The 52nd Session of the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church convened June 4-7, 2023, at the Florence Center in Florence, South Carolina. It was the first in-person gathering for annual conference in four years — since before the COVID-19 pandemic forced conference leaders to host three annual conference sessions virtually.

Some 1,500 lay and clergy members gathered to worship, fellowship and conduct business together under the theme, “Seeking a More Excellent Way: Breathe & Believe, Hewing Hope.” Resident Bishop L. Jonathan Holston presided.

“We are living in an unrelenting, unwavering, unyielding storm that seems like it will never end,” Bishop Holston said, preaching the opening worship sermon. “It seems like everything goes on and on and on. And we keep trying to make sense of it. We try to get hold of it. We try to get control of it. And the more we try to get control of it, it escapes us even more.

“We live in a world that encourages personal gain at the expense of faith and hope, at the expense of grace and mercy. We live in a world that encourages personal gain at the expense of forgiveness — and even salvation. And, yet, God does not leave us comfortless. God supplies us a Comforter to let us know that his presence is always with us, always challenging us, always buffeting us, always finding us when we are searching.

“I believe — even in the midst of this world — we are stronger at the broken places. I believe that God has something for us, if we allow ourselves to seek God’s grace in the midst of our lives. I believe that God has a place for us, if we understand that God’s grace and God’s mercy goes before us. I believe that God is going to do something great for us, with us and within us, if we allow ourselves to allow God to have God’s way.”

Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, resident bishop of the West Virginia Annual Conference, preached at the Service for Commissioning, Ordination and Retirement Recognition on Sunday, June 4, at the Florence Center.

Bishop Steiner Ball took us back to the first two chapters of the Bible, placing the current state of The United Methodist Church within poignant context.

“Most Christian churches and theology do not start with Genesis 1 and 2 and God’s original blessing, God’s breath of life,” Bishop Steiner Ball said. “No, many churches’ theology starts with Genesis 3 — the fall or original sin. Now, sin is real. All you have to do is look around and you can’t miss the reality of sin. Violence, wars and crime, abuse and greed.

“Words of venom spoken to one another — to people created in God’s image in the midst of discussions, of disagreement and separation. Racism and sexism still run rampant. Poverty and injustice are everywhere.”

Focusing exclusively on what is wrong with the world, Bishop Steiner Ball said, becomes oppressive and, ultimately, a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Now hear this, leaders of the church,” she said, “The old advertisements really are true. We are what we eat. We are what we take in physically and spiritually. We become what we take in. We become what we allow to swirl and dwell inside of us. What are you taking in? What have you truly come to believe?

“Well, if you’re not sure, then what are the words coming out of your mouth? Do they breathe life or something else? Where do your words reveal that you spend your time existing in the realm of God’s original blessing — the blessing that hews hope? The blessing that enables both us and other persons to come face-to-face with Christ. Or are you so focused on sin, focused on what is wrong, focused on what you perceive as not good, focused on your own rightness that you are slowly allowing the life to be sucked out of you?

“Are you so focused on what is wrong that you are sucking the life out of your community and your congregation? Are you so focused on that, rather than on re-presenting the blessings of love, forgiveness and life that God sent God’s son to make known and to restore?”

The Rev. Tim Rogers, the Marion District superintendent who is retiring after nearly four decades in ministry, preached at the Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving on Tuesday, June 6, at the Florence Center.

“We are sent to represent the one who called us to follow him, to share in his work and sacrifice,” Rogers said. “And so we follow and we sacrifice not by literally dying on a cross, but in many different ways. We surrender the right to respond when criticism comes our way. We surrender the right to quit when it becomes hard. We sacrifice family meals and time together.

“I suspect that every pastor has reached those moments when they are ready to quit. I suspect that every pastor’s spouse has had days when they have wondered why they ever agreed to be part of this journey — to bear both the person, the pain of the person that they have married, and the pain that they bear in their own lives. And I surely suspect that every child has wondered at times why they were chosen to be inserted into a family that they did not choose — to live a life that they cannot control and that is so different from those around them.

“And yet, as real as all of this is, it is not all. To focus only on the difficulties and the sacrifices of this unique life is to choose to focus on just a part and not the whole. In fact, to focus only on what has been surrendered is to ignore the greater part of this life and all that is born out of it. Because it is in the surrender that amazing and beautiful things happen. Remember that those who want to save their life will lose it. And those who lose their life for the sake of Jesus will find it by their sacrifice and surrender. The lives that we gather to celebrate and remember this afternoon were transformed into the means of grace by which God reached into the brokenness of which there is too much in the world – and into the hearts and lives of untold numbers of people desperately seeking to be healed of their pain and saved from their emptiness.

“So rejoice and be glad, for their reward in heaven is great. Rejoice and be glad, because God has wiped every tear from their eyes. And for them there is no more sorrow or pain.”

113 S.C. churches approved for separation from UMC

In a somber and respectful process on Tuesday, June 6, members of the 2023 South Carolina Annual Conference overwhelmingly approved the closure of 113 local churches whose members have voted to separate from The United Methodist Church. In a powerful and moving display of unity, all except about 20 of the estimated 1,500 voting members stood silently after Bishop Holston asked who would support the separation resolution.

“We pray for these churches that have chosen a different journey,” Bishop Holston said after the vote. “May we also acknowledge that that which binds us will never leave us. In the midst of our separation, may we show each other the grace and love that you demonstrated through your sacrifice on the cross and your resurrection from the grave.

“For those who are leaving us, we bless you and send you on your way. For those who are remaining, we pray that God gives us a new will to do what God has called us to do. May it become clear, may it become important, may it move from our heads to our hearts.”

These churches, having completed the Local Church Discernment Process, determined that they can no longer function as a United Methodist church because they firmly believe that the denomination has not consistently upheld its stated doctrine on issues of human sexuality. The UMC Book of Discipline prohibits performing same-gender weddings and the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.”

Lay and clergy members of the Annual Conference voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution proposed by the Conference Trustees, who have overseen the Local Church Discernment Process and are responsible for the process of closing a church. The 113 churches will be closed as United Methodist churches, but intend to continue ministry outside the denomination.

Each church met the following requirements to be closed under Paragraph 2549 of the Book of Discipline:

• The church council of a local church determined that it is in the best interest of the church to allow the congregation to pursue separation.
• The local church completed an intentional, 30-day process of discernment to consider whether the congregation can continue to function as a United Methodist church.
• Certain financial obligations, including:
• A tithe equal to 10 percent of the appraised value of all church property and liquid assets.
• All unpaid apportionment giving for the prior year, as well as for the year of closure up to the date of the Annual Conference vote to close the church.
• An additional 12 months of apportionment giving.
• All unpaid salary and benefits due to clergy appointed to the church.
• A withdrawal liability equal to the church’s proportional share of any unfunded pension obligations.
• Other financial considerations and legal liabilities of the local church — such as the disposition of any debts, loans, leases, endowments, foundations and cemeteries — must be satisfied or transferred to a new entity.
• At a church conference meeting, two-thirds of professing church members present and voting support declaring formally that the church can no longer continue to function as a United Methodist church.

Separating churches, which will be closed effective June 30, 2023, are:

Anderson District

• Bells UMC (Abbeville)
• Chiquola UMC (Honea Path)
• Salem UMC (Salem)
• St. Andrew UMC (Easley)

Charleston District

• Aldersgate UMC (North Charleston)
• Charleston Korean UMC (North Charleston)
• Friendship UMC (Cross)
• Pinopolis UMC (Pinopolis)
• Point Hope UMC (Mt. Pleasant)

Columbia District

• Chapin UMC (Chapin)
• Columbia Korean UMC (Columbia)
• Lebanon UMC (Eastover)
• Mt. Horeb UMC (Lexington)
• Pond Branch UMC (Gilbert)
• Rehoboth UMC (Batesburg-Leesville)

Florence District

• Cades UMC (Cades)
• Cameron UMC (Lake City)
• Cedar Swamp UMC (Kingstree)
• Earle UMC (Andrews)
• Ebenezer UMC (Hemingway)
• First UMC (Hemingway)
• Good Hope UMC (Hemingway)
• Lane UMC (Lane)
• Liberty Chapel UMC (Florence)
• Millwood UMC (Kingstree)
• Mt. Vernon UMC (Greeleyville)
• New Zion UMC (New Zion)
• Old Johnsonville UMC (Johnsonville)
• Pine Grove UMC (Timmonsville)
• Pine Grove UMC (Turbeville)
• Pisgah UMC (Florence)
• Prospect UMC (Pamplico)
• Salem UMC (Timmonsville)
• Shiloh UMC-Turbeville (Lynchburg)
• St. Luke UMC-Kingstree (Salters)
• St. Paul UMC (Coward)
• Suttons UMC (Andrews)
• Tabernacle UMC (Pamplico)
• Trinity UMC-New Zion (Alcolu)
• Trio UMC (Salters)

Greenville District

• Buncombe Street UMC (Greenville)
• Covenant UMC (Greer)
• Dials UMC (Gray Court)
• Mauldin UMC (Mauldin)
• Mountain View UMC (Taylors)
• Sharon UMC (Greer)
• Shiloh UMC (Gray Court)
• Zoar UMC (Greer)

Greenwood District

• Butler UMC (Saluda)
• Hodges UMC (Hodges)
• McCormick UMC (McCormick)
• Shiloh UMC (Saluda)

Hartsville District

• Bethel-Oswego UMC (Sumter)
• Beulah UMC (Camden)
• Concord UMC (Bishopville)
• Dalzell UMC (Dalzell)
• Lewis Chapel UMC (Sumter)
• McLeod Chapel UMC (Rembert)
• St. Mark’s UMC-Broad Street (Sumter)
• St. Matthew UMC (Bishopville)
• St. John UMC (Rembert)
• St. John UMC (Sumter)

Marion District

• Antioch UMC (Bennettsville)
• Aynor UMC (Aynor)
• Berea UMC (McColl)
• Bethel UMC-Georgetown (Andrews)\
• Boykin UMC (Bennettsville)
• Brown Swamp UMC (Conway)
• Center UMC (Mullins)
• Christ UMC (Bennettsville)
• First UMC (Bennettsville)
• First UMC (Loris)
• Main Street (Dillon)
• Main Street UMC (McColl)
• Oak Grove UMC (Wallace)
• Pine Grove UMC (McColl)
• Pisgah UMC (Aynor)
• Pleasant Hill UMC (Marion/Wallace)
• Rehoboth UMC-Aynor (Galivants Ferry)
• Smyrna UMC (Bennettsville)
• Tranquil UMC (Mullins)
• Trinity UMC (Andrews)
• Trinity UMC (Clio)
• Wayne UMC (Georgetown)
• Zoan UMC (Loris)

Orangeburg District

• Cattle Creek UMC (Rowesville)
• Ebenezer UMC-Orange Circuit (North)
• Limestone UMC (Orangeburg)

Rock Hill District

• Armenia UMC (Chester)
• Bethel UMC (Lancaster)
• Capers Chapel UMC (Chester)
• Catawba UMC (Catawba)
• Grace Community UMC (Fort Mill)
• Mt. Vernon UMC (Hickory Grove)
• New Hope UMC (Chester)

Spartanburg District

• Bethlehem UMC-Jonesville (Union)
• Buffalo UMC (Buffalo)
• Campobello UMC (Campobello)
• Carlisle UMC (Carlisle)
• Fosters Chapel UMC (Jonesville)
• Liberty UMC-Campobello (Landrum)
• Lyman UMC (Lyman)
• Reidville Road UMC (Moore)
• Roebuck UMC (Roebuck)
• Sardis UMC (Union)
• Walnut Grove UMC (Roebuck)
• Wesley Chapel UMC (Union)

Walterboro District

• Cottageville UMC (Cottageville)
• Cypress UMC (Ridgeville)
• Mt. Tabor UMC (Ridgeville)
• St. Paul UMC (Ridgeland)
• Tillman UMC (Tillman)
• Trinity UMC (Ridgeville)

Other church closings

In addition to the 113 churches closed in advance of separation, the annual conference voted to close three other churches that are no longer sustainable: Bowers Chapel UMC (Florence), Lockhart UMC (Lockhart), and Union UMC (Union).

“We celebrate the legacy of these churches and what they represent as part of the fabric of our Christian faith,” Bishop Holston said while leading members in prayer after the votes to close each of the churches. “As we consider what we are doing, we honor the pastors and laity who made these churches whole.”

Conference budget

Annual conference members approved a $13.2 million 2024 conference budget, which reflects a decrease of 15.5 percent from the 2023 conference budget. Conference finance leaders included in the budget proposed conference apportionments of $9.6 million, a decrease of more than 15.5 percent from the 2023 conference budget.

Other resolutions

Capital Punishment — Citing its unjust and flawed implementation and its history as a descendant of racial lynching, annual conference members endorsed a resolution urging the elimination of the death penalty. The resolution also encourages United Methodist congregations to, among other things:

• Hold a vigil in their church buildings, at the execution facility or state capitol when an execution occurs.
• Connect with anti-death penalty efforts and organizations to learn more about those who are on death row and ways to support them and their families.
• Advocate with elected officials to eliminate all death penalty laws.

Gun Violence — Citing Jesus’ call to his followers to be peacemakers and statistics reflecting the horrifying rise in gun-related deaths and injuries in the United States, annual conference members endorsed a resolution calling upon United Methodists in South Carolina to prayerfully address gun violence in their local context, including:

• Making gun violence prevention a regular part of their conversations and prayer times, framing these conversations theologically by utilizing resources produced by the General Board of Church and Society.
• Assisting those affected by gun violence through prayer, pastoral care, creating space, and encouraging survivors to share their stories, financial assistance, and through identifying other resources in their communities as victims of gun violence and their families walk through the process of grieving and healing.
• For those who own guns as hunters or collectors to safely and securely store their guns and to teach the importance of practicing gun safety.

For United Methodist congregations to:

• Lead or join in ecumenical or interfaith gatherings for public prayer at sites where gun violence has occurred and partner with law enforcement to help prevent gun violence.
• Partner with local law-enforcement agencies and community groups to address mass shootings.
• Advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence, including universal background checks on all gun purchases, ensuring that all guns are sold through licensed gun retailers, prohibiting all individuals under restraining order due to threat of violence from purchasing a gun, and prohibiting persons with serious mental illness, who pose a danger to themselves and their communities, from purchasing a gun.

By the Numbers (2022)

• Number of people ordained or commissioned: 21 (14 ordained, 7 commissioned)
• Number of clergy retired: 37
• Membership: 203,565, down 3,210 from the previous year.
• Worship attendance: 115,940, down 4,274 from the previous year.
• Church school attendance: 20,245, up 642 from the previous year.
• Professions or reaffirmations of faith: 1,903, up 633 from the previous year.
• Adults and young adults in small groups: 41,148, up 1,998 from the previous year.
• Worshippers engaged in mission: 33,298, up 3,025 from the previous year.

— Compiled by Dan O’Mara, director of communications