A senate RESOLUTION

 

TO CONGRATULATE mt. Seal United Methodist Church UPON THE OCCASION OF ITS One Hundred Seventieth ANNIVERSARY AND TO COMMENd the Church FOR ITS MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE Williamsburg COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE AND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

 

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are pleased to recognize Mt. Seal United Methodist Church as it celebrates this important milestone; and

 

Whereas, Mt. Seal United Methodist Church was established in 1856 during the dark days of slavery, when a small group of Christians began meeting in a brush arbor called Mount Cedar, which was located near a pond where African American slaves were baptized; and

 

Whereas, to protect the congregation from the cold and rainy weather, members purchased four and one-fourth acres of land for twenty-one dollars in 1891 to build a wood frame structure, from which they hewed the sills, boards, and shingles from timber on the property, and named the church Turkey Methodist Episcopal Church; and

 

Whereas, officially recorded over time as Mt. Seal United Methodist Church, the congregation is recognized by its oral historians as the oldest United Methodist Church in Williamsburg County, out of which the Bethesda, Friendship, and Jeremiah churches grew; and

 

Whereas, throughout its history, the church has experienced significant growth, including the completion of a new structure in 1971 under the leadership of Reverend O. J. Nelson, the addition of an educational building in 1989 under the nineteen-year leadership of Reverend W. S. James, and a sanctuary remodel guided by Reverend Geneva Stafford, the church's first female pastor; and

 

Whereas, under the current leadership of Reverend Cynthia Williams, Mt. Seal has continued to flourish, erecting a historical marker; securing its nonprofit status; receiving a grant for the "Calling all Beans" youth program and the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) Ministry; receiving a breakroom project grant to create a respite area for ill members who want to attend services; and expanding its outreach through modern live streaming capabilities; and

 

Whereas, the church proudly claims many sons and daughters who have entered the ministry through its doors, including Reverends Edward Cunningham, Ned White, W. J. Barr, Joseph V. Barr Jr., Robert McCutchen, Joshua Gaskins, Norma Bartelle, Dr. Jimmy Montgomery, and Minister William J. Barr; and

 

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate greatly appreciate the dedication and commitment of Mt. Seal United Methodist Church to serving the people and the State of South Carolina.  Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate:

 

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, congratulate Mt. Seal United Methodist Church upon the occasion of its one hundred seventieth anniversary and commend the church for its many years of dedicated service to the Williamsburg community and the people and the State of South Carolina.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the leadership of Mt. Seal United Methodist Church.

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