Holy Cross, Stateburg, \u201cGets Serious about Ministry,\u201d\u009d
\nReceives $1.5 Million in Anonymous Gift; $250,000 Grant<\/p>\n
By Joy Hunter<\/p>\n
(This article was originally appeared in the February\/March 2008 issue of the Jubilate Deo, the Newspaper for the Diocese of South Carolina.)<\/i><\/p>\n
Seven-and-a-half years are a long time to be out of your main church building. It\u2019s also a long time to be without a full-time rector, but that was the reality for the parishioners of Holy Cross, Stateburg. Severe termite damage, discovered in 2000, rendered their historic building unusable. That same year their rector left, and the church was assigned an interim rector.<\/p>\n
As the \u201cinterim\u201d\u009d period stretched into years, Bishop Salmon called the vestry to get serious about ministry. He urged them to step out in faith, look for a full-time rector and purchase a rectory. (They had sold their dilapidated rectory a few years prior.)<\/p>\n
Funds were available to cover a rector\u2019s salary for two years. During the interim period they had been able to put money away. However they still were hesitant. With the building in severe disrepair, how could they spend funds on anything other than facilities?
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Heeding the Bishop\u2019s Call<\/p>\n
Yet, in September 2007, they heeded the Bishop\u2019s words and called The Reverend Tommy Allen to be their full-time Rector. When Tommy joined the parish, he and his wife, Kimberly, moved into a newly purchased rectory.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I came in September, I knew it was going to be a challenge,\u201d\u009d said Allen. \u201cThe parish chapel, where we currently meet, is small and cramped. After a couple of nights of tossing and turning in bed, the Lord had to teach me to let it go.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Bishop Salmon also reminded Allen to focus on pastoring and teaching. \u201cThis community is growing,\u201d\u009d Allen said. \u201cThere are plenty of opportunities for ministry.\u201d\u009d In addition to Shaw Air Force base, just two miles away, the Third Army US Headquarters is planning to move between five and eight thousand people to the area in the next two to three years.<\/p>\n
Allen found it a stretch, but he focused, as the Bishop suggested, on pastoring and teaching, and he cast a vision for ministry. \u201cI\u2019ve always believed that if you have strong biblical teaching and preaching, traditional liturgy, and a genuine love for those you serve, there is no better recipe,\u201d\u009d Allen said.<\/p>\n
The week prior to Thanksgiving, Allen received a phone call from someone asking to meet him to discuss a financial donation. They agreed to meet the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving. Following the phone call, Allen received an engineering report that said their building was in need of \u201cimmediate shoring up\u201d\u009d or the roof would collapse. \u201cI already knew what it was going to cost to have the building restored,\u201d\u009d said Allen. \u201cThis would be an additional $30,000 – $50,000.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Jesus Takes Material Matters Seriously<\/p>\n
The vestry was scheduled to meet the next Tuesday and, after praying about it, Tommy felt led to speak about making the incarnation relevant to how church business is conducted. \u201cJesus Christ came here in the flesh,\u201d\u009d said Allen. \u201cHe takes material matters seriously. And we need to, too. I told them that it was our obligation to take care of the building. \u201d\u02dcYou can disagree,\u2019 I said, \u201d\u02dcbut it\u2019s important for all of us to be unified and on the same page. We need to shore up the building and make plans to expand our already existing chapel so we can grow and get back in our sanctuary.\u2019\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we took a vote, everyone\u2019s hand went up,\u201d\u009d said Allen. \u201cYou could actually feel the Holy Spirit moving. It was as though a wind blew right through the room.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe parishioners of Holy Cross were determined to keep this ministry alive,\u201d\u009d said Allen. They were ready for something to happen.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Something did happen. The very next day Allen was handed a check for $1.5 million. To say the least, it was much more than he expected. \u201cI had thought we might receive $10,000 – $15,000,\u201d\u009d said Allen, \u201csomething we could use to offset the cost of the new landscaping at the rectory.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Instead, the gift will enable Holy Cross to repair the damaged trusses, pay off the mortgage on the new rectory, set aside funds for ministry expansion and get them back into their sanctuary. In addition, the church received a $250,000 grant through SC Senator Jim DeMint\u2019s office from America\u2019s Treasures. \u201cThat program has to do with valuing and restoring buildings that are part of America\u2019s rich history,\u201d\u009d said Allen. The Vestry\u2019s goal is to restore the sanctuary to its original condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe moral of this story is profound,\u201d\u009d says Allen. \u201cThe church has to decide to step out and engage the culture with the gospel. This was a movement of the Holy Spirit. The donor saw what was going on here, the enthusiasm and excitement and wanted to share in the vision. I could tell things were going to happen. I just didn\u2019t think it would be this soon. We\u2019re baptizing people. We\u2019ve got weddings scheduled. Our youth ministry is starting: God is on the move.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Holy Cross, Stateburg, \u201cGets Serious about Ministry,\u201d\u009d Receives $1.5 Million in Anonymous Gift; $250,000 Grant By Joy Hunter (This article was originally appeared in the February\/March 2008 issue of the Jubilate Deo, the Newspaper for the Diocese of South Carolina.)…<\/span><\/p>\n