Call to Care
Two Clergy, One Southern Conference Message:
The Call to Care Continues
The Southern Conference Call to Care Tour is more than a schedule of visits—it is a ministry of presence, connection, and shared commitment to our churches. And now, that presence is being strengthened even further. Temporary Conference Minister, Rev. Eddie Weathers, is joining Rev. Belinda Sledge on the Call to Care Tour, embodying what it means to walk alongside our congregations with one unified voice and one shared mission.
Together, Rev. Weathers and Rev. Sledge are showing up in our churches to deliver not only the preached Word, but also a living reminder of the Conference’s commitment to care. Whether through worship, prayer, encouragement, or simply being present, the Call to Care Tour is about strengthening relationships and reaffirming that we are better together.
At each stop, the message remains clear—we are a connected body of believers, called to walk with one another through every season. The tour reflects the heart of the Southern Conference mission to educate, equip, and empower, while also creating space for renewal, unity, and hope.
Two Giants in Ministry Celebrate Milestone Pastoral Anniversaries
By Rev. Belinda Sledge
Each year, the first weekend of May becomes a sacred testimony across the Southern Conference United Church of Christ as two beloved pastors, two faithful friends, and two giants in ministry celebrate their pastoral anniversaries. It is never about choosing one celebration over another, but rather a beautiful reflection of mutual love, respect, support, and enduring friendship, whether they are physically present with one another or simply cheering each other on from afar. This year was no exception, as congregations, clergy, family, friends, and community members once again gathered to honor extraordinary years of pastoral leadership and unwavering commitment to the churches they have faithfully served for decades.
From May 1 st to 3 rd , congregations, choirs, clergy, family, friends, and community members came together to celebrate the ministries of Rev. Dr. Dannie Williams, Pastor of Melfield United Church of Christ in Haw River, North Carolina, for 30 years of faithful service, and Rev. Rodney Foxx, Pastor of Children’s Chapel United Church of Christ, for 35 years of impactful ministry.
In a time when pastoral longevity has become increasingly rare, these two leaders stand as living witnesses to what steadfast love, faithful presence, and enduring commitment truly look like. Their ministries exemplify the heart of the Southern Conference’s Call to Care initiative, reminding us that ministry is not simply about preaching on Sunday mornings, but about walking alongside people through generations of life, loss, growth, worship, celebration, and transformation. Both celebrations reflected not only appreciation for years served, but deep gratitude for lives continually poured out in service to God’s people.
At Melfield United Church of Christ, Rev. Dr. Dannie Williams’ anniversary weekend began with powerful preaching on Friday evening by Rev. Raymond Watkins, Pastor of Mt. Calvary UCC in Durham, North Carolina. The celebration continued Saturday with an elegant banquet featuring the renowned 100 Men in Black singers from Durham, North Carolina, filling the atmosphere with music, fellowship, and joy. The weekend culminated Sunday with a spirit-filled worship service preached by Pastor Darrell Burrell, who traveled from Maryland accompanied by his choir to celebrate this milestone occasion.
During the service, Rev. Eddie Weathers, Temporary Conference Minister of the Southern Conference UCC, presented Rev. Dr. Williams with a commemorative plaque on behalf of the Southern Conference United Church of Christ. A formal letter from the Eastern North Carolina Association was also presented in recognition of his faithful leadership, service, and impact throughout the years.
Meanwhile, at Children’s Chapel United Church of Christ, Rev. Rodney Foxx’s 35th anniversary celebration began with a surprise cookout and musical salute that reflected the very heart of his ministry: music, fellowship, community, and praise. The sanctuary and grounds were filled with testimonies, harmonies, and heartfelt gratitude for a pastor whose ministry has long extended beyond the pulpit and into song, mentorship, and community engagement.
Sunday’s worship service featured a powerful preached word by Rev. Garcia Davis of Siler City, North Carolina. During the service, Rev. Foxx was honored with a special tribute from Rev. Belinda Sledge that reflected on many of the beloved songs that have become intertwined with his ministry journey, songs that carried testimony, perseverance, grace, and faith through decades of service. What made this weekend especially meaningful was not simply the number of years being celebrated, but the witness behind those years.
Thirty years.
Thirty-five years.
At one church.
That kind of longevity speaks of trust. It speaks of covenant. It speaks of showing up again and again through changing seasons, evolving communities, celebrations, hardships, transitions, and triumphs. It reflects pastors who did not simply occupy pulpits, but who became part of the heartbeat of their congregations and communities. The ministries of Rev. Dr. Dannie Williams and Rev. Rodney Foxx remind the Southern Conference that Call to Care is not merely a slogan, it is lived out through consistency, relationship, sacrifice, presence, and love. Sometimes Call to Care looks like a pastor preaching revival after revival. Sometimes it looks like opening church doors year after year to serve the community.
Sometimes it sounds like choirs singing in celebration. And sometimes it feels like faithful pastors continuing to answer God’s call decade after decade. On this sacred weekend, Rev. Eddie Weathers and Rev. Belinda Sledge had the privilege of witnessing not only two anniversary celebrations, but two living testimonies of what faithful ministry looks like over time through the lives of two gifted singing preachers whose ministries continue to inspire congregations, clergy, and communities alike.
Congratulations to two giants in ministry: Rev. Dr. Dannie Williams on 30 years of steadfast pastoral leadership at Melfield United Church of Christ, and Rev. Rodney Foxx on 35 years of impactful and grace-filled ministry at Children’s Chapel United Church of Christ.