The congregation at Kalem United Methodist Church welcomed a very special guest this past Sunday. The Resident Bishop of the Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church, James E. Swanson, Sr., gave his highly anticipated sermon to a full sanctuary of member church goers and visitings worshipers.
Members at KUMC had been anxiously awaiting October 14 since the date was scheduled many months ago, and as people began to arrive there was a sense of Godly excitement in the air.
KUMC has been very blessed and the members have enjoyed some very special Sundays over the last three months. On August 5 the church celebrated their 90th Anniversary Homecoming with a Sunday morning service and message with fellowship and celebration afterwards.
“We have had some great services lately with a lot to celebrate during our homecoming in August and again today with Bishop Swanson visiting,” said KUMC Pastor Scott Adcox.
Bishop Swanson said that his schedule keeps busy with general church responsibilities as well as nationwide and world-wide ministries, but he makes it a priority to do his best to spend three-quarters of his time in Mississippi churches.
“We have over 900 churches and I have many requests for visits so we do our very best to schedule all we can so that I can accommodate as many requests as possible,” Swanson said. “I have been wanting to get here to Kalem for some time now and when they made this last request for me to visit it just so happened that everything worked out on this mutually agreed upon date.”
Swanson was elected a bishop of the United Methodist Church in 2004 and began his tenure as resident bishop on September 1, 2012. From the beginning of his tenure Swanson has listened to his congregation and the people of Mississippi and discovered values he believes they all hold deep within their hearts love, generosity, justice and apprenticeship. These four values have become the pillars and Core Four Values of the Mississippi Conference under his guidance.
“Part of being a bishop is that you are an officer in the United Methodist Church,” he explained. “As an officer of the United Methodist Church and the resident bishop here I have all of Mississippi.”
Swanson’s contagious spirit, determination to excel at being “the you” God created us to be, and his spirited preaching has helped bring life, laughter and light to congregations in Mississippi and far beyond the state lines.
He is a highly sought-after preacher, workshop leader and lecturer. He has presented to people in Japan, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Estonia, Chile, Canada, the Holy Land, Egypt, Liberia, Sudan, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe and throughout the United States. But this past Sunday he was excited and happy to be in Scott County delivering a message to the devout Christians of KUMC.
God blessed Bishop Swanson with a powerful rudder that affords him the ability to connect and reach people. He uses these attributes to connect with people on a personal and spiritual level which allows him to help guide them down a Godly path. He has used his heavenly gifts to preach the word and teachings of God all around the world, but he knows that the most important ministries are those completed in the home community.
“I was very interested in my visit here to Kalem because of the work they are doing in this community,” Swanson said. “Kalem has decided to put their efforts into working and ministering in their community and the church can be a leader and ensure the questions and needs in this community are answered and met because of their outreach.”
Swanson said, “if you’re not going to minister in your own community you are not going to minister anywhere.” This past Sunday Bishop Swanson was practicing exactly what he preaches as he was in Scott County ministering in his home community and to every soul in the sanctuary at KUMC.
