S 1220

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 1220
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
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.
----XX----
This web page was last updated on August 11, 2026 at 12:10 PM