OFFICERS
"Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son." Acts 20:28
JANIS K. BLOCKER
Clerk of Session
JANIS BLOCKER is a resident of Round O where she was born. A summa cum laude graduate
of the Baptist College at Charleston (now CSU), she also earned a master’s degree in English
from The Citadel. As an AP English teacher for years, she worked as a reader for the
national AP exams and was a grader for the National Board of Teacher Certification.
She recently retired after 25 full-time and 24-half-time years in the classroom.
She was baptized and joined the Corinth Presbyterian Church when she was 13 years old and transferred to Bethel when she was 16. A former deacon, she was ordained the first female elder
in 1976. A former Sunday School teacher, she has chaired numerous committees, teaches
bible studies, and was a choir member for 65 years. She has served as clerk of Session continuously since 2001. A graduate of the SC5 School of Theology,
she served as registrar of the school for 24 years, retiring in 2023. She is in her 38th year as recording clerk of Charleston Atlantic Presbytery. She served as moderator of Presbytery
twice and was commissioner to the PCUS General Assembly in 1978 and to the
PC(USA) General Assembly in 1996.
In the community she has served on many boards and commissions, including the Colleton
County Memorial Library Board for more than 30 years, serving as secretary for many years.
She has served as chairman since 2019. She was appointed by Gov. McMaster to the Colleton County Registration and Election Board in 2023. She was awarded the
“Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Education Award” and the
“Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Walterboro-Colleton Chamber of Commerce.
She and her husband David, an ordained elder, were married in Bethel in 1958.
They have three adult children, six grandchildren, and two great-grands.
SESSION COUNCIL
Class of 2026
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CALVIN BAILEY
CALVIN BAILEY, a native of Union, South Carolina, is a graduate of Clemson University with a B.S. in Forest Management. He recently retired after more than 38 years with the SC Forestry Commission as a registered forester. He is now a part-time employee with the Green Infrastructure Center as a Community Tree Advocate for the city of Walterboro.
In addition, he works part time with Parker Rhoden Funeral Home.
A lifelong Presbyterian, Calvin has been a member of Bethel for 35 years. An ordained elder, he has served several rotations on Session. A former Sunday School teacher, he has served on Property, Stewardship/Finance, Personnel, and Endowment Fund committees.
He currently serves as co-treasurer of the church.
His civic involvement includes serving as a member of the City of Walterboro Tree Protection Committee and on the Board of Assessment Appeals for Colleton County.
He also serves as Colleton County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner.
Calvin and Mary Kaye, also an ordained elder, have three adult children Trey, Stewart, and Jim.
They are proud grandparents of Holland Blair, Elaine Ivy, and Palmer Winn.
SESSION COUNCIL
Class of 2027
MARTHA JOHNSON
MARTHA JOHNSON grew up in Greenville and was baptized in the Baptist faith.
She later joined the Presbyterian denomination and became a member of Bethel in 1986.
A graduate of Clemson University, she also earned a M.Ed. degree from The Citadel.
Professionally, Martha is retired from the education profession after 34 years,
17 as a middle-school science teacher and 17 as a middle-school guidance counselor.
An ordained elder, Martha has served as Presbyterian Women president, Joy Circle chair,
Vacation Bible School teacher, Sunday School teacher, and choir member. She serves on the Congregational Care, Fellowship, Personnel, Nominating, and Discipleship committees,
currently chairing the Fellowship and Nominating committees.
In community service, she is a volunteer for FoCCAS and “In His Name” mission.
She is a past president of Zeta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International of
Women Educators.
She serves as a Trust board member of CEC and is a “First Steps” board member.
She and her late husband Randall, also an ordained elder, were married for 40 years
before his death in 2017.
SESSION COUNCIL
Class of 2028
ELIZABETH (LIBBY) STEADMAN
ELIZABETH (Libby) STEADMAN is a lifelong Presbyterian, baptized as an infant in Center Point Presbyterian Church, Moore, South Carolina. She attended Bethel part-time until her retirement and full-time residency in the county in 2012. An ordained elder, she enjoys serving, particularly for “Hands of Christ.” She currently serves as chair of the Congregational Care Committee and sings in the choir.
She earned undergraduate degrees in Nursing at Clemson and MUSC; a master’s degree in Cardiovascular Nursing from the University of Alabama; a post-master’s degree as Nurse Practitioner, USC; a master’s degree in Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College. She retired after 33 years of service at MUSC and 30 years as Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. She is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War and Afghanistan as Civil Affairs Officer.
In the community she serves as past board member of Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society and as a member of the Col. Joseph Glover DAR chapter. She is also a member of the US Daughters of 1812, the Continental Society Daughters of Indian Wars, and Daughters of American Colonists and Colonial Dames of the XVI Century. She volunteers at the Historic Charleston Foundation and the Charleston Historical Society. She has also volunteered as primary care provider for the Good Neighbor Free Medical clinic since 2014.
She and Honey (her canine daughter) enjoy life on the river in the ACE Basin of the SC Lowcountry.