Jerusalem Church Plants

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jerusalem Church Plants Chart

District News and Notes 6.17.11

It’s June already. That means the reporting for pastors and churches is completed and District Conference can’t be far behind. In fact, it’s three weeks from this Saturday! Just mentioning that is like an alarm going off in my head! We move to the SWU campus for this year’s event, but this is not the first time for us to meet in Central. The first time was in 1895 and the most recent was in 1981. A day-long event in the open-air setting of Bethel Worship Center has proved to be a challenge for many of our attendees. The university generously offered us the use of their facilities at minimal expense and it seemed good to move to a more comfortable environment. In just a few days, you will be receiving further information about location, parking, meals, etc.

You certainly do not need to be a delegate to attend our District Conference. Guests are most definitely wel- come and you are encouraged to attend. Please be in prayer for this special day for our district.

On May 15, we visited the Glenwood Wesleyan Church in Easley. There was a good spirit in the service and the time of meeting with the leadership team over lunch was helpful. Pastor Roger Rhoads and Jean are pro- viding good leadership during what are challenging days for this congregation. This is a church comprised primarily of older members who have given their lives to the church. They have been joined by several of our retired minis- ters. They face the challenges of maintaining a larger, older facility; limited number of workers who are able to serve, while at the same time, needing to develop ministries that can reach younger people; and very little context with their changing community. Please pray for wisdom as we work with these types of situations in our district.

It was a pleasure to visit with the Glendale Wesleyan Church, located in the community by the same name in eastern Spartanburg County, on the morning of May 22. This is a former textile mill community that faces the challenges typical of these areas. We were there for the special occasion of honoring Rev. Franklin Cantrell, who is retiring after 23 years of ministry in this community. He and his wife, Mary Faye, are beloved by these people and by the community. Joan and I have come to love and appreciate this precious couple and their spirit and consistent service, and our prayer is that God will give them many more years of health and strength. Rev. Ken Hales, pastor at Davis Chapel, will add Glendale to his pastoral responsibilities next month.

The second week of May brought our annual family vacation at beautiful Hilton Head Island. The weather, setting and extended time together combined to make it a joyous, memory-making time. The “Colorado connec- tion” (Matt and family) was unable to join us since the newest “grand” was only two days old! Oh, how they were missed! But there were still seven grandchildren to corral–enough to keep their parents busy, and Joan and me smiling . . . at least most of the time!

Later in the month, we enjoyed a marvelous visit with our son, Matt, and his family. Of course, a highlight was seeing our newest grandchild, Caroline Grace, and spending time with older brother, Will, and older sister, Abigail. It was a privilege to dedicate Abigail and Caroline during the weekly meeting of their house church group. Understandably, it was extremely diffi- cult to tell them all goodbye, realizing that, in all likelihood, it will be Thanks- giving before we see them again. The cooler and drier atmosphere in Colo- rado the last of May did not prepare us well for the change when we arrived home. Although the calendar says it is not yet summer, the temperature and humidity during the last two weeks would indicate something very different.

The next big events on our family calendar are the anticipated births of the next two grandchildren, both due the last week of July. While we try not to inundate you with too many pictures, we couldn’t resist this one.

Believing in each other,

Pastor Buddy

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District News and Notes 5.05.11

It is another beautiful Spring morning here at impressive Table Rock. Everything is green and growing. The yellow (pollen) stage has passed, but not before leaving some of us with a month of sniffles, coughs and scratchy throats. It got bad enough for me that I had to a cancel my scheduled church visit of April 3, because I simply had no voice. As for the DNN, I’ve certainly been feeling the “pressure” of getting this done, while juggling other responsibilities and not having a lot of energy at times.

I have been very involved in the pastor/church relations process for the past few weeks and feel that we are getting close to positive conclusions for these situations.

On March 27, I enjoyed a wonderful visit at the Bethany Wesleyan Church in Moore, SC. The time of fellowship over lunch with the congregation and leaders was enjoyable and gave opportunity for getting better acquainted. I sensed that the training session with the leaders was productive and paved the way for making additional changes to continue their progress. There is definitely new life in this congregation and they are experiencing a significant turnaround under the ministry Pastor Rick Gilbert and Maria. They have more than doubled in attendance in the past 21⁄2 years and experienced commensurate growth in other areas. There were 91 present for Easter Sunday.

The visit to the True Life Christian Fellowship in Spartanburg gave opportunity to see another “bright spot” in what is happening on the local level in our district. In a time of sharing following a wonderful all-congregation meal, I came to realize how much God has blessed them with a wonderful leadership team. Their turnaround over the past two years has resulted in a vibrant and growing church with a heart that is directed outward to their community and the world. This year, they have contributed more than $13,000 to missional projects both locally and beyond, while also making USF/EIF payments that resulted in contributions representing155.04% of their assessment for 2010-11. The record reflects a doubling of attendance and finances in less than two years. Their Easter attendance was 101. We are so glad to have Pastor Gene Burgess and Kathy back ministering in our South Carolina District. They are great team players.

On May 1, we visited the Liberty Wesleyan Church–the visit that was cancelled earlier because of my illness. I felt the help of the Holy Spirit as I preached a message of challenge and vision. It was an encouragement to me and to the congregation to have two visiting young families with children present who then stayed for the fellowship meal and became the discussion starters for sharing about the vision and future for the church. I am hopeful that the follow-up will result in a new vision and life for this church. Pastor Alan Abshire and Jean are serving this congregation.

There were several special events last month that had a positive impact on district life. The Men’s Retreat at Myrtle Beach was a great time of fellowship and challenge for those who were present. Rev. Chris Vernon (pictured at right), a church planter in the Wilmington, NC area, connected with the group in a dynamic and positive way. We were all called to a new and deeper commitment to Christ and I believe that many have taken that step. Thanks to Bryan Stepp, our District Men’s Director, for his leadership. Next year’s retreat will return to the last weekend in April (27-29). You are encouraged to be making your plans to participate.

The BYF luncheon at SWU met in Founders’ Hall on April 19. The fellowship, food and fun made this an excellent and enjoyable event. Thanks to Chuck Mealy, District BYF Director, for his leadership. During the luncheon, information was shared about some exciting plans for the coming year.

Also on April 19, several pastors and youth leaders gathered for a time of learning and dialogue on the emergent church at the fellowship hall of FWC/ALIVE. Rev. Jeremy Summers from the Department of Spiritual Formation was the presenter and Rev. Heath Mullikin was the facilitator. Thanks go to those who attended and gave leadership to this event as well as the host church.

There were two special Hispanic services this month. On April 10, True Life Christian Fellowship hosted a rally with the theme, “Crossing the Border II.” Special music, messages, a chalk artist presentation and fellowship made this a memorable evening for all who attended.

On Easter Sunday evening, I was among the 170 persons who gathered at Centro Familiar Cristiano in Duncan to participate in a combined baptismal service for our Hispanic congregations. Sixteen persons were baptized in vibrant, moving service filled with spirited singing and testimonies of changed lives. There were an amazing number of young adults, youth and children present. (Pictures and video will come later.)

A highlight of the month for me was attending my first Exponential Conference. I was among 4,100 church planters who participated in seminars and main sessions led by some of the outstanding leaders and practitioners in the church planting movement today. While it was my first, I certainly do not plan for it to be the last. The date for the conference next year is April 23-26 at First Baptist Church, Orlando, FL. (Pictured at left is a main session while Francis Chan was speaking.)

This is an exciting week for our family. On May 4, our tenth grandchild arrived (see Congratulations item) and this Friday, three of our four children and their children join us for our annual family vacation at the South Carolina coast. It will seem very different with Matt and his family not with us this year, but the arrival of the their new baby and our inability to find another time to gather made that impossible.

God is at work in our district! The exciting reports from Easter services, as well as some early end-of-year reports, show signs of growth and vitality in many of our district churches. The record for district year 2011-12 began last Sunday. The answer to what that record reveals lies ahead. We thank the Lord for the privilege of serving with an outstanding pastoral team and quality

laypersons as we commit to “the transformation of South Carolina and the world.” Believing in each other,

Pastor Buddy

NEWS AND INFORMATION The 44th Annual Session of the South Carolina District Conference will convene on Saturday, July 9, at 8am at Southern

Wesleyan University, Founders Hall. Additional information including the agenda will be provided following the May 21st DBA meeting.

Table Rock Work Days/Work Teams

You are encouraged to make a contribution to the ministry of our Table Rock facility through the donation of your time and energy. The annual Work Week is May 16-21. Plan now to come and help prepare the facilities for the summer season. Also note that groups are encouraged to come at other times. Camp Director, Greg Hayes, has a long list of projects that can be completed by work teams and individuals. Contact Greg at (865) 878-2792 or camp@scwesleyan.org.

DNN 5.05.11