Foothills Presbytery News

November 5, 2026

Foothills Presbytery Stated Meeting #133

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

10:00 am

at First Presbyterian Church

393 E. Main Street, Spartanburg

Our Theme is “From Generation to Generation: Remembering the Saints, Telling our Story, and Trusting God’s Future.”

We begin with worship with the Rev. Dr. Buz Wilcoxon (Marianne & E.G. Lassiter Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life at Presbyterian College) proclaiming The Word. During worship we will honor the saints who entered the Church Triumphant in the last year. We will celebrate communion together.

During our Special Order, we will hear stories about the five presbyteries in South Carolina: their past, present, and future possibilities. As we receive reports from our committees and commissions about the mission and ministry in Foothills, we will hear stories of how we are trusting in God’s future.

Please plan to join us for this Stated Meeting on Tuesday, November 10 with check-in beginning at 9:30. We will conclude our time together by 2:30.

Handbook & Supplement

COMING UP

The Westminster, Greenville Sanctuary Choir and soloists will be joined by the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra to present Mozart’sMissa brevis in d-minor, KV65, evening worship service - this Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4 pm in the WPC Sanctuary.

We would welcome your presence!

ReCenter’s upcoming events: November

Weekly Centering Prayer- Tuesdays, 11am-12pm
Ground & Flow Yoga- Wednesdays, 9am-10:15am, Cost: $20
Guided Journaling- Wednesdays Nov. 11, 18, 10am-11am
Doodle Days- Thursdays, 11am-12pm, Come doodle, create, and unwind with us.
Happy Healing Hour- Nov. 13, 5 pm-6:30 pm, Cost: $27, A different kind of happy hour that offers real rest for your nervous system, not just a distraction from the week- guided mindfulness, gentle movement, and connection.
Holiday Boundaries Workshop- Nov. 15, 3pm-5:30pm, A creative workshop for navigating family expectations and the holidays with greater intention and stronger tools.

Full details on ReCenter’s events can be found at recentergvl.com.

Dementia Myths: Saturday,

Nov 14 at Seneca Church

Join us to better understand the experience of living with dementia and learn practical communication and problem-solving strategies that enable caregivers to provide compassionate, person-centered support

FULL FLYER

For more information, email Ernie Lombard (Parish Nurse) at ernie.lombard@sprez.org

Side by Side

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

Did you know it takes 15-20 volunteers to make one day at Side By Side Respite happen John Knox Presbyterian Greenville, SC with our current enrollment? Our Friends are paired with a Volunteer, while another amazing Volunteer team helps prepare, serve, and clean up lunch.

***Next Volunteer Training is November 16th! RSVP to Laura (Lreichen@johnknoxpres.org) or by calling the church.

Click here for FLYER.

Pickett, Otis Westbrook. Southern Shepherds, Savage Wolves: Presbyterian Domestic Missionaries and Race in South Carolina, 1802-1874. Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina Press, 2025. (266.51757 Pickett) Presbyterian Church missionaries and the theology of race, enslavement, and Native American removal.

“Otis Westbrook Pickett Sr. examines Presbyterian missionaries' attempts to live up to their understood calling from their God to serve as shepherds for their congregations. These missionaries, Pickett finds, faltered in this duty when faced with the racial hierarchy of an enslaved society. Read More —Provided by publisher

Foothills Presbytery Peer Ministry

Music Ministry Leaders

Our next gathering is Wednesday,

November 11 at 9:00 am, on Zoom.

Christian Educators

Our Annual Educator Retreat is

November 15-17 at Camp Fellowship.

Youth Leaders Party

Friday, November 20th, 5:30 pm, at

4 Parkins Lake Road, Greenville, SC 29607

Bring a dip to share.

Spouses and kids are welcome.

Validated Ministers

Happy Hour Gathering on

Thursday, March 11, 2027, from 5:00 – 7:00

Location: to be determined

Fo r Your Church

Enrich Your Young Adult Ministry

Montreat Conference Center is hosting two special events for young adults this January. If your congregation serves this demographic or is in the process of building a young adult ministry, consider how you might get involved!

College Conference @ Montreat invites individual students, church groups, and campus ministries to visit Montreat for three days of worship, discussion, and community building. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 22 is welcome to attend, regardless of religious affiliation or area of study.

Meanwhile, The Manna Retreat is a weekend gathering for young adults in their 20s and 30s that aims to help them navigate their “defining decade.” Participants can expect to meet new people and enrich their faith lives as they engage in worship, small groups, and evening mixers. Find out more at montreat.org/a-place-at-the-manna-retreat.

Montreat Conference Center

South Carolina Inn at Montreat

You can book your next room with a view of beautiful Montreat HERE.

Help Foothills Presbytery support the on-going mission of SC Inn at Montreat: Give via this GiveButter campaign link.

Save the Date!

Officer Training

Saturday, February 6, 2027

Details coming soon.

People & Stories from Around Foothills

Westminster Presbyterian Church-Saxon, Spartanburg, celebrated its Family and Friends Day and 144th Church Anniversary service with Rev. Charles Crooks, speaker. He and his congregation, Salem Presbyterian Church, were guests among other supporting churches in the area. The members of Westminster were greatly appreciative of the support and love shown to make this event a great success.

Belton Presbyterian Church 125th anniversary celebration!

October 18, 2026 - Belton Church held its 125th Anniversary Celebration Sunday. Sunday's activities included the worship service at 11 a.m., with the present minister, Will DeLaney, and previous ministers participating. A huge lunch was served on the grounds afterwards. Many former members came back to reconnect with everyone.

On September 20th, our nineth Hymn Sing was held at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg. The scope of representative churches in our presbytery went from Walkers Chapel in Reidville, to Bethesda in Gaffney. Musical contributions regarding songs of praise ran from solos to church choirs, to duets from two brothers in their eighties, to the vigorous singing of "I'll Fly Away" by those in attendance. There were spontaneous contributors wanting to sing a solo to the playing of a favorite hymn on the piano. You could feel the camaraderie in the air for indeed, "the Lord was in this place." The Hymn Sing was a wonderful time of praising God and gathering followed by delicious refreshments in the church fellowship hall.

Looking Ahead

1st Wed SACK Lunch Conversation

A monthly Zoom for sharing across the synod! Join, learn and share: experience, resources, and best practices on a new topic each month. We meet on the first Wednesday of the month from 12-1 pm (Eastern Time).

December 2 - Food Ministries

Click HERE to Register

Montreat's monthly newsletter November in Montreat

Montreat Conference Center is pleased to bring you our monthly newsletter November in Montreat. Please find updates from our president, highlights on programmatic offerings, and ways that you can engage with Montreat below. Specifically, in this issue we are talking ways to enjoy winter and spring in Montreat, a new arts and crafts retreat, and how you utilize the Montreat Wilderness.

Camp Fellowship

Winter Camp

SAVE THE

DATE!

Click HERE for information.

APCE Annual Event

The APCE Annual Event will be held in Portland, Oregon from January 27-30, 2027, either in-person at the Marriott Downtown Waterfront or via Annual Event Online.

Registration is now available online: Nov 15 is the early bird registration deadline. To learn more visit 2027 APCE Annual Event.

2027 SC5 COM-CPM-PDA-PJC RETREAT

March 5 – 6, 2027

Registration is open. A block of rooms (Alphabet Soup Conf) is being held for our attendees at a special discounted group rate .

Click here for full flyer and more information.

From the Foothills Presbytery

Sexual Ethics Committee

The Committee has partnered with GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) to provide Ethics and Boundaries Training for all Minister members of Foothills Presbytery, those serving on Presbytery Committee’s, and Presbytery Volunteers.

The first training is scheduled for Thursday April 29, 9:00 – 12:00 at ReCenter (Pelham Rd, Greenville). More detailed information coming soon.

To read more about GRACE: www.netgrace.org

Thriving in Ministry

Conference | May 4–5, 2027

We invite all church leaders to join us on Presbyterian College’s campus for a conference to encourage, equip, and support those serving the church through the liberal arts of ministry with experienced church leaders.

Registration can be found here.

Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising | May 17–19, 2027

In partnership with The Lake Institute, this professional development opportunity takes place at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, offering church leaders an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and skills in religious fundraising.

Registration can be found here.

Click below to read more about upcoming training opportunities and workshops:

November

Learning Opportunities

at LMPC

Save the date for the

2027 Churchwide Gathering of

Presbyterian Women!

August 5 - 7, 2027

Visit presbyterianwomen.org/gathering for more information. And don’t forget to share your enthusiasm for the Gathering on social media! #PWGathering #2027ChurchwideGathering

Prophets, Poverty, and Me

Beth Lindsay Templeton

This book examines nine passages from the Old Testament and considers their application in our world especially as it relates to poverty and the experiences of present-day individuals and families. It can be used both as a personal devotional aimed at enlightening and offering a better understanding of how the voices of the prophets of old speak to us—and as a workbook for a Bible study or retreat. Available Here.