THE BANISHED ONE RETURNS HOME
Courage to stand for racial equality. Then a conspiracy of silence. Can this story be taught in our public schools?
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Dicey Langston Springfield: Revolutionary War Heroine
Dicey Langston Springfield was born in Laurens County, SC, in 1766. After Charleston fell to the British (May 1780) the state plunged into a gruesome civil war between defenders of American liberty and those who fought to keep the thirteen colonies under British control. During this time, Dicey risked her life more than once. She
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Myth-Busting the American Revolution in South Carolina
It’s only 2023, but South Carolina is already marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. In 2018, the SC General Assembly created a 250th commission to lead us through the celebration of the entire war from its start in 1775 to its close in 1783. The commission members, their staff, county committees, and dozens
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Annual Conference In-Person, the Best of Times and the Worst of Times
He droned like a bell tolling the dead.
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A Prayer Offered at the Camden Burials
The flag-draped, handmade caskets arrived April 20, 2023, at Historic Camden. Humvees carrying the caskets had stopped by numerous schools in Kershaw County before arriving at Historic Camden. Once placed inside the Joseph Kershaw House, the caskets lay in state for public viewing. On April 22, at the Camden Battlefield, the fallen soldiers, the first
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United Methodist Churches Discern Their Future
After years of discord, a season of decision-making has arrived for thousands of United Methodist congregations. Churches are deciding whether to depart the denomination. Several dozen here in South Carolina voted recently to leave. If they meet all requirements, those communities of faith may depart the denomination by vote of the SC Annual Conference this
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CAMDEN BURIALS, APRIL 20 — 22, 2023
One man came from Great Britain and another man from North Carolina. They fought for the King. The other twelve came from Delaware and Maryland and fought for the new country’s freedom. Along with hundreds of other soldiers, those fourteen died the morning of August 16, 1780, in a pine forest a few miles north
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Days of Ease
If someone were to ask me, “What were the best days of your life?” I would struggle to reply. I have been blessed with many “best days.” However, if I were asked about the easiest days of my life I would answer with no hesitation. They were the three years from when I started kindergarten
Advent? Or Christmas? Or Both?
Greens and reds. Parties. Lights. Parades. We are celebrating Christmas. But it’s also Advent. For many years, I fretted. It disturbed me that the world started celebrating Christmas as soon as Halloween decorations came down. If folks are caught up in Christmas joy, then they can miss the profound worship and devotional experiences of Advent, the
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A Retirement Re-Do
(Dec. ‘22 revision) I like the old tale of a wife who placed on her kitchen wall a plaque with the familiar words: “Prayer changes things.” The next day, she noticed her husband had removed the sign. “Honey, what’s wrong?” she asked him. “I thought you believed in prayer?” “Sure, I believe in prayer.” He
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