1 The SC Challenger VOL. 53, ISSUE 1 SEPT/OCT/NOV 2007 Visit our District Website at www.scwesleyan.org SOUTH CAROLINA CHALLENGER Published quarterly by the S.C. District of The Wesleyan Church EDITOR: Robert Huff Copy may be mailed to: 101 Dillard Ct. Easley, SC 29642 E-mail to: rdhkh@yahoo.com or admin@scwesleyan.org NEWS INSIDE Ordination 1 Growing Pastors 2 2007 District Conference 3 SetApart ‘07 4 SC District -5 Year Stats 5 Pastoral Leadership Awards 6 WADE MICHAEL ROGERS Wade accepted Christ in 1992, at the age of 24. He began to sense a call to ministry shortly after that and finally yielded to that call in 1997. Wade has served the Iva First Wesleyan Church as pas-tor since 2004. He and his wife, Noralee, have a four-year-old son named Micah. ELLIS SCOTT SMITH In March of 1998, at the age of 31, Scott was saved. He felt the call to ministry im-mediately after his salvation experience. In 2006, Scott, his wife, Lisa, and their son, Caleb, moved to Little River, SC (North Myrtle Beach), where they pastor Faith Wesleyan Church. Ordination: July 16, 2007 JONATHAN CURTIS GALLOWAY Jonathan came to faith in Christ on March 27th, 1998. In April of 2000, he felt his call to ministry. An assistant pastor at Golden Grove Wesleyan Church, he is the founder of an addic-tions recovery program called RAMP (Recovering Addicts Making Progress). Jonathan and his wife, Jill, have two children, Jacob Bruton Galloway (16) and Kaylan Yarbrough Galloway (11). EMILY JOANNE MILLER Of her coming to Christ, Emily writes: “I loved God as a child, but I truly came to understand and surrender to Christ when I was seventeen years old. My faith was always a process, never a „one-time‟ event. During my sophomore year of college, God began the work of sanc-tification in my heart.” Of her call to ministry, she says that this began “the summer before I enrolled at SWU. It was definitely not a „lightning bolt‟ experience; rather a gradual realization of the passion and gifts God had given me to serve.” Emily and her husband, Matthew Miller, have served as co-pastors of Mauldin Wesleyan Church since 2004. They have a 20-month-old son, Ethan. 2 Growing Pastors Dinner August 26, 2007 SC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan Life On Sunday evening, August 26, 2007, we had the first of two Growing Pastors’ events for this district year. We appreci-ate the excellent attendance and participation of our district pastors. We have heard so many positive comments about the evening from those who attended. Our Assistant DS, Tony Casey, shared a wonderful message, “I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me . . .,” as he reflected on his pastoral ministry, which he is now leaving as he begins a Ph. D. program. Thanks, Tony, for sharing your heart and experiences, and be as-sured of our prayers as you move into this next stage in your life. Marcia Boland led us in a time of wor-ship, and Crystal Modlin, Neal Taylor and Ken Culbertson shared testimonies that challenged and encouraged us all. The closing time of prayer around the table for needs and our chal-lenges in ministry was a fitting conclusion to the evening. The date for the next Growing Pastors‟ evening is March 2, 2008, at the Greenville, First Wesleyan Church at 4:30pm. Be sure to mark your calendars. You're Not Superman We try to look smarter or more successful or more spiritual than we are. We try to answer questions we don‘t understand. But it is a heavy burden, trying to be Superman when we‘re grown up. There is another way to help people out instead of trying to be the Superpeople we aren‘t. The primary reason Jesus calls us to servanthood is not just because other people need our service. It is because of what happens to us when we serve. We must embrace limitations. That is whence strength comes. God is not chewing his finger-nails over whether or not we are going to serve in a ‗super-manner.‘ We must minister out of weakness. The reason we help others is not because we are strong and they need us; it is because if we don‘t help them, we will end up a hopeless relic. Why does AA insist on anonymity? The purpose is not only that people can attend AA meetings without being exposed to the outside world as alcoholics; there is the added reason that no one is allowed to use AA as a vehicle to fame. The founders realized the fatal lure of celeb-rity. The only way to life was to remain a fel-lowship of drunks helping each other. That is the kind of servanthood Jesus calls us to—a society of sinners helping each other. Excerpted and adapted from The Life You‟ve Always Wanted, by John Ortberg, Zondervan, 2006 Crystal Modlin sharing her testimony 3 SC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan Life 2007 District Conference Highlights For the first time, District Conference was conducted in the Bethel Worship Center. As the words, “We are standing on holy ground,” began to echo through the building and then spilled to the outside, we realized that we were truly in the presence of the Lord. This awareness continued from the opening chorus to the benediction at the close of the Ordination/Awards service. The move to the Bethel Worship Center seemed to be well-received and certainly gave us some much-needed breathing room, as well as making space for the many non-delegates who were able to attend as observers. I have heard numerous positive com-ments about the tone and spirit of the confer-ence. The elections went smoothly (no addi-tional balloting was required), and the overhaul of the Standing Rules was adopted without dis-cussion or amendment. (Thank you, Confer-ence Action Committee, for your extremely dili-gent work on this!) We also thank God for blessing us with a cooler than normal week for Conference and the Family Camp that followed The eight-day gathering of SC Wesleyans began with an extremely well-attended and in-spiring Missions Rally. Following a ―power-tool relay race‖ in which two of our men were awarded $500 scholarships toward a missions trip this year, Dr. Jo Anne Lyon of World Hope International shared a powerful message focus-ing on our opportunities to be involved in God‘s work at home and around the world. The offer-ing received was over $4,000! We were blessed by Dr. Lyon‘s presence and sharing at the con-ference and her participation in the ordination service that evening. The Ordination/Awards Service was es-pecially memorable. The professional quality video recounting the life and legacy of Dr. Virgil Mitchell moved us all to thank God for this re-markable man of God, and made us realize anew how blessed we were that God shared him with us for so long. Our appreciation goes to Tony Casey and Matthew Tietje for their dedi-cated work on this project. (A copy of this DVD is available for a cost of $20 by contacting ei-ther Tony Casey or the district office.) During the service, Lawrence Keever was presented a plaque upon his retirement from active ministry. Preston Edmonds and Joe Edwards received watches for 25 years of ser-vice to The Wesleyan Church. Four were ordained as ministers in The Wesleyan Church: Jonathan Galloway, Emily Miller, Wade Rogers and Scott Smith. We thank God for this quality group of ordinands. From the ―State of the Church‖ Address delivered by General Superintendent Dr. Tom Armiger, we learned the following information about the ―average‖ North American Wesleyan Church: In 2006, primary worship attendance in the ―average‖ Wesleyan Church was 116; Sun-day school average attendance was 49; total membership was 79; total contributions were $153,120; reported conversions were 13; 4 per-sons were baptized. Since this was the 40th Annual District Conference, the introduction portion of the Dis-trict Superintendent‘s report included the fol-lowing: There are many changes–a generation later–as we gather here at Table Rock instead of Greer. There are signs of in-creased health and strength in our dis-trict which we will note at this confer-ence. However, the fact remains that, statistically, things are not that much different than they were a generation ago. The size of congregations, which was measured then by Sunday School, is virtually the same. In 1967, Sunday School average attendance was 4,079 compared with today‟s gauge of morn-ing worship which was 3,949 this year. The SC District was comprised of 64 churches compared to 59 today. This is hardly “early-church” and “Kingdom of God” stuff! The District Superintendent‘s report told of strong gains in some key areas in the district. We are thankful for the gains that we have shown this year. Reflected in the statistics are increases in: 4 SC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan Life  Morning Worship Attendance 159 4% Covenant Membership 131 3% Number Saved 24 7% Number Baptized 41 24.5% Number participating in Short-Term Missions Trips 14 16% Students in Wesleyan Colleges/Universities 4 7% Called into ministry/missions 5 36% Contribution Income increased 2.8% Percentage of USF Paid increased from 95.6% to 96.61% Areas where we showed decreases include: Sunday School 8 .015% Evening Worship 97 5% Persons Sanctified 41 3 6% Voting Highlights District Secretary – Sue Rickman District Treasurer – Mark Payne (elected by DBA) DBA Members: (Ministers) Fred Andrews, Michelle Bryant, Lewis Edwards, Dan Groves, Richard Hall, Steve Stanley. (Laity): Joy Bry-ant, Jonathan Catron, Dan Dees, Sheryl Dennis, Linda Moore, Charles Tegen. General Conference Delegates: (Ministers) Buddy Rampey, ex officio, Fred Andrews, Tony Casey, Orvan Link, Steve Stanley. (Laity) Joy Bryant, Jonathan Catron, Mark Payne, Sue Rick-man, Charles Tegen Conference Action Committee: (Ministers) Foster Gentry, Darlene Teague, Jim Wiggins, Paul Wilcox. (Laity) Michael Bryant, Martin La-Bar, Charles Tegen. Nominating Committee: (Ministers) Dan Belcher, Scott Buchanan, Tom Harding, Donnie Massingill, Steve Stanley. (Laity) Amanda Boyd, Bill Cody, Loretta Cox, Johnna Hayes, Julie Kel-lett. Family Camp Board: Buddy Rampey, Chair; Richard Hall, Vice-Chair; Bob Moore, Secretary; Dan Belcher, Treasurer; Donnie Massingill, Don Milstead, and Frankie Rodriguez. SetApart ‘07 is More Than A Youth Convention It’s no secret that this will be is a youth con-vention first and foremost! But plans are also being made for young adults, pastors and chil-dren! Just for Young Adults at SA7… Late Night for Young Adults (out of high school and able to stay awake after 9pm) will take place all three nights at SetApart'07. We'll laugh out loud with the comedy of "321 Improv" as well as worship and reflect on what it means to live a holy life for Jesus. Check it out onsite at SA7! For Pastors & Leaders at SA7… Pastors and Adult Leaders have some things to look for-ward to at SetApart'07. Not only will you get good use out of your earplugs, but you'll learn from some of the best pastors and teachers that The Wesleyan Church can offer on the topic of holiness. Sanctification is not just your grandparents’ doctrine.......it's God's and for all time! Are you making your plans to attend SetApart ’07? Register at www.setapart07.com. It is my hope that many from across the SC District will join Joan and me for this exciting and life-changing event in Orlando, Florida , December 28-31. Don’t Forget! Check out our website at www.scwesleyan.org 5 SC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan Life SC District — Five Year Statistics 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total No. of Churches 59 56 57 59 59 Churches Planted (Included in Total) 1 1 2 2 Total No. of Members 4,096 4,130 4,169 4,260 4.456 No. of Convenant Members 3,861 3,842 3,862 3,948 4,092 No. of Community Members 235 288 307 312 364 Sunday School Attendance 2,507 2,572 2,496 2,511 2,403 Sunday Morning Attendance 3,586 3,633 3,567 3,788 3,949 Sunday Evening Attendance 1,807 1,841 1,702 1,807 1,710 Midweek Attendance 2,021 2,014 1,936 2,161 Adults Enrolled in Discipleship 2,195 Wesleyan Youth Attendance 495 450 440 492 Youth Enrolled 687 Clubhouse Attendance 551 531 504 570 Children Enrolled 920 Salvations 306 371 395 341 365 Sanctifications 83 86 98 114 73 Baptisms 145 142 166 167 208 Called to Ministry 25 29 17 14 19 Total Contribution Income 4,653,146 4,695,168 5,013,828 5,393,454 5,545,004 Per Capita Giving Based on Membership 1,136 1,137 1,203 1,266 1,244 Budget Assessment 512,439 499,585 508,959 517,846 546,780 % of Budget Collected 94.11 89.76 93.14 95.67 96.61 No. Ordained Ministers 120 No. Licensed Ministers 6 No. Ministers Ordained 4 2 3 1 4 Students at Wesleyan Colleges/Universities 67 67 55 57 61 Persons Involved in Short -Term Missions 76 81 99 86 100 6 SC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan LifeSC Wesleyan Life Pastoral Leadership Award Special recognition was given to pastors and churches that have shown significant gains in attendance (minimum of 10%); have reported conversions; have paid 100% USF/EIF/District Assessment; and their reports were on time. Receiving the awards were: Neal Taylor 58% Peter Sibande 45% Wade Rogers 23% Ken Culbertson 22% Scott Smith 18% George Brassard 17% Richard Hall 17% Scott Uselman 16% Orvan Link 16% Chet Rowan 13% Howard Smith 13% Thank you, delegates and pastors, for your attendance at the entire conference. By the time the last ballot was cast in mid-afternoon, there were only 10 fewer votes cast than on the first ballot that morning. To the few who did leave early: you missed some good stuff! Thank you to everyone who made the Conference run as smoothly as it did: Assistant District Superintendent, Tony Casey; our very efficient District Secretary, Sue Rickman; Mi-chael Bryant for the PowerPoint; Steve Love for the sound; the distributing and counting tellers; our camp staff, Greg Hayes and Donnie Massin-gill; and the large number of volunteers who helped before and after . . . the kitchen staff, headed by Darlene Hughey and her family . . . Tony and Sherri Casey for the reception for the ordinands . . . Matthew Miller for the Missions Rally . . . and to those who gave many hours at the District Office helping to assemble, label, and prepare for distribution the 300 packets for delegates and guests (Victoria Stanley, Alicia Stanley, Renee Campbell, Sandy Buchanan, Sid-ney Buchanan, Marie Gilbert, Kayla Gadley, Whitney Hayes and her friend, Arianna). I want to especially thank my wife, Joan, for her or-ganizational skills and the many hours of work that made the entire conference go more smoothly. We invite your suggestions for ways in which District Conference can be improved. It is our goal that this day will be the most excit-ing day and the highlight of the district year. A decision will be made during the September DBA meeting regarding the 2008 schedule for conference and camp. More than 400 surveys were returned at the conclusion of Family Camp. The input from those is deeply appreci-ated and, after being compiled by volunteers on July 23, is now being placed into a more refined format that will make this information readily accessible and more easily evaluated for imple-mentation. DBA Organizing Meeting (Tuesday, July 17) Ac-tion:  Approved the District Budget for the coming year to include an increase in the Assistant DS honorarium and an increase in the district phone line item to include a mobile phone for Assistant DS. The meeting included elections for the com-ing year. Changes include: James Henderson, District Youth President Bryan Stepp, Director of Wesleyan Men Billie Faye Harvey, Prayer Coordinator TR – CMA: Ken Whitener, Chair; Jim Tolle-son, Treasurer; Jonathan Catron, Lawrence Keever, Bob Pelligrino, Jack Watson. Archive Committee: Glenda Hoyle, Chair; Martha Evatt, Foster Gentry, Billie Faye Harvey, Paul Wilcox. In response to the action of the District Conference, the following were elected as Al-ternate General Conference Delegates: (Ministers) Richard Hall, 1st Alternate; Tom Harding, 2nd Alternate. (Laity) Martin LaBar, 1st Alternate; Sheryl Dennis, 2nd Alternate. The complete list of committees and directors are included in the District Journal. It continues to be a joy and honor to serve our SC District Wesleyan family. SC District -The Wesleyan Church 127 Bethany Cove Drive * Pickens, SC 29671 Phone: (864)878-3478 * Fax: (864)897-8006 Email: ds@scwesleyan.org admin@scwesleyan.org Website: www.scwesleyan.org