Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church has a rich history. It was built in 1885 on a foundation of faith, hope, and love. A small band of Christians consisting of three men and three women would meet under a big wide branched oak tree that stood among some pines. Homemade benches were placed in a semi-circle and an altar made of pinewood was erected. This place was known for miles as “The Bush Top.” Worship services were held at the Bush Top for many months but they saw a need to construct a building due to not being able to worship during inclement weather. They built the first board structure. The Vision they had now became a reality. Wesley Chapel UMC was built! The Current Buildings of Wesley Chapel include our Sanctuary Rebuilt in 1925 our Educational Building Built in November 1972 and our Family Life Center Built on March 19, 2005.
Over the years, Wesley Chapel has embraced its Mission Statement: “To make Christ known through Biblical scripture and daily living (includes loving and caring), to be on one accord in faith and compassion, to serve the community in Christ’s name, to unite with other Christians in common endeavors, and to reach out to the world as Christ’s messengers of Hope.”
We are geographically positioned in the heart of the “Deep River” community of Lake City and have been identified or known truly as the “Open Door Church.” This location has allowed us to have opportunities to provide unique ministries for the members of our congregation and the community at large.
Brief Bio – Dr. Harry Singleton
Theologian and author, Dr. Harry Singleton has emerged as one of the most passionate and informed voices on race and religion in America. He exemplifies a true public intellectual who roots his work in both the academy and society.
For over twenty years, Singleton has made numerous television, radio, and podcast appearances to share his expertise on topics ranging from state and national politics to the social and religious legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to the role of religion in the twenty-first century.
He has been the recipient of many humanitarian and community service awards and is widely known for his courageous activism over the past two decades. The National Council of Negro Women, The
National Association for The Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP), The Renaissance Foundation, the
International Honor Society of Theta Phi, and Who’s
Who Among American Teachers are among the several
organizations that have recognized Singleton for his
exemplary work as a scholar and activist.
Singleton’s principle stands for rights has not gone unnoticed by his colleagues as he was appointed as Faculty/Staff Representative to the Benedict College Board of Trustees where he served for eleven years. He also served on the University of South Carolina President’s Commission on University History, created to bring substantive change to university life in the wake of recent racial unrest in the nation.
Singleton’s organizational affiliations include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in which he is a lifetime member. He also holds memberships in The American Academy of Religion (AAR), The Society for the Study of Black Religion (SSBR), The National Association for African American Studies (NAAAS), The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. Singleton is the author of several articles published in national and international journals and is also the author of three books, Black Theology and Ideology, White Religion and Black Humanity, and Divine Revelation and Human Liberation. He has just completed work on a fourth book titled Forever in Thy Path: The God of Black Liberation to be released in January. Singleton currently teaches in the African American Studies program and Religious Studies department at the University of South Carolina.
