Last Saturday, August 21, the Upper South Carolina was in session at the Beech Springs Conference Center to elect a new conference superintendent.
Bishop Ronald Q. Moore made it known weeks before the conference that he would not be interested in serving another four years. The conference had doubled in his eight years as the superintendent.
A new structural change was approved to be voted on by the Council of Bishops at their meeting in Orlando, FL, in July.
The issue of making such a drastic change, i. e., to elect one man to be the conference superintendent, and his choice of an assistant superintendent and secretary/treasurer, was heartily debated by delegates on both sides of the issue. Bishop Chris Thompson was the presiding officer, and he did a masterful job in navigating through the stormy waters of argument. I can say they have good speakers in that conference, men and women who speak with conviction and passion about what they believe. They did so with courtesy and civility.
There were six men who had been nominated for conference superintendent. One of the men requested that his name be withdrawn when the body voted that the conference superintendent be full time in that office.
When the vote was taken, a majority voted for the change in venue: 175 delegates for the change, and 135 delegates voted against it. Only 40 votes separated the majority vote.
The Rev. Mr. Ray Boggs, senior pastor at South Greenwood Pentecostal Holiness Church was elected. His choice for his assistant is the Rev. Mr. Brent Lollis, senior pastor at Taylor Memorial Pentecostal Holiness Church in Anderson, SC. Mrs. Donna Lance was his choice for Secretary/Treasurer. She is a lay person. She is well acquinted with the office of the conference superintendent having served as the administrative assistant or secretary to several conference superintendents including Dr. Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr., the Rev. Mr. Ray Buchanan, and Bishop Ronald Q. Moore.
According to the new structure, it will be the responsibility of the newly elected conference superintendent to appoint his council members. I think he may have to appoint about 11 persons. Let us pray that God will give him wisdom in selecting those who will serve the churches and pastors for this great conference.
The Rev. Mr.s David Richardson, Jr., who has been serving as the Director of Discipleship Ministries wrote a tremendous letter of congratulatons to the new officers of their conference. Let me quote from his letter:
Congratulations to our Newly Elected Bishop!
We offer congratulations to our newly elected Conference Bishop, Bishop Ray S. Boggs! We look forward to what God has in store for the Upper South Carolina Conference through the leadership of Bishop Boggs and his wife, Karen. Also, we celebrate with them today, as they celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary today, August 24, 2010! Our prayers and support are with them and their precious family as they lead our Conference for the next Quadrennium. May God's hand be upon them.
Also, elected as Assistant Superintendent was Rev. Brent Lollis, Pastor of Taylor Memorial PH Church. Congratulations to Pastor Lollis and his wife, Alice, on their election to this important office of support and leadership. Likewise, congratulations to Mrs. Donna Lance, on her election as Secretary/Treasurer. Mrs. Lance is the first lay person to be elected to that position in the history of the Conference!
We thank God for the new leadership team of the Upper South Carolina Conference! Join us in prayer for Bishop Boggs and the entire leadership team as they together lead this Conference in the way that God desires.
In Christ,
Rev. David Richardson, Jr.
Discipleship Ministries Director
Posted on
Tue, August 24, 2010
by Hugh Morgan