United Methodist Advocate - Connecting Methodists in South Carolina Since 1837

This is my favorite time of year. Friends and family get together and celebrate the birth of Jesus. During Advent, we make room in our hearts and in our lives. We get ready to receive this incredible ...

I am feeling patriotic right now. Today, I voted. On Election Day, Nov. 4, I will be away at the Council of Bishops meeting, so I got to vote early. A woman at the Richland County Election Commission...

There he was. At the edge of the wooden marina, he was settling in to do a little fishing. We had just eaten at one of those beachy restaurants overlooking the inlet. It was a warm, summer’s e...

Some things are just obvious. It was clear to the woman sitting on her porch during the conference's Great Day of Service. Several men wearing red t-shirts were diligently trimming the shrubs and ...

It feels a lot like breathing in the sweet oxygen rich air as you hike through the woods on a summer day. The carpet of green ferns and wild flowers offers the continual reminder that God is at work....

Dare to change the world. What a foolhardy and audacious thought. Yet, daring to change the world is exactly what the preacher does every time he or she steps behind the pulpit to proclaim the eternal...

Although I can come up with every excuse not to do it, I know that going to the doctor is a good thing. It is an important practice to have a regular checkup. I am deliberately not referring to it as ...

Trust is such a funny little word. In English, sometimes it is used as a noun and other times as a verb. An individual's earliest experience with parents shapes and develops the ability to trust t...

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...

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 numb...