that had three prongs. Local churches
were encouraged to collect school kits to be distributed to 24 schools across
the state; and to take up offerings for the Bishops’ Katrina Church Recovery
Appeal and a water project at Old Mutare Mission in Zimbabwe. More than 1,800
kits were received, at an estimated value of $36,000. ACTION Katrina raised more
than $33,000, and more than $32,000 was raised for ACTION Zimbabwe during the
conference. The conference treasurer said those amounts do not include money
that arrived before conference, and he expects checks will continue to arrive.
The Conference Council on Ministries officially changed its name to Conference
Council on Connectional Ministries, to put it in line with the language of the
Book of Discipline. In addition, the conference approved a change in the
council’s philosophy, which will move away from conference-wide programming and
toward equipping the local church. With that in mind, six district
congregational specialists will be deployed to the 12 districts to help local
churches better define their ministries. In addition, the conference approved
the creation of a position to help strengthen the African-American churches in
the conference and the creation of a communications position.
A budget of $16.5 million was approved for 2007, an increase of 0.5 percent.
Ten resolutions were put forth before the body. Four of the resolutions are
believed to have been submitted by a member of the conference for an outside
party with no Methodist ties. Resolutions that received votes of non-concurrence
were: “A Resolution Urging Prayerful Reflection about Church Membership in the
Abortion Coalition”; “A Resolution Calling for Accountability in Taking
Positions on Divisive Political Issues on which the General Conference Has Not
Spoken”; “A Resolution Affirming Laws Defending Marriage”; and “A Resolution
Setting the Number of Districts in the S.C. Annual Conference as of June 16,
2007.”
Resolutions receiving concurrence were those calling for protection of children
from poverty in South Carolina; asking that “Congress refrain from passing laws
(on immigration) ? that would divide families, make felons ?, encourage
mistreatment of immigrants, or criminalize the efforts of” faith organizations;
and calling for support of the United Methodist Church Global AIDS Fund by
setting a specific date and taking offerings.
The resolution dealing with the AIDS Fund was also referred to the Conference
Council on Finance and Administration because it asked for $1 per member to be
raised during the quadrennium. Also referred was “A Resolution Supporting Human
Rights and Peace in the Middle East.” It was referred to the Board of Church and
Society. A resolution to support the Joseph B. Bethea United Methodist Church
was referred to the Office of Congregational Development.
In addition, the committee on equitable compensation asked that a task force for
new church starts be created that would effectively take them out of the
process. It was approved.
Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor ordained 13 people as deacons and elders;
commissioned 29 as probationary members of the conference; and licensed 18 as
local pastors.
During a memorial service, Bishop Edward L. Tullis, 16 pastors and 14
widows/widowers were remembered.
The conference voted to discontinue two churches ? Duncan Memorial United
Methodist Church, Spartanburg, and Blenheim United Methodist Church, Blenheim.
The 2007 annual conference will be held June 4-7 in Florence.
Membership stands at 241,664, down 16 from the previous year. Worship attendance
stands at 98,594, down 953. Church school attendance stands at 44,608, down
3,583.
--Allison K. Trussell
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