“Christ our Lord invites to His table all who love Him …”
In 1951, Bishop Paul N. Garber was assigned as the episcopal leader for eastern North Carolina. During Bishop Garber’s 12-year tenure, over 75 new congregations were established to welcome new people into communion with Jesus Christ. In the last 15 years, our Annual Conference has continued Bishop Garber’s legacy, by establishing over 50 new faith communities. For Lent 2023, we celebrate the legacy of Bishop Garber and the ongoing co-creation of new places for new people to gather into communion with Jesus Christ. We also celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first call of the $10 club, which has helped to build numerous churches across our conference.
Spirit and Truth UMC was established in January of 2008, unfortunately as the result of a church spilt. We were young and we loved the Lord, but we lacked the vision and experience of many of the more seasoned ministries in Hertford, NC. I received a call late one night about a young lady who stopped by the church because she needed prayer. When I finally spoke with her, I was surprised at what she told me.
This young lady was hurting because she attended a church service with her family, and they treated her badly because of the quality of her clothing. The family told her she was not welcome to come back because she was an embarrassment to them. I believe wholeheartedly this was the moment that the vision and direction for Spirit & Truth UMC was birthed. In the book of 1st Corinthians Chapter 1 verse 27, the Apostle Paul writes the following: God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.
From that day forward, Spirit & Truth has become the church that welcomes all. Our standard way of dressing has become more casual so that all who enter in would feel comfortable. It is a place of non-judgement, as we acknowledge that we all are broken people and in constant need of our Savior.
I am now convinced that Spirit & Truth UMC is one of the “foolish things” that God will use in his own way. We have learned that this entire call is based on nothing other than unconditional love, and we strive to be that loving church to all who desire a relationship with Christ.
Loving God, we thank you for the privilege of being your servants. Empower us with your Spirit so that we may be effective in winning the lost and the hurting back to their rightful place. Continue to order our steps as we move forward in this journey, keeping our eyes on you: the author and the finisher of our faith. As a sign of our faith, we want to thank you now for what we believe are greater days to come, with you leading the way! We praise you Lord, In Jesus name, Amen.
Rev. Arthur Manigault serves as the pastor of Spirit & Truth UMC (Winfall) and Riverside UMC (Elizabeth City)
Our theme for this year’s Lenten reflections is Graceful Hospitality. 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Ten Dollar Club, now known as the New Room Society. We give thanks for our Conference’s ongoing commitment to co-creating new places for new people to gather in communion with Jesus Christ and extending graceful hospitality to all of God’s children.