Carteret Street UMC

Welcome to our Church website. My name is Bryson Williams, Sr. Pastor at Carteret Street UMC. Our congregation is a vibrant community of faith seeking to love and follow Jesus Christ. We hope you will visit us in person by joining in Sunday School for all ages at 9:30 and worship at 8:30 and 10:30. CSUMC has a number of fellowship events and ministry opportunities available.

I have been in Church all of my life and have always felt God’s presence. I made my public profession of faith at Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, NC as an eighth grader. I graduated from Western Carolina University and worked in the Chemical Industry for 24 years. In my early 40’s I answered my lifetime call to Ordained Ministry. I attended Hood Theological Seminary graduating in 2012 and was ordained as an Elder in 2014 in the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

My wife, Laura and I have been married for over 30 years. We have two adult children: our son Trey, teaches Chemistry at Clemson and our daughter, Meg, works for a Industrial Supply company and lives in the Charlotte, NC.

I have served the following Church appointments since 2010:

• El Bethel UMC in Ft, Lawn
• The Chester Circuit: Capers Chapel and New Hope in Chester
• Sharon UMC in Greer
• Carteret Street UMC in Beaufort

I would like to personally invite you to come and worship God with our Church family at Carteret Street UMC. If you need more information or have questions, feel free to contact us. Thank you for visiting with us online.

Rev. Terry W. Pfeiffer is an ordained Deacon and Elder in the United Methodist Church for 58 years and has served churches in Connecticut, New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Rev. Pfeiffer has a Master in Divinity Degree; Master of Sacred Theology Degree, Yale Divinity School. Currently Terry is serving as the Associate Pastor here at Carteret Street.

Gary Rakestraw grew up in southern West Virginia in a home of music-loving Methodists. He has been a resident of Beaufort since 1974 and has had a long association with CSUMC.

Gary moved here to become organist of The Baptist Church of Beaufort and began teaching in the Beaufort County School System. In 1979, he was sponsored in an organ concert at Carteret Street United Methodist Church “CSUMC” by the University of South Carolina Beaufort “USCB”. For about 20 years, he serviced/maintained the pipe organ at CSUMC along with 30 other organs over five states. In 2017, he was interim organist at CSUMC for a number of months.

Gary received his Bachelor of Music degree in Choral with Organ as his performing instrument degree from Carson-Newman University and M.Ed. from USC. He went on to become certified in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Instrumental Music, Strings, and Gifted & Talented. As a member of The American Guild of Organists “AGO” since 1972, he holds the Service Playing Certificate and the diploma from The American School of Piano Tuning. He was vice-president of the Savannah Chapter, AGO, for two terms before becoming a founding member of the Beaufort County Chapter in 1999 where he served as Secretary and then Treasurer for eight years.

After serving another church as organist for 29 years and retiring from teaching after 32 years, Gary served a church as full-time music director for four years at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. Then, he served as interim music director/organist at MCAS “Marine Corps Air Station” Chapel, First Presbyterian, and twice back at St. Peter's Catholic. He was also church administrator for Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort for five years. From 2016-2022, and he worked in property management.

Gary has taught many students over the years. Some are serving in full-time capacities as music teachers, church music directors, and as organists.

In 2010, Gary was invited to play Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, the largest church in the world! He says that was most fun he's ever had....YET!

A 1971 graduate of Kent State University I graduated with a BS in Music Education. I earned my MS in School Administration from Akron University in 1976.

From 1971 - 1976, I was the Director of Jr. High Band in the Kent City, Ohio School System.

From 1976 - 2001, I taught High School, Middle School and Elementary School Instrumental Music in the Alliance, Ohio School System.

In the fall of 2002 my wife Carol and I moved to Beaufort, SC and joined Carteret Street United Methodist Church.

For the last 5 years I have had the privilege to direct the Carillon Bell Choir at CSUMC.

I am grateful to be the Administrative Assistant at Carteret Street UMC. I have been working in this position since 2004 and love it and my church family!

Born and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina, I have attended Carteret Street UMC since I was born. I was baptized and confirmed here at Carteret Street UMC.

I attended Beaufort High School and then attended college at Coastal Carolina University, and then finished my studies at the University of South Carolina. I took classes in Beaufort and Columbia graduating from USC Beaufort in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Psychology and Business.

I have two wonderful sons, James and Bradley. They too have grown up in this church as I did and were baptized and confirmed here. They both serve as Acolytes and Crucifer and I am so glad this wonderful church is a part of their lives as well.

Linda was born in rural North Carolina and moved to Virginia as a young child. After several moves in VA, her family settled in Portsmouth, VA where she met and married her husband Mick.

After their marriage, Mick and Linda moved to Aiken, SC where they joined St. John’s UMC. While raising 3 children and working as an Administrative Assistant in the public school system and USC Aiken, Linda served on many committees at St. John’s and taught 3rd grade Sunday School for 25 years. When the last of her 6 grandchildren was born in 2010, Linda decided to retire and travel between Idaho, Florida, and SC to visit and spoil them all.

Linda and Mick relocated to Beaufort and joined Carteret Street United Methodist Church “CSUMC” in 2016. Joining the staff of CSUMC as Business Manager in 2018 was her way of ‘just getting off the couch’ but has become a fulfilling way for her to serve Christ and her church.

My name is Lynn Stratton, and I am honored to be introducing God and Jesus Christ to the teens of our church.

I grew up in a family where we moved often – my dad worked in radio and tv and then the Foreign Service. We lived in Michigan, New York, Virginia, Indonesia and Japan.  Because of these moves I was raised in both the Presbyterian and Methodist churches depending on where we were living.  Eventually Northern Virginia became my permanent home for 35 years; my three children were born and raised there, and St. Johns United Methodist, in Springfield, Virginia became our home church.  During that time at St. Johns, I started working with youth as the Acolyte Coordinator and was involved with Confirmation.

When I moved to Beaufort, I visited various churches but when I walked into Carteret, I knew I was home.  Shortly after joining the church, I started working with the youth as their representative to the Church Council, teaching Middle and Senior High Sunday School and doing UMYF.  

I love working with the youth, they teach me so much and I, in return, can show the love of God them.

I feel this is what God has called me to do. 

My name is Melinda Ackerman and I am grateful to be the Director of Children’s Ministries at Carteret Street United Methodist Church “CSUMC’. I have been employed since 2018 and enjoy working with the children and their families here at CSUMC.

Born and raised in Varnville, South Carolina, I attended private and public schools in the Hampton County School District. After high school I attended USC graduating in 1992 and I also graduated from Midlands Technical College in Columbia, SC. I received certifications in advanced activity courses in Geriatric Recreation from Midlands.

I have been happily married to my husband Lou since 2008. We have one beautiful daughter Mary Margaret who has been active in our church since 2013. Mary Margaret was baptized and confirmed at CSUMC. Currently she is involved in the youth program here at the church. Our family and I are so thankful to be part of a wonderful church that teaches our children the love of God through children’s ministry.

I grew up in the Charlotte NC area and relocated to Beaufort in 1987. My wife Nancy and I have been married since 1991 and we have been members of Carteret Street UMC since June of 1995. We raised our two daughters; Zoe and Samantha at Carteret.

I served in the South Carolina Army National Guard with five years active duty for almost 42 years and I worked as a federal military technician for 29 years.

Upon retiring in May of 2020, I attended culinary school at the Culinary Institute of the South at the Technical College of the Lowcountry and graduated in May 2023 with an Associate of Science in Culinary Arts. In addition, I have an Associate in Industrial Technology/HVA that I received in 1992.

As the current Coordinator of Food Ministries since July 2022, I am responsible for the preparation of the meal on Wednesdays Night Fellowship gathering as well as the many special events taking place at Carteret. I like working here because it gives me the opportunity to be creative with meal planning and try new recipes.

Fighting fires and saving lives for 20+ years has been my calling as a fireman and EMT. After 20+ years with the Burton Fire Department; investigating fires for over 15 years and as a K-9 handler since 2015, I retired in 2022 as a Lieutenant.

Currently I am working with the City of Hardeeville Fire Department.