BETH SHILOH
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
All who enter Beth Shiloh Church come not as strangers, but as guests of God. He is your heavenly Father. Come then, with joy in your heart and thanks on your lips into his presence, offering to him your love and service. Be grateful for the strong people who, in the name of Jesus Christ, built this place of worship and to all who love this home of faith as the inspiration of their labor, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit--and may that blessing rest on you, both in your going out and your coming in. We invite you to join us in carrying out the mission of God.
OUR VISION
The Church, so our Book of Order states (F-1.0301), is to be a community of faith, hope and love-- but it is, as Christ's body in the world, also to be a community of witness testifying to what God has done, is already doing, and will do in the world. To that end, the Church is to have these actions as its chief characteristics:
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the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
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the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
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the maintenance of divine worship;
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the preservation of the truth;
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the promotion of social righteousness; and
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the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (F-1.0304)
WHAT WE DO
Besides eating, at which Presbyterians are very good, you will find we are involved in Bible studies, music, missions, fellowship, visitation, and worship. Each of which is designed to nurture our Christian faith and to assist us in the growth of grace and discipleship. We treasure and honor our older members, are guided by our middle-aged officers and members, and enjoy and appreciate our younger school age members. On Sunday mornings you will find we gather for worship where we sing hymns, pray for the world, listen to the Word of God preached, truly, and listened to faithfully, where the Sacraments are administered appropriately and where everything is done with the goal of being decently and in order.
PRESBYTERIAN?
Presbyterians are called Presbyterians because in the New Testament the church was guided by 'elders.' The Greek word for elder is presbuteros. Presbyterians then are guided in their living together by 'elders' who seek to discern God's will for the particular congregation. There is a teaching elder (the pastor) and ruling elders (the Session). In the 1500's during the Protestant Reformation Presbyterians protested against the Roman Catholic church's practices which they believed to be unbiblical. In this they were led by John Calvin in Geneva, John Knox in Edinburgh, Ulrich Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger in Zurich, Martin Bucer in Strasbourg and Johannes Oecalampadius in Basel among others. Together they all believed in the following five convictions:
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Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”): The Bible alone is our highest authority.
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Sola Fide (“faith alone”): We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
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Sola Gratia (“grace alone”): We are saved by the grace of God alone.
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Solus Christus (“Christ alone”): Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.
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Soli Deo Gloria (“to the glory of God alone”): We live for the glory of God alone.
Our Minister
Rev. Dr. John D. White (Ph.D.), "Pastor John," or "Creature John," was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada about the time the Beatles hit it big in the United States. His family moved to South Carolina in the late 1960's. Having lived in Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and South Carolina he is pretty much almost a native Southerner! You may hear him say "Eh," but also "Ya'll," which confuses almost everyone! A graduate of the University of South Carolina in Physical Education/ Sports medicine-- he felt the call to ministry before he graduated college in the mid 1980's. Matriculating at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA he graduated with a M.Div. (in 1993) and Th.M. (Reformed Theology) (in 2003). He was ordained in the summer of 1993. In 2008 he began the research which culminated with a 640 page doctoral dissertation accepted by the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 2019 for the PhD degree (with distinction) in Practical Theology/ Pastoral Care. He has been married to Jenifer for thirty four years and together they have three children--Cameron (27), Katie (23) and Kelsy (21). John began his ministry at Beth Shiloh in March 2018 after having served previous pastorates in SC in Laurens (5 years--Rocky Springs) and Cayce (20 years--Congaree). As he learned in Shirley Guthrie's Reformed Theology classes at Columbia Theological Seminary in the early 1990's the answer is always 'Jesus!'