Point Hope United Methodist Church is pleased to introduce its new pastor, Rev. Walter Cantwell, to guide the church as we serve the spiritual needs of members of the northern Mount Pleasant community and beyond.
Cantwell was commissioned as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church in June 2011. He completed his masters of divinity degree at Duke University in May 2011. Originally from Aiken, South Carolina, Cantwell was raised and nurtured in the United Methodist Church community at his local church, St. John's. Always having a deep longing to serve others, Cantwell decided to pursue a religious leadership role when choosing a career path in college.
Following his graduation from University of South Carolina with a degree in religious studies in 2007, Cantwell worked as the ministerial intern at St. John's in which he helped the youth pastor create an original, blended-style worship service. He has since completed four other ministerial internships, which have given him the opportunities to preach, teach and lead worship in a variety of settings.
"I am passionate about helping to create an environment in the local church where everyone's faith is deepened and nurtured so that we can all discover how God is calling us to serve," says Cantwell. "I believe that each church is unique, requiring discernment by both the congregation and the pastor to learn how to create a ministry model that is effective for that particular congregation and community."
This will be Cantwell's first appointment as a provisional elder in the South Carolina conference. Point Hope is excited to welcome such a passionate, young leader to lead our congregation.
