TheRetirementCelebrationofthe MarvelousMinistryof
Reverend Dr. Sandy William Drayton, Presiding Elder, Georgetown District & Mrs. Pradensia H. Drayton, Area Consultant
TheNationalGuardArmoryofGeorgetown
3777 South Fraser Street | Georgetown, South Carolina
Saturday, March 16, 2024 | 12:00 Noon
The Reverend Dr. Betty Deas Clark, Presiding Pastor, Historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Opening Selection
The Moments of Prayer
The Scripture Reading
Special Selection
The Voices of Georgetown directed by, The Reverend Dr. Elsa B. Syndab
The Reverend Barbara J. Nelson Pastor, Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, North Santee
The Reverend Jarrett Britton Washington Pastor, Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church
TheIntroductionoftheMastersandMistressofCeremonies
The Reverend Brian J. Swinton | Pastor, Greater St. Stephens African Methodist Episcopal Church
Maurice, Myron and Monika Drayton Masters and Mistress of Ceremonies
Sister Jacqueline Drayton-Dennison
“If I Can Help Somebody”
TheReflectionsofYesterday
Sister Mary Geathers | Howard High School Class of 1968
Mother Amy McKnight | Neighbor and Church Member, Historic Bethel AME Church
Sister Alisha D. Peoples-McInnis |St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston, West Virginia
The Reverend Dr. Norvel Goff, Sr. | Lifelong Friend in Ministry and Sports, 1966 State Football Champions | Presiding Elder, Edisto District
TheColumbiaAnnualConferenceYears
The Reverend Joseph Postell | Presiding Elder, Florence-Dillon District
Deacon Wallace Brown |Friend
Gullah Geechie Presentation
TheBlessingoftheFood
Bishop Shepherd L. Drayton, Sr. New Refuge Tabernacle Church
The Reverend Gloria Barr-Ford Retired
Special Selection
Greetings from the Hughes and Drayton Family
Sister Della Prioleau
Historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Brother Timmie Hughes
Nephew
Lester J. Drayton, Sr. Brother
ThePayneYears
The Reverend Dr. Carlton Woodward | Presiding Elder, Newark District, 1st Episcopal District
TheMoncksCornerYears
Sister Gwen Ellington | Moncks Corner African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Reverend Remus Harper, Jr. | Presiding Elder, Kingstree District
FromtheBeginningtoNow
The Reverend Dr. Allen Wayne Parrott | Presiding Elder, Mt. Pleasant District
WordsfromtheFamily
Helen Nesbitt Ingram
Special Proclamation
The Presentation of the Bishop
The Selection
Special Presentations
Prayer of Blessing
Pictorial Presentation
The Honorable Reverend Carl L. Anderson
Presiding Elder, Lancaster District
SC House of Representatives, District #103
The Reverend Dr. Juenarrl Keith
Presiding Elder, Charleston District
The Voices of Georgetown
directed by, The Reverend Dr. Elsa B. Syndab
TheCelebrationMessage
Bishop Samuel Lawrence Green, Sr.
Presiding Prelate, Seventh Episcopal District | African Methodist Episcopal Church
Reverend Dr. Betty Deas Clark, Reverend Michael Burgess and Mr. George Brown
Retirement Celebration Co-Chairs
The Reverend Peggy J. Pope
Pastor, Greater Mt. Ararat African Methodist Episcopal Church
ExpressionsofGratitude
Mrs. Pradensia Drayton and The Reverend Dr. Sandy William Drayton
The Benediction
Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr.
ReverendDr.SandyWilliamDrayton
Reverend Dr. Sandy William Drayton is a native of Georgetown, South Carolina. He attended J.B. Beck Elementary School and graduated from Howard High School in 1968. He was a member of the Student Government, the Track Team and a member of the 1966 State Champion Football Team.
After high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He was promoted meritoriously twice for top performance based on exceptional service. He was honorably discharged obtaining the rank of Sergeant. He later joined the United States Marine Reserve Training and was promoted to Staff Sergeant.
As he continued his education, he graduated from Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. He was selected Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Dr. Drayton furthered his education at Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, Ohio, graduating with Master’s of Divinity degree in 1978. He also received his Doctoral of Ministry in 2014 from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. with a focus in Church Member Retention.
Dr. Drayton is a member of Historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church located in Georgetown, South Carolina, where he was licensed to preach in 1973 under the pastoral leadership of Reverend Dr. Alonzo W. Holman, who would later become the SecretaryTreasurer of the Department of Minimum Salary in 1988 for the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Dr. Drayton has served as Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Frankfurt, Ohio, 1976-1978, Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, Delaware, Ohio, 1978-1980, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston, West Virginia, 1980-1988, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Canton, Ohio, 1988-1992, and Moncks Corner African Methodist Episcopal Church, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, 1992-2001.
Dr. Drayton has served the church as Dean of the Board of Examiners, Conference Treasurer, host to four (4) annual conferences, chair of two (2) Episcopal District Conventions, elected twice as co-leader and once as leader of the General Conference Delegation, and has been elected ten (10) times as a delegate and two (2) times as an alternate to the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 2001, Dr. Drayton was appointed Presiding Elder at the Columbia Annual Conference by Bishop Henry Allen Belin, Jr. to the Georgetown District of the Palmetto South Carolina Annual Conference. In 2006, Bishop Preston Warren Williams appointed him to the Columbia District of the Columbia Annual Conference. In November 2014, the late Bishop Richard Franklin Norris, reappointed Dr. Drayton to the Grand and Gracious Georgetown District of the Palmetto South Carolina Annual Conference.
Dr. Drayton met his future wife, Pradensia, while attending Allen University. They were blessed with three (3) wonderful, loving and caring children: two (2) sons, Maurice and Myron and one (1) daughter, Monika. Two (2) daughters-in-law, Tonya and Lakia. Four (4) grandchildren, Montrel, Makena, Maddox, and Maddison and two (2) additional bonus grandchildren, Jordon and Brice.
Reverend Dr. Sandy W. Drayton has touched the lives of many people in a positive way. He has nurtured the young and the old within church and community.
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Accomplishments andAffiliations
• Five (5) members entered the ministry under his administration.
• Initiated a Teen Speak-Out-Program, which included mentoring of youth from the church and community.
• Liquidated three (3) church mortgages.
• Formulated a library with the installation of computers.
• Successfully hosted the largest conferences of any kind in Berkeley County at the 90th Session of the Palmetto South Carolina Annual Conference.
• Delegate to the Quadrennial Conference ten (10) times and one (1) as an alternate.
• Leader of the Seventh Episcopal District delegation in 2008 held in St. Louis, Missouri, also, Co-Leader two (2) times in the Third Episcopal District.
• Former Dean of the Board of Examiners for ministerial students.
• President of Berkeley County Interdenominational Ministerial Alliances.
• Radio Outreach Ministries on three (3) different stations: WMCJ, WTUA, and WXIT (West Virginia) called the Brotherhood Spiritual Hour.
• President of Berkeley County Ministerial Association.
• Senior Chaplain for Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department.
• Chaplain for Sports Activities at Berkeley High School.
• Vice President of Habitat for Humanity.
• Member of the Board of Directors for the local YMCA.
• Instrumental in electing the first African American mayor in Columbia, South Carolina.
• Instrumental in the construction of a dwelling for a needy person.
• Member of the Lion’s Club.
• Board member of Roper Berkeley Medical Center.
• Board member of Charleston Community Development Fund and SC Land Owner’s Association.
• Established a jail/prison ministry.
• Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Elected Man of the Year two (2) times.
• Prince Hall Mason.
• President of Charleston, West Virgina Branch of NAACP (1984-1988).
• Established Columbia District Office, consisting of 1900 sq. ft. The first Presiding Elder in Columbia South Carolina Annual Conference to have a district office (downtown office).
• Developed partnership with Unison Health Care.
• Initiated an Evangelism Training and Church Growth Institute in 2010, which consisted of an eight-week training course, that resulted in 540 accessions and 465 converts.
• Serves as presenter for Theological Workshop at Mid-Year Convocation.
• Coordinated Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne’s 200th Birthday Anniversary Commemorative Worship Service on April 1, 2011 in Charleston, South Carolina. As a result of the work, Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne is featured in the 20th Anniversary Edition of the South Carolina African American History Calendar, unveiled on October 4, 2011 at the Koger Center for the Arts, hosted by AT&T.
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Pradensia Hughes Drayton was born in Chester, South Carolina to the late J.D. and Leila McDaniel Hughes. Pradenisa grew up with seven (7) brothers and two (2) sisters. She is the eldest of the daughters.
Pradensia attended Finley High School for three (3) years, and Chester County was mandated to integrate the schools. Her last year in high school was at Chester High School where she graduated in 1971. In Columbia, South Carolina she attended Allen University for two (2) years and then transferred to Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina where she graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education.
After college, Pradensia married her college sweetheart, Reverend Dr. Sandy William Drayton. They moved to Wilberforce, Ohio, where she continued in her pursuit of education. Pradensia attended Clark Technical College in Springfield, Ohio and Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The itinerancy then took her husband and her to Charleston, West Virginia. Continuing in pursuit of her education, she graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Respiratory Therapy. Pradensia worked at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston, West Virginia for six (6) years. Again, the itinerancy took them to Canton, Ohio. Pradensia worked at Tempkin Mercy Hospital for four (4) years. Still pursuing her dream, she enrolled at Akron University in Ohio where she received her certification in Orthopedic Special Education. It was in Canton, Ohio where she did her student teaching. Again, the itinerancy moved the family to Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
Pradensia has taught in Berkeley County School System as a Special Education Instructor over twenty years. Her last day as a teacher was June 6, 2018. It was her privilege to work with special needs students.
Pradensia enjoys quiet time and meditation, nature, gardening, cooking and African American History. She is health conscious. She is an environmentalist, recycling cans, plastic and glass bottles, paper, etc.
Pradensia and Sandy were blessed with three (3) wonderful, loving and caring children: two (2) sons, Maurice and Myron and one (1) daughter, Monika. Two (2) daughters Montrel, Makena, Maddox, and Maddison and two (2) additional bonus grandchildren, Jordon and Brice.
Pradensia presently serves the Georgetown District Church as the Area Consultant of the Women’s Missionary Society. She enjoys the worship experience of God’s people of all churches in the District. She is a former member of the Council for Special Need Students, the American Association for Respiratory Care, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and a member of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.
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The Georgetown District | Palmetto South Carolina Annual Conference | Seventh Episcopal District
The Reverend Dr. Sandy William Drayton & Mrs. Pradensia Drayton
