Foothills Presbytery runs on a ‘spirit of connectionalism’
South Carolina mid council fosters and celebrates connections with One Great Hour of Sharing, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog and a host of PC(USA) partners
LOUISVILLE — Whenever the Rev. Debbie Foster tells the “story” of Foothills Presbytery, the principal players are none other than the many gifted pastors and leaders she has “the honor of serving alongside.”
“As presbytery leader, I get to facilitate connections and then watch God do God’s ‘thang,’” she said.
Foster, a former youth director, Christian educator, pastor and nonprofit leader, has served the mid council — which comprises 57 congregations in the Upstate of South Carolina — as its presbytery leader and stated clerk since 2020.
“The whole connectional piece is what we do,” she added.
And it’s that spirit of connectionalism — at every level of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — that Foster says is truly the heartbeat of Foothills Presbytery.
Never was this more evident than when three Foothills congregations were honored last year for 25+ years of consecutive giving to the PC(USA)’s One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. Foothills was the only one of the PC(USA)’s 166 presbyteries with three congregations receiving this distinction.
For more than 75 years, One Great Hour of Sharing’s purpose of helping neighbors in need around the world has remained constant, giving the PC(USA) and other Christian denominations a tangible way to share God’s love. In addition to the Presbyterian Hunger Program, One Great Hour of Sharing also benefits the ministries of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People.
Although the annual Offering may be taken anytime, most congregations receive it on Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday, which this year fall on April 13 and 20, respectively.
Joining Foster, her associate, the Rev. Pressley Cox, and other presbytery leaders last year to present the awards to Flat Rock Presbyterian Church, Anderson; Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Mauldin; and John Knox Presbyterian Church, Greenville; was Sy Hughes, Ministry Engagement Advisor for the PC(USA)’s Ministry Engagement & Support (MES). Hughes visited each of the three congregations, where he honored them with a special presentation during worship for their more than 25 years of unwavering support for One Great Hour of Sharing.
“When I first called Sy and told him that while I would love to have him come to a presbytery meeting, the people that gave to the Offering won’t be there,” said Foster, who revealed her own early connection with Hughes, whom she had chaperoned on a mission trip when he was a teenager.
“What would it look like if instead of coming to the presbytery, we made visits to each of the congregations and surprised them with presentations,” she continued. “It was beautiful because we had a small church, Flat Rock, in that struggle season of their life that received the honor; a larger church, John Knox; and Grace Covenant, a midsize congregation. When we went to visit them, they were surprised and overjoyed. It was the perfect opportunity for them to meet Sy and make a deeper connection with the denomination.”
In addition to partnering with Special Offerings, Foothills has also developed a relationship with Dr. Corey Schlosser-Hall, Deputy Executive Director in the Interim Unified Agency of the PC(USA).
Schlosser-Hall, a ruling elder with a doctorate in organizational communication, has been helping to facilitate the presbytery’s engagement with four central paradigm shifts — church property transitions, pastoral leadership, stewardship and funding, and “courageous conversations” (discipleship and faith formation) — as Foothills Presbytery navigates the challenges and opportunities in the current religious landscape.
The presbytery and its congregations also enjoy strong, ongoing partnerships with the Presbyterian Foundation, PDA, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, the Synod of South Atlantic, PC(USA)-related seminaries and colleges, as well as many other Presbyterian groups, entities and agencies.
The Rev. Wilson Kennedy, MES’s Associate Director for Special Offerings and Appeals — who served as general presbyter of Cherokee Presbytery prior to joining the MES team in 2023 — commends Foster and the presbytery for their vision and commitment.
“I celebrate their witness in the South Carolina Upstate,” said Kennedy, “as well as all the ways God’s reign of justice, love and peace is made known through the gifts they freely give and the powerful ministries they offer that equip the faithful for service in Christ’s church.”
Give to One Great Hour of Sharing to support the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People.
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