December 2007

Through the Years

Sometimes the bits and pieces of everyday can surprise you with a deeper appreciation for this life God has given us.  Many of those moments have been captured in cherished family photographs.  During a recent weekend, our daughters displayed the gathered collection of family pictures on the wall going upstairs.  They filled the space.  It is quite an assortment. 
As I go up and down the stairs, those images bring to mind a flood of memories.  Four generations of life are on that wall. There is a twenty-something Rusty proudly holding the stringer of fish he has caught.  Papa Sloan, his grandfather waves as he sits atop a large white horse.  My mother clad in shorts holds me as a little baby in her arms.  In her wedding gown, daughter Mandy is smiling as her bouquet rests in her lap. Rusty’s parents have been married sixty years, but here they are when they were first dating. In one picture, at 18, Tiffany poses for the camera in her cheerleader uniform. In another, she is five years old and riding piggyback on Mandy’s ten-year-old shoulders. 
In addition to the various images, there is a collection of our family pictures from the pictorial directories where we have served in ministry. Through the years, we have selected the best picture to be printed, but you cannot fail to see the passage of time in all of us.       
There was a time, when time itself seemed to pass so slowly. In the spring, it seemed as if summer would never get here. In the summer, it seemed as if school would never start back so you could see your friends. In the fall, the ultimate description for having to wait was to depict a thing as being as “slow as Christmas.” As the years feel like they are going faster, I can better understand my mother’s advice to a nine-year-old who was so impatient to become ten. She advised me to be careful not to wish my life away. 
As I look at the lives portrayed on our picture gallery, I realize the sweetness of all of that time and memory. As we begin a new year, I am reminded that every year has twelve months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds.  Every moment of our life is a gift from God. It is a free priceless gift.  We have done nothing to earn or deserve it. It is totally up to us how we will use this gift. It is even our choice whether we wish it away or give it away,    
Let me share with you a prayer that offers guidance at the beginning of a new year. The name of the author has been lost, but the sincerity remains true.

Dear Lord,
The sun is rising on the morning of another day, the first day of the New Year.  What can I wish that this day, that this year may bring to me?
Nothing that shall make the world of others poorer, nothing at the expense of others;
But just those few things which in their coming do not stop with me but touch me rather, as they pass and gather strength. 
Please give me …
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value, without which the world would be the poorer;
A return for such work small enough not to unduly tax anyone who pays;
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed;
An understanding heart;
A sight of the eternal hills and unresting sea,  
    and of something beautiful the individual hand has made;
A sense of humor and the power to laugh;
A few moments for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
    with the wisdom to recognize them when they come.  Amen.

In this new year may the presence and love of God be made known in you and through you.

Grace and peace,
Dindy Taylor  

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November 2007

Some God Things Are Happening

Recently, I have been going to a lot of birthday parties, and there are more to come. Each one has been different and unique, but in every instance what a celebration we have had.
It has been a family time. We have given thanks, laughed, sung with enthusiasm, looked at old pictures, shared special memories and eaten too much delicious food. Putting together a big party like that always requires a lot of planning and work. Without exception, each host or hostess has done it joyfully with love.
Allow me to mention a few of the guests of honor for all these parties. It has been a significant year.
Beulah became 110 years old. St. Luke completed 50 years. St. John¹s, Union, and Bethany have all reached 150 in the same year. Bethel has just completed a yearlong celebration of her 150 years. As I opened my mail today, I discovered that Killingsworth is turning 60 years old, as well.
These are just the recent parties. I know that there are many, many more than I can mention here. Clearly, God has been working through the people called Methodist for a long, long time in South Carolina.
As I have listened to the stories of each ministry, I have wondered about the circumstances that led to its birth.
Obviously, folks were committed to starting new churches. They started a lot of new churches. People were settling into new communities across the state.
Everyone agreed a church was needed. There was a need and all the parts worked together to meet it.
I am reminded that ³Everything old is new again.² Each church history recounts astonishing things that were achieved. These descriptions are the very ideas that are considered today to be new and on the cutting edge.
Many of these birthday churches were begun by an existing congregation. The established church loaned some of its most gifted leaders to the effort.
Whatever needed to be done, the people did it.
Today, this is called the Parenting Model. It proves to be the most effective way to begin a new church. I pray that God will place the possibility of parenting a new church on the hearts of today¹s congregations as well.
At those times when the population grew faster than the present buildings could support, the churches reached out to the community and offered double Sunday school hours and multiple worship services. They focused on meeting the needs of families and developed children and youth ministries, child care programs, and youth mission trips.
They established scouting programs, built habitat houses, began prison ministries, and provided for the special needs of people. It sounds like a plan for today.
We celebrate all that God has accomplished through the years. But we cannot stop here. As people of faith, we know that God is still at work and God is not finished.
Sometimes, folks wonder why we need any more churches. The answer is that there are areas of our state where the population is exploding. People may want to be United Methodist, but we simply do not have enough pews to meet their needs.
Remember, God things are still happening. So let me give you the latest report on what we are working on with God¹s help.
Currently, we are committed to four new churches and one restart. Each faith community is growing stronger each week.
The Point Hope Church in Mount Pleasant has reached its largest attendance to date. Their pastor challenged them to have more than 100 in worship. They did it.
The Waters Edge Church in Beaufort continues to grow. Each Sunday, it consistently averages more than 100 in worship.
The Grace Community Church in Fort Mill has been meeting on Saturdays. At their second Sunday service on October 21, they had 78 in worship.
The two newest church starts, which began in June, are developing their core groups. The Journey Church in Columbia had 51 at a prayer breakfast last Sunday. The Grace Point Church in Bluffton had 240 at a Taste and See Event Oct. 19.
Celebrate with me. From the youngest to the oldest, good things and God things are happening in the churches of South Carolina.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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October 2007

It¹s All in the Wrist

Some things we can do naturally, and other things need to be learned. This summer, I was determined that I was going to learn to fly fish. How hard can it be? Stored in the back of my memory are a number of trips with my parents to the north Georgia mountains in search of rainbow trout. Friends in Hiawassee often directed us to the hot locations where the streams had been stocked. Although I grew up mainly watching, again, I ask how hard can it be?
My luck in catching fish was greatly improved while I was in seminary. One of the churches Rusty served had a member who owned a trout farm. It was magnificent. As soon as you threw the hook baited with corn in the water, you could catch a fish. The size of your catch was only limited by the strength of your arm to reel them in and drag them up the bank. Even then, if you wanted more fish, the employees would scoop them up for you. My folks kept their freezer full of trout during those years.
Alas, this summer I realized that all my fishing skills were for naught. I had trouble even understanding the young man at the Sporting Goods Store in Columbia. Suddenly I was confronted with the fact that those into the sport of fly fishing have a completely different language.
Rods can be anything from ultra light to heavy flexibility. There are wet and dry flies. Each of the flies comes in a variety of color combinations and sizes that correspond to the different weights of the fishing line. It is important to match the fly you use with the insects that are hatching on the day you are fishing. I was entering an unknown world, and it didn¹t matter that I had been to the north Georgia mountains or to Kennemer¹s Trout Farm. My main instruction was that it is all in the wrist.
So off I went for two weeks of fishing in the Wind River and Torrey Creek in Dubois, Wyo.
Now I know I have a long way to go before I master the art of fly fishing.
But here are a few of the things I have learned so far that have a larger application.
On a tour of the fish hatchery, I learned that fish at every life stage are hungry and need to eat in order to grow. When fed the proper diet in the right conditions, they will thrive.
At several different locations, I realized when someone around you is catching fish and you are not, it does not help to claim there are no fish in that stream. Instead, it works better to ask what fly they are using and make some corrections. Successful fishers enjoy sharing their secrets with you.
Any kind of downpour can mess up the fishing for days. You can continue to fish if you want, but you are not going to catch any thing in muddy water.
Even if you are using the perfect lure, the fish cannot see through the murky mess. Transparency matters, and often it takes time for the conditions to be right for the fish to bite again.
Walking out into the middle of a cold mountain brook is quite an adventure.
However to the fish, it does not matter how far you hiked or how difficult it was to get to a particular fishing hole. The fish are simply under no obligation to get on your hook.
At the bait store, I discovered how contagious it can be to be around other fishermen and fisherwomen. Every time the door opened, the entering person brought stories of where they had been and where the fish were hitting.
There was a camaraderie of offering suggestions and helping one another that got you enthused about trying it again.
I know you are wondering how many trout I caught on my trip. I must confess the fish were pretty safe while I was around. As I cast my line in the middle of Torrey Creek, there was that one two-foot long brown trout that jumped high out of the water. He is the one that got away. I cannot imagine what it did to the fish to see me standing there. I was so startled that I yelled and almost had a heart attack.
When Jesus said, ³Follow me and I will make you fishers of people,² I am not sure that he was talking about fly fishing. But fishing is fishing. The point is to be successful in fishing; we have to follow some basic principles.
Just like fish, people hunger. They need to be fed so they can grow. We need to pay attention to the hungers of folks.
All of us are lifelong learners. We do learn from each other. It is gratifying to help someone else improve.
Because of all sorts of circumstances, at times folks can lose their way.
When that happens, it takes time for God to set things right again. That means we have to be patient and faithful.
There is life-giving energy in gathering with others who share the same mission. It just does your heart good. Life is not easy for any of us. It keeps you going to have the support of others on this journey with us.
How hard can it be? I would have to answer, pretty hard at times. Some say the answer to success in fishing is all in the wrist, but I really think it is all in the heart.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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June 2007

The Season of Change

As we come to the end of another conference year it may be helpful to point out that a year in the life of the church begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.
I am not sure why we follow this schedule, but my hunch is that it has to do with the school year. It has not always been this way; some will remember when Annual Conference was in the fall of the year.
During this year’s Annual Conference some of our clergy colleagues will retire. Many have served for some 40 years, but all have been willing to give themselves to the church. We honor the service they have given to the work of God’s Kingdom.
Nineteen of our brightest and best will be received into the membership of the Annual Conference.
Rusty and I had dinner with them a couple of weeks ago, and they are an impressive group of people. They bring many gifts to the church and we celebrate their ordination.
Every year about a third of the pastors move to new fields of service. This is a stressful time for them and for the churches.
In the past 34 years we have moved 15 times. Some of those moves were to different houses, not different churches. I have often said the hardest thing about being a Methodist preacher is moving.
Now I am sure not all pastors will agree with that statement, but for me it is the most difficult thing I ever have to do. Every time we have moved we have left close friends and congregations we have loved. I really don’t think that moving is a bad thing; on the contrary it is often a very good thing, but it is still hard.
As we’ve traveled around South Carolina during this conference year we have experienced the church at its best.  We have heard some outstanding preachers, inspiring music and met many genuine Christian people.
I never cease to be amazed at how much at home we feel with the people of our churches. John Wesley called it connection, and I can honestly say that our connection is real and vital. We have truly been welcomed by people in United Methodist churches across the Palmetto State, what a blessing it is.
During this year’s session of the Annual Conference we will again experience the church in worship, in Bible study, in debate, in elections, in conversation with friends that we have not seen for a whole year. We will witness the transforming power of Holy Conferencing (another way Wesley describes our time together).
It is my prayer that as we gather in Florence we will have a keen awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit, that God’s Spirit will be evident in everything we attempt to do, and that we will seek to honor and glorify the risen Christ.
May we come together with open hearts and open minds and allow God to come into our lives and the life of our church in a way that we have never experienced before.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Florence Civic Center on June 3.

Grace and Peace,

Mary Virginia Taylor

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May 2007

Company's Coming

Before cell phones made it so easy to communicate with family and friends, part of our tradition on a trip was to buy postcards and mail them back home.
Drugstores, gas stations, hotels, roadside markets, all had a large assortment of beautiful postcards showing the splendor of the location.
Sometimes the postcards were so exquisite that we would even buy a few to keep for our memories.
The message written on the back of the postcard was always similar.
In those few lines that would fit, it usually included something about having a wonderful time and seeing unbelievable things. And then the sentence would always be added, ³Wish you were here.² When you see and experience something truly wonderful, it is only natural to want to share it.
We want the lives of those about whom we care to be impacted by the same good things we have felt and seen.
This is the same attitude that disciples have had for centuries as they have shared their faith.
For the past two and one half years, I have been telling my friends on the Council of Bishops about the wonderful smiling faces and beautiful places of South Carolina.
The United Methodist people here are incredible. They are warm, generous, committed disciples of Jesus Christ.
It is a good place to be and serve. And then I have added, ³I wish you were here with me to experience it.² So my friends, I got my wish.
Company is coming. The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church will be meeting at Myrtle Beach from April 29 to May 5 for its spring meeting.
The Council of Bishops helps to set the direction for our more than 11 million-member denomination and its mission throughout the world.
It is composed of all the active and retired bishops of the United Methodist Church.
These bishops and their spouses will come to South Carolina from four continents, including North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
For some bishops, English is not their primary language. So whenever the council meets there are also interpreters present to assist with translations.
In addition, the general secretaries of all of the general agencies of the denomination will be attending the meeting, as well as other staff and the media.
I am looking forward to this next week.
The Council of Bishops will do many of the things that any large family does when it gets together.
We will enjoy being with one another again.
We will praise God and remember those who have transitioned to the Church Triumphant.
We will discuss ways that our church can respond in the name of Christ to the needs of the world.
We will celebrate our faith and the goodness of God.
We will pray, sing, plan, and encourage one another.
Many folks have been working for some time to prepare our hospitality for this gathering.
We have been getting ready because ³Company is coming.² I even believe that many bishops and spouses will send a card or call home to tell others, how wonderful it has been to be on our shores.
I would not be surprised if they add, ³Wish you were here to share it with me.²

Grace and peace,

Mary Virginia Taylor

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April 2007

Remember to Stand Up Straight

Some parental statements to children are universal. When I was growing up, my folks reminded me time and time again to stand up straight. Sometimes it would be the simple directive to hold your shoulders back, and other times they would elaborate about the importance of having good posture.
I guess their valuable advice made an impression on me. Regularly, I hear myself echoing these same words of guidance to my daughters. Stand up straight and hold your head up.
Good posture is essential. I know it. But sometimes, it is just hard to do.
The burdens of the day wear heavy on us. It can bend you down. When I listen to the evening news, I find myself slumping and my shoulders aching. Do you know what I mean? There are so many heartbreaking reports.
Four years of war in Iraq, and we do not know when it will end. To date, it has claimed the lives of 3,218 United States military and more than 100,000 Iraqi people. In Columbia, two young men are shot in gang-related violence.
Filipino church leaders urge the U.S. Congress to address the deteriorating human rights in the Philippines. In the history of the Philippines, there has never been such a high incidence of clergy killings.
One person died and several were injured after riot police stopped a prayer meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe. An urban Roman Catholic congregation in Harare dispersed when police threw tear gas into their sanctuary.
In Georgia, the search for a 6-year-old boy ends when his body is found in a black plastic garbage bag. A young couple is arrested for growing marijuana in their home and their children are placed into state custody.
How can you walk at all in a world so torn asunder, much less stand up straight?
This first week of April, we remember the terrible events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus. Everything that happened was so much worse than the disciples could have imagined. It took its toll on them.
I am confident that they felt the weight on their shoulders. Helplessly, they watched as the proceedings unfolded.
As I think about the first Holy Week, I often reflect on the familiar sermon thesis, It¹s Friday, but Sunday¹s coming. Often, we do live in the Good Fridays of life. The unimaginable happens in our world. People do terrible things to other people.
I confess that I can get so focused upon the Friday events that I forget that the story does not end on Friday. Sunday is coming.
As people of the Resurrection, we must always keep before us the good news of Easter Sunday morning. The victory belongs to God.
Although we cannot avoid Good Friday, we do have the promise of new life that Jesus gives to each of us. We do have the guarantee that Jesus will be with us on the Fridays and the Sundays.
When I remember that bit of good news, it is almost as if Jesus whispers in my ear, ³Stand up straight. Walk tall. Get your head up. Remember, I have already won. This evening we walked around our neighborhood gloriously abloom with tulips, redbuds, Bradford pears, and dogwoods.
Last week everything was brown and barren. This week new life is all around us. The birds join in chorus every morning as the earth springs back to life.
In spite of all those times when we live in the shadows, with burdens that are too heavy for us to carry, it is my prayer that this week we will experience again the joy of Easter.
Although crucified, dead and buried, Jesus did not stay buried. For the same Spirit that anointed him to preach the Good News breathed into him the breath of Life. So we hear with joy those words that give us hope, He is not here, He is risen. We are people of the resurrection. When I am able to remember that truth, my posture always gets better. Try it for yourself.
I serve a risen Savior, he's in the world today; I know that he is living, whatever foes may say. I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice of cheer, and just the time I need him, he¹s always near.
In all the world around me I see his loving care, and though my heart grows weary, I never will despair. I know that he is leading through all the stormy blast; the day of his appearing will come at last.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King! The hope of all who seek him, the help of all who find; none other is so loving, so good and kind.
He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life¹s narrow way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know he lives. He lives within my heart. Are you standing taller? Can you face the challenges of this world? Are you ready to work at righting the wrongs?
My prayer is that we will claim the fact that we are Resurrection people and we can stand straight and tall in this world even on Fridays.

Grace and peace,

Mary Virginia Taylor

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March 2007

To Serve the Present Age

A significant component of my Christian formation came from the old hymns we used to sing during Sunday evening worship. Music always has a way of touching folks in the deep places of the soul.
From time to time, I find myself singing many of my personal favorites drawn from the pages of the Cokesbury and Upper Room hymnals. It just seems that the more often you sing them, the better they get. 
The theme for our upcoming session of the South Carolina Annual Conference is taken from one of those treasured songs. This year our focus is “To Serve the Present Age.”
You will remember that the second verse of “A Charge To Keep I Have” proclaims “to serve the present age, my calling to fulfill, oh, may it all my powers engage to do my Master’s will.” Oh, what wonders could be wrought, if the total energy and resources of the more than 241,000 United Methodists in South Carolina would all be directed in serving this present age.
Just as Christian formation is a gradual growth process, our focus for annual conference is building upon what has preceded. Two years ago, our theme was “In This Way of Life.” It was taken from the Great Commission reminding us of the context for making disciples. 
Eugene Peterson in “The Message” rephrases into contemporary language the charge given to the disciples by Jesus: “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life.”  Of course, the commission of making disciples in this way of life is our ongoing mission. We never get it finished. 
Last year, we were challenged by “Following Jesus, in this way of life.”  And now quite naturally, following Jesus in this way of life inevitably leads us to the theme for 2007, which is “To Serve the Present Age.”
Now I must confess there is a world of difference between a catchy theme and a passionate commitment. I truly believe that this annual conference with God’s help has the potential to ignite the servant’s heart within each of us. 
Allow me to give you a preview of this year’s upcoming conference.
On Sunday evening, the annual conference will begin with the Commissioning and Ordination Service. 
This is always a high moment in the lives of individuals and the conference.  After more than 2,000 years, I do not know of any more joyous reality than the fact that people are still giving their lives to serve the risen Savior.
It is my hope that we will fill the Florence Convention Center with church folks from across the state, as well as friends and family from far and near to witness and participate in this momentous occasion. This is the church at its best.
I am excited to tell you that during the week, we are drawing on the amazing gifts and graces from our own South Carolinians for the leadership.
The bible study will be led by Dr. Carl Evans, who is the head of the Religion Department at the University of South Carolina.
Our preachers during conference will include the Rev. Ken Timmerman, senior pastor of the First United Methodist Church, Myrtle Beach; the Rev. Tiffany Knowlin, probationary elder appointed to the Southeastern Jurisdiction United Methodist Volunteers In Mission; the Rev. Gene Curry, superintendent of the Charleston District; and Jim Salley, vice president for Africa University.
Each of these persons is faithfully fulfilling their call in extraordinary ways. 
I cannot imagine talking about serving the present age, without the opportunity to put our hands to work.
On Tuesday afternoon, we will depart from the business session to serve the Florence community. A task force is coordinating this Great Day of Service. 
Every delegate will have the option of selecting their preferences for helping our neighbors. Everyone can do something.
At the end of the day, the entire community will know that the United Methodists are here to serve.
That evening we will gather again to celebrate the work we have accomplished together for Christ. I am confident that God will extravagantly bless us as we bless others in God’s name.  
Wednesday evening will be devoted to addressing some of the major issues that are before us.
We will begin with a time of worship concentrating on the HIV/AIDS pandemic and our faithful response.
Following this service, time will be devoted to debate on petitions and resolutions that we may want to forward to the General Conference. 
Every four years in addition to the worship, mission and business agenda, the annual conference selects clergy and lay delegates for the General and the Jurisdictional conferences.
This is the year to elect those persons who will represent us at General Conference.
They are the ones who will decide the future mission and ministry of our church. 
You are invited to come and witness your church at work. So mark your calendar.
If you have not already set the dates for the South Carolina Annual Conference, circle June 3-7, 2007, in ink because God is going to do a mighty work in and through us.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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February 2007

The Experience Speaks for Itself

Going to the beach has always been an extraordinary occasion for me.
My earliest memory of a family vacation was a trip with our next door neighbors to Panama City Beach. In those days before air conditioned cars, traveling in the wee hours of the morning was the thing to do. I went to sleep in my own bed, but I awakened nestled in blankets on my old baby bed mattress in the back of our neighbor’s station wagon. The two dads rotated the responsibility for driving.
The adults talked about deep sea fishing, seafood platters with frog legs and small towns with notorious speed traps. We younger ones dreamed of building sandcastles, riding the waves and collecting shells.
Today, we are accustomed to 70 miles per hour speed limits and interstate highways. But before those existed, it was a very long trip. Without fail, conversations on the lengthy return home always included tales of the fun we had and plans to do it again next year.
As I write this, I find myself once again enjoying the sheer delight of a day at the beach. This time, it only took a couple hours to make the trip. I was invited to welcome to South Carolina the annual gathering of the United Methodist directors of Connectional Ministries, meeting at Hilton Head Island.
During some free time, even the drizzling rain could not dampen the wondrous hourlong walk on the beach this afternoon.
Shortly, after returning to the hotel room, I answered the door to see a hotel employee holding a tray. When I told her that I had not ordered room service, she smiled and said that it was a free amenity. She entered the room and carefully placed on the table a bottle of water, a glass filled with ice, a knife and fork wrapped in a white cloth napkin, a plate filled with appetizers, and a card signed by the general manager stating “Bon Appetit!” The napkin under the water glass was imprinted with the hotel logo and the phrase, “The Experience Speaks for Itself.”
My friends, I am not used to such special treatment. This kind of radical hospitality goes beyond what is expected, even though welcome material in the room states that “we are proud to offer a “100 percent Satisfaction Guarantee” and look forward to making your stay with us nothing short of delightful!”
The beach is timeless. It is still as wonderful today as it was all those years ago for the first time.
Whenever some occasion brings me near the ocean, I hope to take pleasure in a short stroll along the shore gazing at the rolling waves and hovering gulls.
Also, I must admit the experience of such gracious hospitality does speak for itself. This hotel has impressed me. I am more than 100 percent satisfied. I will remember all the little extras and I will return to this hotel, when I pass this way again.
Faith in God is timeless, too. It is more incredible today than it was the day I first believed.
I am a church person. Those times of feeling truly welcomed remain in my memory. Through the years, I have visited churches, and I am more than delighted with the radical hospitality that extends God’s love to strangers in unexpected ways. I experience this again and again in South Carolina.
Radical hospitality anticipates and is responsive to the needs of guests. It can be as simple as recognizing that an unfamiliar surrounding becomes more comfortable with directional signs.
Strategically placed people are even better than signs. I remember entering a church for the first time and being met by a greeter who immediately announced, “Welcome, you have come to the right place.”
Another Sunday, when the skies had opened and the rain was pouring down, a man greeted me at my car door with a large umbrella and words of welcome. Attending worship in a distant state, my family was pleasantly surprised when a couple invited us to join them at their favorite restaurant for lunch.
Another congregation following worship brought a loaf of homemade bread to the house. I have many recollections of more than 100 percent satisfaction.
In my memory, there is also the time I was away from home on a Sunday and got directions to the home church of a friend. I arrived early because I did not know the exact time of the worship service. After sitting alone in the sanctuary for 45 minutes, a woman came and asked me to move because I was in her pew. The sign in front of the church may have read that I was welcome, but I certainly was made to feel otherwise.
The experience speaks for itself. Now here is the test. To which of the above mentioned congregations do you think I will return?   

Grace and peace,

Mary Virginia Taylor

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January 2007

Called To Another Way

It is now 2007 in the year of our Lord and that is hard for me to believe.
Each New Year just sounds funny when you say it. It will take me a while to stop dating things with 2006. After 365 days of ending the year with zero six, it has become a habit. Something I do without even thinking.
I think we all get in the habit of doing without even thinking. Sometimes there is danger in that practice.
Part of the richness of the Christmas celebration is all those things we know by heart. The singing of carols is so familiar that the words come without even glancing at the hymnal.
The magnificent Gospel account becomes more powerful with each new telling that ³in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. Š And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered, and she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.² We know it all so well that quoting any verse begs to include every witness to the birth. The shepherds keeping watch, the angel bringing good news of great joy and a multitude of the heavenly host praising God contribute to this wonder-filled and cherished description of the birth of our Savior.
Yes, we know and love the story. The danger is that Christmas can come and go and we have once again been doing without even thinking. What does it mean that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son?
Each year on Jan. 6, the Christian Church observes Epiphany. An epiphany is a sudden realization or understanding. It means to show or to make known.
The Gospel reading for Epiphany is always Matthew 2:1-12. You can recite this story also.
It tells of the journey of Wise Men guided by the star in pursuit of the newborn King. The star led them on until it hovered over the place where the child was.
Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. They offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The Wise Men were the first non-Jewish persons to acknowledge Jesus as King.
They were the first ones to reveal Jesus to the wider world.
They signaled that Jesus came for all people of all nations and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.
These Wise Men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and so they departed home by another way. What if they had gone back the way they came?
They knew that way. It was familiar. They had traveled every mile. Was it not safer to travel on known paths instead of unknown? Was it not easier just to do things out of habit, rather than to think first?
We know that Herod killed all the young boy babies age 2 and younger. What would have happened, if the Wise Men had just done the same old thing?
After we understand our Savior has come, what would our world be like if we each took a different road from here? Sometimes we need to leave the familiar paths and go another way.
As the church, we are often called to other ways of doing and being. I must say that I love the traditions of Advent and Christmas that we all have just experienced, but thank God the story did not end with the Wise Men continuing to do business as usual. There is a lesson in this for us as the church.
³Sages leave your contemplations, brighter visions beam afar, seek the great Desire of nations ye have seen his natal star. Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the new-born King.²

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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December 2006

An Act of Giving

On Tuesday, Nov. 14, four weary travelers from South Carolina returned from Africa. This was not the first trip to Africa by folks from South Carolina, but it was my first trip. The initial reason for my going to Africa was to attend the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church meeting for the first time outside of the United States. It was an historic gathering.
The United Methodist Church has a significant witness in that part of the world. The president of Mozambique addressed us and told of the influence that our mission schools had on his own life. He stated that he would never have gotten an education without the United Methodist Church. He thanked us for the difference we had made and were continuing to make in Africa.
Another of the incredible highlights of the trip was that President Nelson Mandela and his wife, Graca Machel, a life-long United Methodist, were the speakers for our closing banquet.
Graca Machel shared with us about their work to save the children of Africa. She is the former education secretary for Mozambique and believes that education for all children is the hope for Africa and the whole world. President Mandela spoke of how we will all be held accountable for the lives we live when we stand before God at the final judgment. We heard the prophetic voice in these two great people.
The United Methodist Church in Africa is growing. We attended dynamic worship services in Mozambique on Nov. 5 and in Zimbabwe on Nov. 12. To say it was inspiring is an understatement. The people were singing and dancing when we arrived and singing and dancing when we left. The joy we experienced from our brothers and sisters was uplifting. During the service in Maputo, the children gave us the gift of their happiness to take home by which to remember them.
In Mozambique and Zimbabwe people live in very difficult circumstances, but their joy is not found in material things. It is found in Jesus, and we witnessed that in a powerful way.
Another highlight of our trip was to visit Africa University and the United Methodist Mission at Old Mutare. As the banner in the lobby of the S.C. Conference Center states, Africa University represents hope for the future of Africa. We met with students and toured the campus. We worshiped in Chapel and experienced the powerful music from the Africa University Choir.
Dr. Jim Salley told us that the best way to learn about the contribution that AU is making to the continent is to hear from her graduates. A panel of graduates spoke eloquently of their lives after graduation from Africa University. Each person is committed to using their life for the greater good. One young man told of his ministry in northern Uganda that reclaims children that have been caught up in child soldiering. The boys are kidnapped and drafted into the various rebel armies, while the girls are used as sex slaves as well as soldiers. With him was a young woman who is now a student at Africa University. She quietly told us that she was one 200 girls kidnapped from a school. She began to weep as she stated that only 120 of the girls were still alive after the ordeal. Her story was heart breaking.
We visited the hospital at Old Mutare. Their primary patients are those preparing to give birth, newborn babies, and those who are struggling with HIV/Aids. The medical staff is working to protect the people from HIV/Aids, and to care for those who are dying from this terrible disease. While we were there, Bishop Niwhatiwa prayed at the bedside of a young man whose life is being claimed by AIDS.
We toured the work that South Carolina has undertaken to provide clean and sufficient water for Old Mutare. Through your faithfulness, the S.C. Conference is providing the resources needed to supply clean water for the school, hospital, children’s home, church and those who live at the mission. Many people in the area have never had a drink of clean water. Water is needed to irrigate the crops.
We have more work to do at Old Mutare. I believe we can make the wells and reservoirs such that the people living there will have the water they need to survive. There are over 80 children being cared for by the Fairfield Children’s Home at Old Mutare. We had the privilege to meet some of these precious children and those dedicated persons who are raising and loving them.
In the midst of such difficulty and struggle, there is hope. Rusty and I worshiped at the Hatcliff United Methodist Church in Harare. It is basically a shelter built on a concrete slab with a tin roof and no outside walls. Their dream is to build a church building, but so far all they have completed is the foundation. They estimate that they could build it for $16,000. Perhaps this dream could be assisted by us as well.
Let me close by saying that I was blessed beyond words to spend some time with our brothers and sisters in southeastern Africa. I believe we should continue to make Africa University and the United Methodist Mission at Old Mutare one of our primary mission emphases. The last two weeks have strengthened my resolve to do all within my power to make a difference.
Friends we have been blessed to be a blessing. I invite you to join me in these worthy causes for the Kingdom of our Lord.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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November 2006

Believing You Can

For me, watching college football is one of the wonderful things about fall.
Whether I go to the game or just pile up in front of the television, I enjoy watching my team play. For any who may be wondering which team I claim, it varies.
I confess that my loyalty is affected by where I live. The home team somehow endears itself to me. The local radio and television stations report all the latest about the players, the strategies and the coach. So even though it may get a bit tricky deciding which colors to wear when my team plays another of my teams, it is still a lot of fun getting into the spirit of it
all.
Following the University of South Carolina and Kentucky football game, I could understand the frustration expressed by Coach Steve Spurrier.
After all, my team was leading 17­0 at the half. It was hard to believe the downturn during the second half that resulted in a 24-17 score. Walking from the field, Coach Spurrier stated, ³This is terrible. It is a win, but that is all you can say for it. We still can¹t shake being a South Carolina team that doesn¹t know how to win.² What a difference ³believing you can² can make. You play differently. You are hope filled and confident.
It is important to believe in the church¹s abilities to succeed, as well.
The phrase that has described some churches is to say they are in ³survival mode². Survival mode is that pervasive attitude present when a congregation is simply struggling to exist. In those times, they see it as a matter of their life or death.
Churches in survival mode don¹t know how to win. Their focus is inward rather than outward. Every decision about potential ministry is blocked by the reasons why the church believes it can¹t.
Often it goes like this: We do not have enough people to do this. We do not have enough money to do this. We won¹t succeed, so we won¹t try. There are always so many excuses given explaining why we can¹t.
Behind all of those excuses is the unspoken truth that we do not have enough faith. I am not suggesting that we be unrealistic. Ministry does require both financial and people resources. What I am saying is that too often we do not add God to our side of the equation.
Paul declared to the church at Rome, ³We are more than conquerors (winners) through Christ who gives us strength.² Our churches need to believe that truth. God is on our side because this is God¹s work we are trying to do. Remember this is not to be about us. It is about God.
Thriving (winning) churches are those who are focusing on reaching out to the physical and spiritual needs of their community with the love of Jesus Christ. They are those who believe that God¹s Spirit walks with them giving them strength and resources for the journey.
Thriving congregations are doing great things because they believe they can.
With God¹s help, they will attempt great things and do great things, because they know God will find a way.
Alas, in these centuries since the resurrection of Jesus, God¹s people keep forgetting that the victory has already been won. We can just get out there, enjoy the game, and do the best we can, because we have already won.
I give thanks for the churches in South Carolina who are doing incredible and amazing ministry in the name of the Christ.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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October 2006

It’s Your Choice

On behalf of the Annual Conference I have received many thank you notes from principals across our state.
Let me share with you a letter from Rachel Ray, the principal of Clinton Elementary School in Lancaster, S.C.
“Dear Bishop Taylor, Thank you seems so inadequate for the school kits you donated to our school. The supply kits are absolutely wonderful and so, so needed. We seem to get new students everyday who don’t have any supplies. It is nice to be able to go to our storage room and pull out a kit that has everything in it that a student needs. This is very helpful to all of us. Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness. We appreciate that you chose to help us.”
When I read this letter my heart was warmed by the good we were able to do together.
It also reminded me that ministry is always a choice.
Whenever we become aware of the needs of others we choose to either look away or respond. 
As Joshua said, ”Choose this day who you will serve, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
Choosing to serve is a question that is always before us.
In Natural Church Development we are learning about the eight quality characteristics of healthy churches.
Needs-based Evangelism is the quality characteristic that reminds us that our evangelistic efforts, sharing the Good News, start first with the needs of people.
This act of ministry has affected the whole community.
It communicates with those who serve in our schools that we are partnering with them in the important work of education.
To parents who are struggling to provide for their families, it says we care about your children.
To the church, it strengthens our resolve to make a difference in the world.
As we go forth each day my prayer is that God will open our eyes and hearts to the needs of those we encounter, and  that we will continue to choose to serve the Lord.

Grace and Peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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September 2006

What is that in your hand?

When I was growing up, the basement of our home was my daddy’s workshop.
Hanging around the walls was an incredible collection of every kind of tool you could imagine.
There were assorted hammers including claw hammers of different sizes, a large soft-faced rubber hammer, a cross pein pin hammer, a sledge hammer, a ball pein, an upholsterer’s hammer, a power hammer and even a mallet.
There were glass jars where my dad separated yet to be used nails, screws, wing nuts and bolts.
A shelf was covered with an assortment of standard pliers, slip joint pliers, needle nose pliers, Phillips head and flat blade screwdrivers, paint brushes and rollers.
In one corner a ladder leaned against the wall. A garden hose lay coiled in a circle. Parked inside the door was the lawnmower.
A work table held a chainsaw, a rasp, a jigsaw, hedge clippers, wire clippers, an electric drill, a brace and bit, several crescent wrenches, a level, a soldering iron, glue and some scrap pieces of metal. There was even a crowbar and a broom.
This was a collection of tools that had been acquired over a lifetime. Everything imaginable was there. 
As “the little helper” for my dad, I was often sent to retrieve a needed tool from the basement.
I remember how I would search through the maze for several minutes before finding the specific implement that was needed.
Sometimes, I would return empty handed to get clearer instructions of what I was looking for and where it might be found.
There were even occasions when my father had to go and find it himself.
As a child I learned so many lessons that I have never outgrown.
Daddy and I made a good team. I discovered that every task can be completed more quickly when there is a good team working together.
Contrary to today’s disposable society, I learned that things can be repaired and strengthened with just a little time and effort.
And I came to appreciate that you can accomplish so much more with the right tool than you can with the wrong ones.
This wisdom still applies today.
We know that God calls us to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In order to do this most effectively, we need healthy local churches.
Our Conference plan includes these same childhood lessons of Team, Repairing and Strengthening, and Using the Right Tools. 
When the annual conference approved the proposal to deploy congregational specialists into the districts, it took a step toward working in teams.
These specialists have been specifically trained to coach and guide your church in fulfilling God’s dream for it. They will not do the work of your church, but they will help your church do it better.
All of the district superintendents and 100 pastors have been trained in the principles of Natural Church Development. In the months ahead, district events are planned to prepare pastors and laity to use the NCD tools.
We want every congregation and every pastor to become a part of the team.      
One of the first steps will be for each church to have a Church Health Team. This group will guide the congregation through a process of self-assessment.
The results of a survey will identify the areas within the church that need strengthening. The Church Health Team will then lead the congregation in using the right tools to improve the church’s health. Healthy churches are growing churches.  
As I reflect upon all of this, the biblical image that comes to mind is Moses on Mount Sinai. 
You will remember when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush; Moses doubted whether the Israelites would follow him.
God asked Moses, “What do you have in your hand?”  Moses responded that it was a simple staff. God instructed him to throw it down. When he did, it became a snake. When God told Moses to pick up the snake, it again became a staff.
In that encounter, I believe that God wanted Moses to realize that he had the right tool in his hand to do all that God was calling him to do.
It was not just a staff when God was involved. It became the tool to help people believe and follow. 

I believe that same promise is true today. 

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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August 2006

A Pastoral Concern for Theological Education

Whenever a relationship ends, there are always questions. We seek answers that will explain the “Why?,” “What went wrong?” and “Who is to blame?
I have never found easy answers to those kinds of questions. More often, the truth is complicated and involves a history that is known only to those directly involved. 
While there are many answers that I do not have, let me share with you a few things that I do know.
The University Senate of the United Methodist Church is an elected body of professionals in higher education created by the General Conference to determine which schools, colleges, universities and theological schools will be listed as affiliated with The United Methodist Church. This means they oversee all United Methodist educational institutions as well as non-United Methodist schools seeking a relationship with the United Methodist Church.
The University Senate meeting on June 22 decided that nine non-United Methodist seminaries would be removed from the list of “Approved Graduate Theological Seminaries” effective July 1, 2007.
Three additional schools were invited to continue with the specific condition of partnership with a United Methodist seminary in their area. Several other schools were asked to develop a possible partnership as well. 
The University Senate and the Commission on Theological Education have the task of setting the standard by which United Methodist clergy will be trained in order to fulfill the mission of the Church. These were not impulsive decisions.
The Commission on Theological Education has developed a new process to identify, invite and review non-United Methodist Schools of Theology. The criteria used in this new process include the “Foundation Document on Theological Education and Leadership Formation for the 21st Century,” freedom of academic inquiry, opportunity for growth in the United Methodist tradition, compatibility with the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, racial and gender inclusiveness of  faculty, staff and student body, and academic quality.
The two seminaries on the list of those no longer approved that will most directly affect us in the S.C. Conference are Gordon-Conwell, Charlotte, and Erskine Theological Seminary.
Many of our clergy are graduates of these institutions. We have a large number of students currently enrolled. Everyone who has attended either of these institutions has a personal appreciation for the theological education they received. Throughout this state, United Methodist congregations are effectively living out the mandate of the Gospel because of the capable pastoral leadership offered by graduates of both Erskine and Gordon-Conwell. 
I have given you many details concerning this process. Allow me to say some additional things that I know. 

• This decision cannot and will not in anyway diminish the credentials of the graduates of these schools.
• Students enrolled and attending by next July will be able to complete their studies and Ministerial Education Funds will be available to them. 
• This is not about academic standing of these institutions. They are accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. 
• Those members of the University Senate and the Commission on Theological Education with whom I am acquainted, I hold in the highest regard. I am certain that this was a decision made with the greatest of integrity and care. 
• Those who are admitted into membership in the annual conference are examined thoroughly by the Board of Ordained Ministry without bias toward any particular seminary. 

In my years of ministry, I have observed that a person’s effectiveness has more to do with their commitment to Jesus Christ than with anything else. That is true whether we are lay or clergy.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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July 2006

The Trip of A Lifetime

I have been told that some folks have a great sense of direction. They instinctively know which way to go. You may even be one of those persons.
When I get lost, it seems that I end up turning the wrong way every time.
Because I know that my sense of direction will consistently take me in the opposite way, I have even tried to outsmart myself.
So when I come to a crossroad, my internal debate goes like this.
"I think that I should turn left, but since I am always going the opposite way, then I probably should turn right. But left could be the right way, and my poor sense is just messing me up once again by making me think that right would be better." Let me tell you this style of navigating really gets confusing. Of course, I eventually end up in the right place by not giving up, driving long enough and stopping to ask for directions.
Knowing this about me, you can easily understand why I really like Mapquest.
I put my destination in the computer with my starting point.
Mapquest will tell me all the roads and specific turns that I need to travel. It even tells me the total distance and the estimated time to get to my destination.
Once you decide where you want to go, getting on the right road is an important step toward getting there.
In the Church, we are striving to follow the Great Commission given by Jesus. All of us want to be making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Sharing the love of God with our family, friends and neighbors is the only way that the church has continued over these 2,000 years.
The Council of Bishops has been working on a type of Mapquest for the Church.
Collectively, we have identified and agreed that these seven Vision Pathways can move us toward our goal of Making Disciples. There are many more paths that could be included, but these will help to get us on our way.
The Vision Pathways are the following:
- Developing new congregations;
- Transforming existing congregations;
- Teaching the Wesleyan model of reaching and forming disciples of Jesus
Christ;
- Strengthening clergy and lay leadership;
- Reaching and transforming the lives of new generations of children;
- Eliminating poverty in community with the poor; and
- Expanding racial and ethnic ministries.
These seven areas are not new for us.
The Annual Conference was a celebration of the ways we are working together on many of these.
We assigned pastors for new church starts in the Rock Hill area and on Lady's Island.
Introduction was made to the Natural Church Development process, which can transform our existing congregations.
Generous offerings were received for the water system at Old Mutare and the rebuilding of churches on the Gulf Coast. More than 1,800 school kits were donated to school children here in South Carolina.
We received an outstanding class of new pastoral leaders and agreed to deploy our connectional ministries staff so that God's dream for our churches may be realized.
There will be a congregational specialist for Hispanic Ministries and for the first time, an African-American local church specialist.
As I think about this Mapquest for building the Kingdom, I cannot tell you how long it will take or what the distance will be.
I can tell you without a doubt that it is a trip well worth taking.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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June 2006

The Constant of Change

Life is about change. As United Methodists from across South Carolina gather for the upcoming session of the Annual Conference on June 4th to 7th at Claflin University in Orangeburg, the church will celebrate change.
This is a Jubilee Year marking the change that occurred 50 years ago when the General Conference granted full clergy rights to women.
Throughout these days, the S.C. Conference will give thanks to God for the dedicated lives of both women and men who respond to God¹s call.
We will rejoice in the courageous past of these pioneer women of faith and the bold future that unfolds ahead for all who step forth.
One of the arguments against the motion was that if they voted this change there would be women bishops. That makes me smile.
During Conference we will celebrate the life transitions of people, both those who are entering the ministry and those who are retiring.
We will give thanks for the witness of so many good and faithful servants who have finished the course and changed their membership from the church on earth to the Church Triumphant. We all will make that change someday.
We can and will make a tremendous change for others through ACTION: Annual Conference Trinity Infinitive Of Needs.
Together, we, the Church will help to change some of the obstacles that make it hard for our school children in South Carolina.
This is a strengthening of the connection between the Church and the community.
Together, we, the Church are continuing to reach out to the people in the Gulf Coast Region to help them to change their lives and rebuild after all of the devastation of last year.
Those who live at the Old Mutare Mission in Zimbabwe need to have their water system changed so that they can have enough clean water just to live.
Our ACTION is all about how we can work together to change the circumstances of God¹s people for the better.
Each year ministerial leadership is deployed across this state and beyond to serve our local churches and extension ministries.
Whether someone is moving to a new responsibility or returning for another year, as the pastoral appointments change at Annual Conference there is excitement about the future and what it will hold.
There is also the reality of the sadness and grief that we experience in leaving friends and family as ministerial relationships change.
I have mentioned only a few of the matters we will address during our gathering together.
I am confident that it will be so much more than this as we, the people of God gather and worship and make decisions for the coming year.
I say that because as God is there, we always are blest in ways greater than even our expectations.
Our theme for Annual Conference this year is not ³standing² with Jesus in this way of life. Our theme is Following Jesus's in this way of life.When we follow Jesus, we change.
We change our priorities, we change the way we relate to each other, we change the way we use our talents, and we even change the way we spend our money.
When Jesus said to the fishermen, Follow Me, he was really saying to them, ³I want you to change everything. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege to speak at the commencement exercises of Columbia College, one of the finest colleges in the nation.
One of the themes for the day was how this graduating class of outstanding young women might change the world.
They believe the world can be different and better.
I hope we all believe that.
As we approach the upcoming Annual Conference how do we lean into the future? How do we bend toward it?
I grew up singing ³What a wonderful CHANGE in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.² When we let Jesus into our hearts, we cannot stay the same.
Pause a moment and consider the wonderful changes that have become realities in your own life, since Jesus came into your heart.
So as we gather at Claflin University much of our Holy Conferencing will be about the CHANGES GOD is calling us to make.
I think it is called Discipleship. To know Jesus is to never be the same again.
Friends, we have much for which to be thankful!!!

Mary Virginia Taylor

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May 2006

The World Really Is Our Parish

As I write this article I am in the apartment of the Reverend Laura Trent who is the pastor of the English Speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna, Austria.  In worship here yesterday, April 23,  Rusty and I were delighted to see people from all over the globe.  From South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Sweden, to Canada, Mexico and the U.S., there were United Methodists celebrating their faith together in the name of Jesus Christ.  It was a powerful witness to the wonderful diversity of God’s people.  This church is supported in part by Advance Special gifts. 

As we anticipate the upcoming session of the Annual Conference, June 4-7, we will be celebrating the global nature of our church.  Our focus on ACTION affirms that we are in relationship with brothers and sisters in distant places. 

For many years, missioners from South Carolina have visited Africa University and become aware of the needs of the surrounding area in Zimbabwe.  Our own Jim Salley gives us a direct connection with this significant ministry of our Church.  Last year, Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa was our guest preacher during conference and talked about ways for us to partner with the Zimbabwe United Methodists. The water restoration project for the Old Mutare Mission in Zimbabwe is a very real need for the people.  Our gifts will make a positive impact on the lives of many men, women, and children.  It is a privilege for us to be able to make such a profound difference.

We continue to hear reports of mission teams from across South Carolina who have gone to the Gulf Coast to help in the clean up and rebuilding there.  Some of the work teams have gone at great sacrifice.  A team from Hartsville, South Carolina, met a group from Alaska and were greatly saddened to learn that their leader had fallen from a ladder and later died. For some the recovery effort in the Gulf Coast has literally been an experience of laying down your life.  Jesus not  only talked about that, he did that!

All of us agree upon the importance of education for our children in our great state of South Carolina.  We know that in many places adequate resources are not available, and the systemic causes of such shortages concern us as disciples.  For those who contribute a school kit, you will be giving a child the necessary supplies for the coming school year.  Many of us have all that we need, but there is a great number of young people across our state who do not have enough to succeed in school.  We will address these concerns one child at a time.

I know you have at sometime said,  “It’s a small world”.  Yesterday we had lunch with Deborah Koll-Petty, her husband Heinrich, and their daughters, Alexandra and Patricia.  Deborah graduated from Furman University.  Her father, Paul was a clergy member of the South Carolina Conference for over 40 years.  Her mom, Eloise lives in North Charleston.  Wow, to find a real live South Carolinian in Vienna, Austria of all places is a real treat.

John Wesley surely had it right when he said, “the world is our parish”.  Whatever happens in places around the world matters to us in South Carolina.

Grace and Peace,

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April 2006

Even A Cup of Cold Water Will Be Remembered … In This Way of Life

Water is just one of those things you take for granted, at least I always had.  It was easy enough to go to the sink, turn the faucet handles, and instantly there was fresh water. 

It was a little more complicated at my grandmother’s home in Florida.  The water smelled and tasted like rotten eggs.  Grammy would boil water everyday before she would use it.  Anytime we got thirsty at her house, instead of the sink, we went to the refrigerator and poured a cold glassful from the water pitcher. 

In high school, my appreciation for the importance of good water increased dramatically.  On a church youth mission trip to Mexico, we were repeatedly warned to only drink the water the counselors gave to us.  On a very hot summer day when the water supply had to be rationed, a few of our group decided to sample the local water.  Everyone got sick.  All of us learned the wonders of paregoric and had detailed stories to tell our parents.

When Rusty and I were first married, running out of water became an adventure.  Rusty was appointed as a Student Pastor to the Rising Fawn Circuit in the northwest corner of Georgia.  The water for the town came from a spring on top of Fox Mountain.  The underground pipes were old and leaked.  Additional houses had been added to the pipeline through the years. The very last house to receive water from the system was the parsonage.  Every summer, the water supply would get low.  On Sunday mornings, you never knew whether or not there would be water for a shower.  A few times, we would fill the bathtub the night before.  In the morning we would boil water to try to warm the bath.  It never worked.  We just did not have enough pots to make that cold water bearable.  The most productive plan was to gather our towels, soap, shampoo, and clothes, go about a half mile down the street to the home of Kathleen Thomas and get ready for church.  Her house was the first house as the water came down the mountain.  She always had water and was always gracious to take us in on those early mornings.

Water is by far our most important natural resource.  Having an ample supply of clean water is a necessity.  Without water, there is no life.  A dry canteen with no immediate prospects of water is enough to turn the worst ingrate into a believer of the blessedness of pure drinking water.

Except for a few minor inconveniences or unusual situations, each of us has enjoyed an abundance of water.  That is not true for many areas of our world.  In Zimbabwe, the Old Mutare Mission is a place where water is in short supply.  Four of the eight wells which have provided the area with water are no longer working.  The other wells need repair.  Water is being rationed.  Villagers are only allowed to draw from the well during certain hours.  Last summer, a mission team from South Carolina visited the country and witnessed directly the water needs in this region.

So many wonderful ministries are happening throughout our local churches.  You are a generous and giving people.  Can you just imagine the impact that more than 240,000 United Methodists of South Carolina would have if we focused our prayers and resources to meet the same missional needs? 

The South Carolina Annual Conference will gather this year from June 4th to 7th .  In addition to our printed agenda we are calling all United Methodists to ACTION, which stands for Annual Conference Trinity Initiative Of Needs.  In the next few weeks, your pastor and church will receive a media presentation of three important requests that I hope will touch your hearts and call you to action.  It will explain in detail the needs and how you can make a difference. 

These three initiatives will extend the love of Jesus through us to our state, our nation, and our world.  First, we will help our children in South Carolina by providing needed school supplies.  Second, we will partner with our sister churches and annual conferences in the rebuilding of the churches in the Gulf area so devastated by the hurricanes.  Third, we will provide the basic necessity of clean water to our brothers and sisters in the Old Mutare Mission in Zimbabwe. 

Following Jesus in this way of life invites us to undertake some risky missions for His sake.  I am excited about this upcoming session of the annual conference and the ways we will respond together in ACTION.  Remember Jesus promised that “If any give even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because they are my disciples, I tell you the truth, they will certainly not lose their reward.”

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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March 2006

God's Gonna Get You... In This Way of Life

____Maybe it was unique to growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta. Or maybe it was just the norm on that particular elementary school playground. Every action creates a reaction. Whenever one child acted mean-spirited and picked on another child, the frequent response was to declare before all the rest of the class that God is gonna get you for that. It was the very worst thing that could be said.

____Perhaps it was because there were rumors that the principal really had washed out a few children¹s mouths with soap when their language had been too strong. Perhaps it was because no matter how much bigger than you the bully might be, there was no doubt that your Mom and Dad and God were always larger. Or just maybe it was because even as a child most of us had some healthy fear of being the object of God's wrath. For whatever reason, power could be found in that solemn oath, and it usually did work as a deterrent to the unwanted behavior.

____As a minister through the years, I confess there have been a few occasions in the church when I have wanted to pull out that old recess threat and use it.

When a church member's participation in worship and Sunday School was only minimal or non-existent, I have been tempted to repeat to the absentee this tried and true warning that God is gonna get you for that.
____ To those who do not see the need to give their tithes and offerings to the work of the kingdom, it would be so easy to have the quick comeback, God will get you for that. And wouldn¹t it come in handy, when folks are acting anything but Christian toward one another, to gently remind them that God is watching and is going to get them?

It is my guess that you are thinking of a few ways you might apply this wonder working phrase yourself.
We who believe so strongly in the work of the Church are ready to jump at anything that will be of assistance in helping folks to be the disciples that God wants. The problem is that I have tended to use the phrase in the wrong way. The truth is just the reverse of what I learned on the playground.
The truth that God is gonna get you is not a threat but a good thing.

____It is when you read the Bible and pray daily that God can get you. It is when you go to worship every week that God has the best chance to get you.

It is when you give your tithes and offerings to care for the needs of others that God knows you want to be gotten. If you are quick to forgive grudges and reconcile with your brothers and sisters, then God can get you both.

My friends, I always listen intently when the words of folks tell me what is going on within their spirits and within their church.

____Frequently around this time of year, many have communicated with me about how much their church has paid in fair share apportionments.
Many reasons are given for their particular amount. Sometimes it is with a sense of accomplishment, they tell me that they really pulled together to pay it in full. Other times they say that for one reason or another, the money was just not there and they hope to do better next year. And then there are a few who want me to know that they did not support the apportionments because their church does not believe in certain things about the United Methodist Church.

____Because I believe strongly in the ministry that we are able to do together and I continue to see what is happening through our United Methodist Church both within South Carolina and around this world, I admit I come with a prejudice toward wanting every church to do as much as possible. My heart breaks when folks choose to hold back from God in their money or in any other way.

____When you do put your whole heart and soul into your church and the work of the kingdom, I can say without any doubts that God is gonna get you. It is not a threat. It is a wonderful promise.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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Febuary 2006

A Healthy Heart …. In This Way of Life

____We are beginning to see hearts everywhere.  It is amazing how one day a year in the month of February reminds us to express our love to others.  Last February 14th, one billion cards were sent and more than $68 million was spent on roses.  They may still be calculating the numbers concerning gifts of chocolate.

____My guess is that as much or more will be spent again this year.  As loving people, we want to let those important to us know that we care.  I certainly hope someone remembers to give me a little box of chocolates, especially since the research says that chocolate is good for the heart.

____Valentine’s Day is only one day of the year.  So what makes for a healthy heart on those other 364 days?   To answer that question, it is important to remember that the heart is a miraculous pump.  It circulates blood out of the heart through the body and back into the heart.  Your heart beats more than 100,000 times everyday and about 42 million times every year.  The heart rests for a moment between beats.  The total amount of time the heart rests in one day adds up to more than 5 hours.  During each day, your heart will pump 2,500 gallons of blood.

____My dear friends, I would suggest that having a healthy heart for those of us in the church depends on our following a similar process. There must be a flow both inward and outward.

____John Wesley taught that God’s means of grace for us includes both spiritual disciplines and doing good to others.  He called these actions “Works of Piety” and “Works of Mercy”.  The spiritual practices he recommended to nourish us are prayer, searching the Scriptures, Holy Communion, fasting, Christian community, and healthy living.  But John Wesley did not stop there.  He directed us to do good to others as we feed the hungry, cloth the naked, assist the stranger, visit the sick and imprisoned, comfort the afflicted, instruct the ignorant, reprove the wicked, encourage the well-doer, and any other act of mercy.

____For the heart to work at its best and be healthy, it has to keep the blood moving.  Blood must come in and go out, or the heart does not function as intended and it fails.  Jesus taught that “the good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good”.

____During these days as we see hearts everywhere, I pray for healthy hearts for us all.

Grace and peace,
Mary Virginia Taylor

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January 2006

A Golden Year … In This Way of Life

____Many things change and many things remain the same.

____“I only thought I was doing what God wanted me to do with my life,” said the Reverend Marion Kline, who is among the four surviving women of those first 27 in 1956 who were accepted as probationary members of the Methodist Church.  This was possible because the General Conference meeting in Minneapolis on May 4, 1956, approved full clergy rights for women.

____A lot has changed in America during the past fifty years.  Explorer I was launched.  Alaska and Hawaii became states.  John F. Kennedy was elected President.  Young men and women fought the Vietnam War.  People were sent into outer space.  We landed on the moon.  Richard Nixon resigned after the Watergate Scandal, and Gerald Ford became President.  The United States celebrated its bi-centennial.  The star of movies and the “Death Valley Days” series, Ronald Reagan was elected President.  The first George Bush followed him into the White House.   The Cold War ended.  William Clinton served eight years as President.  The second President Bush, George W. was elected.  Terrorists took over commercial airplanes destroying the World Trade Center and attacking the Pentagon.  September 11th changed the world.

____During these years, there have been transformations in the Church as well.  Sally Crenshaw of the East Tennessee Annual Conference becomes the first African American woman to be ordained.  The Central Jurisdiction is united with the geographic jurisdictions.  Margaret Henrichsen is the first woman district superintendent.  By joining the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church, we are The United Methodist Church.  Marjorie Matthews is elected the first woman bishop in 1980.  The United Methodist Church celebrated 200 years.  Bishop Leontine Kelly becomes the first African American woman bishop.  Bishop Elias Galvan is the first Hispanic to be elected bishop.  By 1990, 50 women are serving as district superintendents.  Today, twenty two women have become bishops and almost 12,000 clergywomen are serving throughout the United Methodist Church.    

____There have been many developments since 1956, when the General Conference approved full clergy rights for women.  In the midst of all the change, I believe the one unchanging constant is the response of the 12,000 clergywomen in The United Methodist Church.  Each would echo the words of the 94 year old Reverend Kline, “I only thought I was doing what God wanted me to do with my life.”

____Throughout this year, we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Clergywomen.  Each month the stories of S.C. clergywomen will be highlighted in the Advocate.  There are wonderful testimonies to be shared.  From Bessie Parker to the present, we have reason to rejoice.  2006 will be a yearlong celebration.  Thank you to the men and women, laity and clergy who have made it possible for clergywomen to share their gifts and graces for fifty years.

____This will be a golden year for everyone who knows they are doing what God wants them to do with their life.

Grace and peace,
Dindy