Churches that have passionate, Christ-centered worship normally experience growth. If the United Methodist Church in South Carolina is to experience renewal, we must renew our commitment to evangelical Wesleyan worship that takes seriously the dynamic relationship between laity and clergy in worship.
The HUM Conference – scheduled for July 14-15, 2017, at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Camden – is a gathering steeped in the Wesleyan tradition that worship isn’t a spectator event – it is a divine-human encounter between God, laity and clergy.
Registration for this event has closed.
Dease
At this conference – hosted by the Rev. Dr. Robin Dease, superintendent of the Hartsville District – laity and clergy of the South Carolina Conference will receive information, inspiration and best practices proven to renew our historic worship traditions.
We will explore how hymnody in the Wesleyan tradition can be adapted and fixed for our current cultural realities. This will be experiential: A vocal group with full accompaniment will lead us in singing hymns that transmit the message of grace that is a Methodist distinctive. Music was used by the John and Charles Wesley to draw the unchurched to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Smalls
Timmerman
Those who love preaching and the art of preparation will experience a double offering of sermonic preparation instruction. The Rev. Dr. B. Kevin Smalls, senior pastor of Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, Michigan, will be the opening preacher on Friday evening; the Rev. Ken Timmerman, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cheraw, will be the Saturday morning preacher.
Seminars include:
Effective Sermon Preparation – Smalls will lead a session featuring sermon prep nuggets for both beginners and seasoned preachers who prepare sermons regularly.
Taking Preaching Seriously – The Rev. Dr. Frederick Yebuah, Orangeburg District superintendent, will talk about the serious responsibility of preaching with God’s people. Those who are given the privilege to share God’s word must accept all the responsibilities that go with it.
Sermon Guidelines for Credentialing – Led by the Rev. Fran Elrod, chairperson of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and senior pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church in Hartsville.
Rediscovering the Wesleyan Hymns – Hymns transmit theology and are essential to strong Wesleyan Worship. The Rev. Dr. Bill Dargan – the newly assigned pastor of the three-point Brookgreen Charge in Murrells Inlet, who has a degree in ethnomusicology (the study of the music of different cultures) – will lead us in experiencing the hymns through both theory and practice. With the choir and congregation singing together to experience the power of our Methodist Hymnody.
Key Ingredients to Setting the Worship Environment – The Rev. Dr. Reginald Lee, congregational specialist for the Marion and Florence districts, will look at all of the pieces required to create an atmosphere in which people can have a meaningful, grace-filled encounter with God.
The Rev. Dr. Sheila Elliott, senior pastor of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Lake City, will preach the closing message. Elliott and the waiting congregation aided by the Holy Spirit will bring all of the elements of Methodist worship to be touched and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
