b'The Reverend Telley Lynette Gadson- continued from page 14and relentless faith, that she finds a way to remain up-close and personal with her congregants daily.Ironically,eveninthispandemic,Rev.Gadsonwasthrustedintothenationalspotlightduringthe2020 presidential election as she offered a prayer for then, presidential candidate and her Alpha Kappa Alpha Soror, Kamala Harris. The video of the occasion, recorded in November 2019, went viral after the announcement of Bidens choice of Harris as his running-mate in summer 2020.Strangely enough, she did not pray for Vice-President Harris to become president but that God would direct her to find her purpose. She had offered a similar prayer for another Senator in his presidential bid, Barack Obama, in February of 2007 at a S.C. Prayer Breakfast.After his election, President Obama invited Rev. Gadson to the White House in 2010 and 2011. While these honors are humbling, an even higher honor came in 2013 when the National Black Clergy Women of the United Methodist Church elected her as their youngest President.Whenaskedabouttheinfluencersinherlife,shecalledeachdirectinfusersbyname.Herfather,the Honorable Herbert Gadson, the first Black Mayor of Hollywood SC, and her mother, Linda Gadson, former executive director of Rural Mission, Inc. of Johns Island. Others include the late Reverend Angelin Jones Simmons, the first female pastor at her home church who made the reality of a female minister tangible. She also credits Apostle Joyce Gordon, a trailblazer who started her own ministry and Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, her mentor at Emory University.When asked where she might see herself 20 years from now, Gadson says, My prayer is that I am living even more in the fullness of who God has created me to be.If her past journey is any indication of her future, there is little doubt that her prayer will be answered. The Reverend Angela Ford Nelson- continued from page 15in Spiritual Direction, and faithfully become an elder in the United Methodist Church. Her first pastoral appointment was Mt. Zion UMC in Bishopville, SC.During her tenure at Mt. Zion, the church received the prestigious Bishops Five Star Award for three years in a row. In 2015 she was appointed pastor of Good Hope Wesley Chapel UMC (GHWC) in Camden, SC, self-described by its members as the church with a big heart. Soon after beginning her tenure there the church was ravaged by flood water.With her ability to connect with people and resources, the church was quickly restored and as a result, Nelson was awarded the prestigious Barbara Boultinghouse Bridge-Builders Award by the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. This same faithfulness to the mission of God has enabled her to successfully lead GHWC through the uncertain waters of the pandemic.Angelasaccoladesintheministryarenumerousandshecreditsher faith to follow Gods lead for her success. Rev. Angela Ford-Nelson, a powerful, eloquent, and anointed speaker is touching and transforming lives each day as she offers Christ to all she encounters.She says she now dedicates her life to help others find theirs to the glory of God. IMARA27'