Bethlehem United and Mount Nebo

2025-2026 Bill 763: Bethlehem United and Mount Nebo - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 763
STATUS INFORMATION
Senate Resolution
Sponsors: Senator Ott
Document Path: SR-0380KM-HW25.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Adopted by the Senate on January 13, 2026
Summary: Bethlehem United and Mount Nebo
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/13/2026

Senate

Introduced and adopted (
Senate Journal-page 45
)

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legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/13/2026

A senate rESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR the members and leadership of
Triune United Methodist Church, formerly bethlehem united methodist and Mount
Nebo United methodist churches, upon the occasion of their merger.

W
hereas, Bethlehem
United Methodist Church and Mount Nebo United Methodist Church will celebrate
the merger of their two church bodies on August 10, 2025; and

W
hereas, Bethlehem
United Methodist Church was founded in 1868, just five years after the
Emancipation Proclamation was signed and three years after the Civil War ended.
Mr. Prince S. Murph led the charge in acquiring the land on which Bethlehem
stands; and

W
hereas, the African
Americans of the community had a monumental task ahead of them after
emancipation: the building of their new lives. This work included the reuniting
of families, the establishment of careers, and the move toward living as
citizens instead of as enslaved persons. The formation of systems of faith was
essential to the building of these new lives; and

W
hereas, Bethlehem has
gone through many changes during its history, including its notable
congregational growth and the addition and expansion of its buildings; and

W
hereas, today's United
Methodist Church is the product of denominational splits and mergers over the
past two hundred-some years. At one time, Bethlehem was the only United
Methodist church in the area; and

W
hereas, Bethlehem's
sister church, Mount Nebo United Methodist Church, was founded in 1888 as Mount
Nebo Methodist Episcopal Church; and

W
hereas, the land for
Mount Nebo was given to Mrs. Elizabeth Gaffney Duncan's father, Alex Gaffney,
in 1888. The church began as a Bush Harbor, then a tent, and later a church
building. This building was destroyed in a fire and later rebuilt; and

W
hereas, in the 1950s,
Mount Nebo became part of the Orangeburg Circuit with Bethlehem, St. Stephens,
and St. John; and

W
hereas, in May of
2025, after much prayer, deliberation, and collaboration with Bethlehem United
Methodist Church, Mount Nebo decided to merge with Bethlehem. On June 25, 2025,
the two churches together took on the name of Triune United Methodist Church;
and

W
hereas, the members
and leadership of Bethlehem United Methodist and Mount Nebo United Methodist
churches have shown great faith and diligence in shaping and serving the people
and the State of South Carolina. Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
Senate:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina Senate recognize and honor the members and leadership of Triune
United Methodist Church, formerly Bethlehem United Methodist and Mount Nebo
United Methodist churches, upon the occasion of their merger.

B
e it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to the leadership of Triune United
Methodist Church.

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 12:01 PM