Chellis new convener of Conference Connectional Ministries; other leaders elected

[caption id="attachment_5065" align="alignleft" width="150"] Chellis[/caption]

By Jessica Brodie

COLUMBIA—South Carolina Conference Connectional Ministries has a new leadership team to kick off their work for the next quadrennium.

At their organizational meeting Aug. 27, the body elected the Rev. Ross Chellis as convener, Pamela Goodwine-Glover as assistant convener and the Rev. Steven King as secretary. Conveners for the four different focus areas are as follows: for Lay Leadership, Barbara Ware and Donald Love; for Advocacy, the Rev. Bernie Mazyck and Tracy Pender; for Outreach, Michelline Cooper Williams and the Rev. Zach Dillard; and for Discipleship, Lou Jordan and Dr. Sheila Elliott.

These leaders will work alongside Director of Connectional Ministries the Rev. Kathy James and her team to help connect local churches and equip them for ministry.

Chellis replaces Cynthia Williams as convener; in the aftermath of the 2015 flood, Williams has taken on a new role as a case manager for the conference. Williams applauded the election of the new leaders; she will also stay on the CCM as the conference Global Ministries Committee’s missions secretary.

Chellis said he is excited about his new role as convener.

“I think the important task we do here is learning how to hear from the local church what they need so they can be empowered to do the ministry God has called them to do, and we get to participate alongside them,” Chellis said.

Also at the meeting, the body heard from the conference’s congregational specialists, who talked about many of the new efforts going on this year and the work ahead at the next CCM meeting, Sept. 24, including crafting the 2018 budget for ministry. Coverage of that meeting will appear in the next Advocate.