Every afternoon, somewhere between 3:15 and 3:30, James shows up.
It is not on the schedule. He does not have a reminder set, and no one prompts him. He just appears.
“You can set your watch by it," Cameron Bishop, President and CEO of Wesley Glen Ministries in Macon, Ga., laughingly says.
Cameron describes the scene: James walks in, asks how the day has been, and then says exactly what he came to say: “I love you!”
Every single day without fail.
Cameron still has not gotten over the gift of it. James is not trying to make a point or perform kindness. He is simply saying the truest thing he knows before he leaves the room.
That is how love shows up at Wesley Glen. It is not an idea or a value statement tucked into a strategic plan. It shows up as a person who refuses to leave without saying what matters most.
Reaching Out to Persons with Special Needs
Wesley Glen serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities - from down syndrome to autism to a wide range of genetic and developmental differences. Those labels matter on paper, but they do not last long once you are there, and they fall away fast. What takes their place is relationship. There is a kind of love that does not need explaining because you can feel it.
Early on, Wesley Glen made a quiet but important decision about language. People are not clients or residents. Everyone at Wesley Glen is called a neighbor. Cameron shares that this word - neighbor - levels the field. We all have neighbors, and Jesus had plenty to say about how we treat them.
Through Cornerstone Helping Others, participants also get to decide how they want to care for people beyond their own community. They choose to serve in places like soup kitchens and outreach ministries - ordinary places where need is visible and hands are welcome. No one assigns the work or requires it; it is chosen.
“If we’re honest, service can sometimes feel like something we squeeze into a busy life," said Cameron. "Here, it feels different.”
Helping All Neighbors in Need
He talks about eagerness and about people not wanting to miss the chance to show up. There is a shared sense that this is exactly where they are supposed to be.
One year close to Mother’s Day, while serving together, the group noticed a woman experiencing homelessness with her children. It did not take much conversation to realize those kids likely would not be able to do anything special for their mom that weekend.
So the group talked, and without any telling them what to do, they put together a gift basket filled with practical items the mother and her children needed. It was nothing flashy. Just care, offered quietly, from people already practiced in paying attention. It was not big, but it mattered.
Much of the work at Wesley Glen circles around questions families carry for years, "What happens when I’m no longer here? Who will love my child when I can’t?"
That question came sharply into focus with Johnny. He has significant disabilities and was adopted years earlier by a teacher who realized he had nowhere else to go. As that adoptive parent aged, the fear grew heavier. Who would care for Johnny? Who would love him?
Wesley Glen stepped in.
When Johnny arrived, it was not simple. His needs were complex, and there was a learning curve. But the question was never whether he belonged; it was how to support him well. Before long, Johnny was not just receiving care, he was known and loved, and he was home.
At Wesley Glen, that truth does not arrive all at once. It settles in slowly, and trust comes easier. Love is offered without hesitation.
For communities of faith wondering what it looks like to love the least of these, Wesley Glen does not offer a checklist. But they do offer an invitation for anyone who wants to know more. Wesley Glen can teach you about love.
Every afternoon, right around 3:15, James shows up and says what matters most, "I love you!" Love doesn’t wait for perfect timing; it simply arrives.
Your Generosity Helps Others
By supporting your local congregation’s outreach ministries, you impact lives of your surrounding communities and those around the world. No matter what part of the world we live in, your generosity can reach across oceans and help churches like Wesley Glenn Ministries help those that are less fortunate.
excerpt from a story by Rev. Stephanie Smith, Associate Pastor at Pittman Park UMC in Statesboro and Cultivator in the South Georgia Conference.
This story represents how United Methodist local churches through their Annual Conferences are living as Vital Congregations. The overarching purpose of The United Methodist Church is to "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." A vital congregation is one that is effectively engaged in this mission. Together, we become a powerful force for healing, growth, and transformation—living out the Gospel in every corner of the globe.
