Watch the 2023 Thornwell ‘State of the Ministry’ Address
On Wednesday, February 8th, many supportive Thornwell friends tuned in to listen to a Facebook LIVE broadcast of Thornwell President Rev. Myron Wilkins’ 2023 State of the Ministry Address. Reverend Wilkins spoke on behalf of Thornwell and the mission to serve children and families across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Taking inspiration from the book of Joshua and the story of the Israelites, Reverend Wilkins shared that this was the time for Thornwell to be “strong and courageous” as God leads us in this next chapter.
“I am energized to see God work through Thornwell in 2023. Our success is measured by children and families made strong, and our impact is a testament to the strength of a community when we come together to build tomorrow’s families,” said Wilkins. “Together, we can nurture, advocate, encourage, and enrich the lives of those who need us.”
This address was a wonderful opportunity to hear how YOU made a profound impact in the lives of children and families in 2022 and Thornwell’s vision for the year ahead. Thank you for joining us for this powerful time of celebration, information, and inspiration!
If you missed the live broadcast, you may watch it or read the transcript included below:
2023 State of the Ministry Transcript:
My friends –
When God called me to Thornwell as its next President nearly one year ago, four words echoed in my mind – be strong and courageous.
I was entering unknown lands, much like the nations of Israel were before crossing the Jordan River. The promised land was ahead of them when God said to Joshua — Moses’s successor whom God called to lead Israel in the next leg of the journey: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua didn’t have all the answers to the challenges that lay before them, but he was encouraged to go forward anyway, acting in faith. If it was good enough for Joshua and the entire nation of Israel, I figured I was in good hands.
I would soon learn that strength and courage are cornerstones of Thornwell’s ministry – one that has endured for nearly 150 years, built upon the vision of our founder, Dr. William Plummer Jacobs, to be a place of refuge, hope, and healing for children and families. Today, we believe in a vision of empowered communities where all people can experience both life and love in abundance. We are making tremendous strides every day toward making this a reality because people like you choose to serve as advocates and champions for those who need us most. This last year was no exception. In 2022, we celebrated some incredible achievements guided by our strategic plan, “Many Voices, One Mission.”
Our A.R.C. Residential program celebrated its first year by offering families innovative attachment-based care that holistically supports the healing of the child and their families. As the only program of its kind in the Southeast, we are grateful to be partners in hope for families struggling to deal with the long-term impact of their child’s early experiences of abuse and neglect or those experiencing adoption-related issues.
I’m encouraged by the story of one of our recent A.R.C. graduates – Marcus. He came to Thornwell suffering from substance abuse and was very behind in school. His uncle and his grandmother told us they needed trusted professionals to intervene and help. Because people like you care, we were able to provide therapeutic support, bring him up to speed with his education, and allow him to heal in a caring home – all while his family was invited to be a part of the healing process. Today, I’m happy to report that Marcus is doing much better in school, he’s clean, and his family is being continually supported through our Building Families program – which offers in-home counseling that meets families where they are.
Last year, our Building Families program reached more than 1,700 children and family members across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. 86% of those families successfully completed the program and report they are communicating better and feel supported with tools and resources to navigate life’s challenges. We are proud to be a major insurance provider in all three states and a Medicaid provider in South Carolina. We’re equally proud to offer both in-person and telehealth services. This blended model allows us to deliver services in ways that are responsive to the busyness of modern family life. Telehealth also allows us to reach families located outside of our traditional service areas and allows us to provide more sessions each week. In 2023, we are applying to become a Medicaid provider in Florida and Georgia. This will help us secure long-term, sustainable sources of funding for the program. We are also exploring opportunities to expand the Building Families program to include school-based mental health services in South Carolina.
Our Foster Care program supported the care of 91 children placed in Thornwell foster homes throughout South Carolina in 2022. In a state where the highest need is safe homes for teenagers, I’m encouraged that our amazing foster families offered safety, security, and love to 16 teenagers. We supported 69 licensed homes over the course of last year, and I’m happy to report that our retention percentage rate for foster families is in the high 90s.
Last year, we opened our foster care village pilot program on Thornwell’s campus, renting one of our open cottages to an independent foster family willing to care for sibling groups and teens. This pilot has proven to be a great success. So much so we will open a second home in the Foster Care Village this April. This will allow us to serve even more teens and sibling groups and bring an unused cottage back online to serve children in need of a safe place to support their healing.
To our foster families – we thank you! It takes love, selflessness, and sacrifice to open your homes to children who’ve suffered much. Thank you for ensuring that these children get to know what love looks like.
Our Strengthening Families program – hosted twice annually right here on Thornwell’s campus – successfully graduated 100% of participating families in 2022. Families celebrate the end of this free 14-week course with a special dinner and graduation ceremony, which is always one of the year’s highlights. I want to extend our gratitude to South Carolina Children’s Trust and Gateway Counseling for being tremendous partners in allowing this program to flourish. Registration is underway for the spring 2023 cycle. The program is preparing to move to a permanent “home” in Norton Cottage, one of our beautiful and historic cottages on our Clinton campus. We are excited about this opportunity to utilize our cottages and reopen an unused building for use by a program serving the community.
Our academic programs continue to unlock the door to bright futures for our young people – both on campus and in the community. 2022 saw the growth of the read right program with the opening of the Read Right Center, a long-held vision made possible by a generous gift from the Cornelson family. Our incredible team of trained Read Right specialists can now offer this remarkable reading empowerment program both in-person and virtually. I encourage you to visit our website – thornwell.org – and watch the testimonials of those whose children have participated in the program and become excellent readers in a short time. We’re excited about the continued growth of this program and other academic offerings in 2023.
Our extension ministry, LushAcres Farm, welcomed a record number of visitors to our festivals and farm market in 2022. LushAcres is committed to living out thorn well’s mission to support healthy communities in the name of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of pounds of healthy foods grown on our farm are regularly donated to local food banks and our dining hall, which prepares weekly meals for those experiencing food insecurity. I am proud to announce that LushAcres Farm Market is participating in SNAP and the Healthy Bucks program and welcoming our neighbors to exercise on our free community walking trails and playground.
As we move into this new year, I feel God’s call for us to be strong and courageous now more than ever. Your continued support, prayers, and commitment to serving those who need us allow us to embrace new opportunities for outreach. We are proud to be working with two ministry partners to safely and confidentially support, counsel, and provide housing for women, and their children, who have experienced domestic violence. We ask that you join us in praying for these families as they work to rebuild their lives free from violence and abuse.
As we strive to be good neighbors and partners, I want to extend my gratitude to those who continue to support our ministry.
Thank you to the City of Clinton, the Laurens County government, the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, Laurens County United Way, and Presbyterian College for your ongoing hospitality and valuable contribution to the success of our campus programs and services.
Thank you to the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, Duke Endowment, the Free Family Foundation, and the Bailey Foundation for your ongoing commitment to our mission. Your powerful impact energizes Thornwell to plan and dream big. We’re grateful.
Thank you to each and every church, volunteer, and community organization who are too numerous to name – for giving of your time, energy, and financial resources to ensure our ministry can continue to meet the needs of the children and families we serve. Volunteers spent more than 2,200 hundred hours in service to our ministry in 2022. The last three years have given us a greater appreciation for opportunities to be together in fellowship. No man is an island. No ministry like ours can thrive without volunteers.
And to our donors – your sacrifice is the reason we can serve. Thank you for choosing to love children and families who are now experiencing the goodness of God. You reflect God’s love with your generosity, and we’re committed to being great stewards of your gifts.
We believe in maintaining the highest levels of financial transparency and accountability. We’re proud to have earned a 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency with Candid and honored to be a “four-star” charity by Charity Navigator, earning a 95% out of 100.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to thank our amazing staff and trustees for their commitment and passion for Thornwell, as evidenced by the great work and milestones met in 2022. Thornwell strives to be a place where our team members can plant roots, grow, and thrive. We also know that sometimes we’re a stepping stone along god’s journey for their lives.
Later this year, we will post the job for our next vice president of mission advancement. We want to thank Jill Gibson, who has dutifully served Thornwell in this position since 2016 and has grown this team to be a force for good and powerful connection to our donors, church partners, and stakeholders. We pray for god’s blessings for Jill and her family as they enter their next season of fruitful ministry together.
I am energized to see God work through Thornwell in 2023. Our success is measured by children and families made strong, and our impact is a testament to the strength of a community when we come together to build tomorrow’s families. God is calling us to be strong and courageous. We hope you will choose to be strong and courageous with us in this next leg of Thornwell’s journey. Together, we can nurture, advocate, encourage, and enrich the lives of those who need us. You’re an important part of our mission to prevent child abuse and neglect, build and reunite families, and support healthy communities in the name of Jesus Christ.
Thank you, and God bless you.