C. Nels Ledwell
On June 18th 2006, St. Paul's Waccamaw UMC welcomed Reverend C. Nels Ledwell as our new pastor. Nels was born in Union, S.C. and graduated from high school in 1978. He earned an Associate  degree in Science in 1980 and a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1983, both at The University of South Carolina.

Nels entered graduate school in 1985, but later joined the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control where he became an Environmental Quality Manager for over six years. During this time he enjoyed being in the cattle ranching business with his father, but was soon called into the ministry, after working with youth and the church sound system at Grace UMC in Union. Nels had planned to enter Duke Divinity School in 1991, but after his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer he chose Erskine Theological Seminary to be closer to home. He began his appointed ministry as a church pastor in June of 1991 and graduated from Erskine with a Master of Divinity degree in 1994. Nels has also done postgraduate work at the University of Alabama and Clemson University.

Nels served the Asbury-Mesopotamia Charge in Gaffney, SC, then moved to Simpsonville UMC where he served as Associate Minister of Youth and Evangelism. His last 7 years have been at St. Paul UMC in Saluda, S.C. where he served as the pastor. While at St. Paul, he enjoyed working as a law enforcement chaplain and serving the District Committee of the Ordained Ministry.

Rev. Jane A. Pearce was born in Illinois, but grew up in the Tampa Bay area of Florida where she graduated from high school and then earned an Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida, Orlando.

Out of college, Jane worked as a case manager for a local community mental health organization in the Tampa/Clearwater, Florida area. Jane’s clientele consisted of persons disabled from mental illness and included some incarcerated and committed clients. During this time, Jane finally answered God’s call to full-time ministry and left ‘sunny Florida’ to attend Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky in 1997.

After graduating seminary several years later, Jane returned to Florida where she served as associate pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville, Florida. Jane was commissioned as a probationary member of the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (“Florida Annual Conference”) in 2000. In December 2003, Jane married her husband Chris Pearce. Soon thereafter, Chris’ father became unexpectedly ill and the newly united couple relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to assist with his care. From June 2004 until June 2008, Jane served the Florida Annual Conference in an extension ministry capacity as a Chaplain for Mercy Hospice and Palliative Care in Conway, South Carolina. Chris is an attorney with Turner, Padget, Graham and Laney’s Myrtle Beach office.

During this time frame of service, Jane was ordained by the Florida Annual Conference as an Elder in Full Connection in 2006 and received ecclesiastical endorsement as a hospice chaplain by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. In early 2008, Jane was approved for service within the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (“South Carolina Annual Conference”) by way of its Transfer Committee.

Currently, Jane and Chris reside in Myrtle Beach, SC with their five and a half month old son, Samuel (“Sammy”) Hampton and their Boykin Spaniel, Scout and are looking forward to becoming part of the St. Paul’s Waccamaw family!

Dr. Robert Baxter, Director of Music Ministries, has been a staff member at St. Paul's Waccamaw UMC since 1993, directing an outstanding choir and overseeing the music department.

A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio, he pursued his MA. at New York University, and received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Musicology from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

Bob and his wife Eva moved to Surfside Beach in 1991 after he retired from teaching high school choral music in Arlington County, Virginia. When they first came to the Myrtle Beach area, Bob took lessons in oil painting, and for several years, painted beach and ocean scenes. When he became busy with music activities, there was little time for anything else, so Eva has taken over his studio, where she works daily on her porcelain art, painting china. 

Although Bob is primarily a choir director, he is also a professional singer, a bass-baritone. In recent years he has sung the bass solos from the MESSIAH with the Long Bay Symphony Chamber Ensemble and J. S. Bach's MAGNIFICAT in Wilmington, NC. He has also recorded several CD's of classical, spirituals and popular songs.

He tries to get in three to four rounds of tennis each week and is an avid workout person, getting to Healthpoint Fitness Club several times weekly.

If you are new to the area, we invite you to visit St. Paul's Waccamaw. Under the direction of Dr. Baxter, the Chancel Choir participates in the 8:45 a.m. Sunday service, and the Praise Choir, a small ensemble, is part of the more casual service at 11:00 a.m. 

Chuck Gee serves as Director of Praise Choir. Since that time the choir has expanded and welcomes all who would like to “sing a joyful” noise during the 11:00 a.m. service. Chuck’s most recent profession is that of a Professional Photographer for commercial, portraiture and weddings.

He graduated from Midwestern State University with a degree in B.M.E. with a concentration on voice. In 1985 he received his Master’s Degree in Sacred Music, in conducting, and also is Post graduate in Vocal Pedagogy.

His music background includes Minister of Music at FUMC in Hurst TX being responsible for 11 different choirs; some of his other music positions include, Minister of Music/Evangelism at St. Luke UMC, Haltom City, TX, Director of Programming at St. Paul’s Waccamaw UMC (this was a part time position) and Musical Director/Conductor of the Indigo Choral Society. 

Mrs. Emma Hall-Chidley is the Administrative Assistant at St. Paul's Waccamaw UMC. She is married to Eric Chidley, formerly of Toronto, Canada. A native of Pawleys Island, her maternal grandparents were here in plantation days, having owned Brookgreen and Litchfield Plantations.

Her great-grandfather, Louis Claude Lachicotte, with others, started the first canning factory in South Carolina at Litchfield Plantation in 1890. A graduate of Winyah High School in Georgetown, she attended Winthrop College in Rock Hill, SC.

She has previously worked in the banking and real estate industry. She has a daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.

Mrs. Olivia Huggins - Organist/Pianist, earned her B.A. in Music Education from Lander University in Greenville, SC and her Masters from the University of SC.

She is a teacher at the McDonald Elementary School in Georgetown, teaching music K through fifth grade. In addition she directs the Beach Singers, a group of talented sixth through twelfth graders, selected from the various Georgetown County Schools.