SC Conference & AU Constant Partners

14 Feb SC Conference & AU Constant Partners

The South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church continues to set a high bar in support of the mission, vision, and ministry of Africa University.  The conference leads in consistent annual apportionment investment at 100% and there’s intention and sacrificial giving behind that fact. 

In 2025, as the conference approached just coming under its apportionment goal, the clergy and laity of the Orangeburg District and District Superintendent Kenneth Nelson, gifted the $8,000 balance so the conference could meet that goal. This gift was the Orangeburg District’s way of honoring their native son James H. Salley. 

About this gesture, the president and chief executive officer of AU (Tennessee) Inc. said, “That’s faith in action; the action provides the gift. I’m honored and thrilled that the churches have rallied to the call because the general church has indicated that churches would only give 50 % of their apportionment goals and for South Carolina to lead in that giving—it’s an honor.”

In 2025, as the conference approached just coming under their perfect apportionment goal, the clergy and laity of the Orangeburg District and District Superintendent Kenneth Nelson, gifted the $8,000 balance so the conference could meet that goal. This gift was the Orangeburg District’s way of honoring their native son James H. Salley. About this gesture, the president and chief executive officer of AU (Tennessee) Inc. said, “That’s faith in action; the action provides the gift. I’m honored and thrilled that the churches have rallied to the call because the general church has indicated that churches would only give 50% of their apportionment goals and for South Carolina to lead in that giving—it’s an honor.”

About this recognition, Nelson said, “Jim Salley has been the most passionate advocate and consistent voice for this partnership within the South Carolina Conference. He lives, serves, and worships in the Orangeburg District as a member of Edisto Fork United Methodist Church, where he also serves on the Orangeburg District Connectional Ministries Team. He is fond of reminding others that ‘you are only as good as your home folks say that you are.’ Two years ago, in partnership with his pastor and the congregation of Edisto Fork, Jim helped initiate Africa University Sunday, celebrated the day before the annual golf tournament, further grounding global mission in local faithfulness.”

The 2025 Wespath-Bishop Leonard Fairley Golf Invitational held in September each year started as an initiative to help close the gap if the conference fell short in apportionment giving. This year’s tournament supported student scholarships. By the will of God and the commitment of clergy and laity people in South Carolina, 2025 brought the strongest and most participants in the history of the tournament.

Conferences may wonder, how this conference does it. The clarion call from the people of South Carolina is, “When one ministry reaches 100%, it helps people understand that it’s possible to get to 100%; other ministries can meet that 100% goal as well.” 

Bishop Leonard Fairley and his wife Dawn lead in investing in Africa University. They are a big part of why this conference is so successful in their Africa University apportionment giving. Every church in the South Carolina Annual Conference supports Africa University. They and the conference’s capable staff can provide a template to supporting AU at 100%. Where the bishops lead, congregations—clergy and laity—follow.

“Part of the role with South Carolina with Africa University,” explains Bishop Fairley, “is that we see and feel and understand—in our minds, and in our hearts, and in our spirits—the soul of AU. How the soul of Africa University is the heartbeat of what happens on that continent. We know there are gifted young people on the continent who add to who we say we are as UMs. If that’s their heart, then our hearts beat as one with theirs. John Wesley used to say (paraphrasing), ‘If your heart is as my heart, then take my hand and let us walk together.’

“So, South Carolina has not veered from that walk together with AU,” he continues. “The impact that it makes is that important. Let me encourage all the other annual conferences to do the same. This is your university. It’s South Carolina’s university. It is our heartbeat. And how can we not respond when our hearts are one. It’s just that critical…it’s just that important. We always want to make sure that we’re giving 100 percent of not just our finances, but our hearts to this ministry that affects so many lives—not only on that continent, but here. So we’re grateful.”