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REVEREND TROY J. CATO
Meet our Pastor
This is the Pastor Cato prior church in Bishopville SC. he is know Pastoring in Sumter, SC, at Mount Zion Church. His biography is in the process of being revised and will be posted in the near future.
The Reverend Troy Javon Cato, the only child of Mildred W. Cato and the late Sandford Cato, serve as Pastor of the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Bishopville, South Carolina. Cato is a proud native of Sumter, South Carolina, and a son of St. James United Methodist Church, in Sumter, South Carolina.
Cato earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina (2007) and a Master of Education degree in Leadership and Supervision from Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina (2022). Currently, Cato is pursuing a Master of Divinity in Christian Education at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina. Pastor Cato recently received the Doctor of Pastoral Leadership, Honoris Causa, from the School of the Great Commission Theological Seminary (2022). In addition, he serves as the first African-American Director of Bands in the Fine Arts Department at Sumter High School. Among his many distinctions, Pastor Cato is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated.
Since July 3, 2018, Pastor Cato has faithfully served as the Lead Pastor and Visionary of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church-Bishopville. Under the leadership of Pastor Cato, Mt. Zion has experienced astonishing growth in several aspects of ministry, including the establishment of our dynamic music ministry and our newly established audio and video ministry through a grant from The James L. Belin Trust Grant, through the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Pastor Cato cast a vision to burn the church’s mortgage upon his arrival so that the church would be free to do missions and authentic ministry. In December 2020, God graced Pastor Cato and Mt. Zion to burn the church’s mortgage amid a national pandemic.
After suspending in-person worship in March 2020, Mt. Zion launched a virtual extension of the church’s ministry, which engages people from all over the country. The pandemic also helped birth Intercessor’s Prayer, hosted digitally every Tuesday from 6:00 am until 6:30 am and 6:00 pm until 6:30 pm via Conference Call. Pastor Cato believes in the ministry and power of prayer.
While Pastor Troy J. Cato is very passionate about and committed to his pastoring, preaching, and teaching ministry, those closest to him know that he values quality time with family and friends and is a committed student of divinity.
In December 2017, Pastor Cato married the gifted and talented Jessica Lesaine Cato and is the proud father of one daughter, Madelynn Olivia Bernice Cato. Together they serve in ministry and currently live in Sumter, South Carolina.
Our Church
History
This church, with its origin in a brush arbor where services were held during the Civil War, was formally organized in 1873 with a Rev. B. James as its first pastor. Col. James D. Blanding sold the trustees a small parcel to build their first permanent church, a frame building; church trustees bought additional acreage in 1883. The first Mt. Zion Methodist Church burned in 1913.
The present church, also a frame building, replaced the first church. The cornerstone was laid in 1914; later renovations included the application of brick veneer in the 1980s. Rev. Isaiah DeQuincey Newman (1911-1985), who was pastor of Mt. Zion 1975-1982, was a civil rights activist and state senator 1983-85 and the first African American in the S.C. State Senate since 1886.
Our Church
Ministries
Children/Youth Ministry
Children are a blessing from God. Our children and youth ministry provide support, encouragement and resources to our children and youth to enhance their spiritual, emotional, and physical lives.
Outreach
The outreach ministry is concerned with the needs of the community as well as our
congregation and provides resources as needed.
Bereavement Ministry
The bereavement ministry provides compassionate support during the time of loss.
Communication
The communication ministry provides clarity, understanding, and leadership by imparting print media and technology. It provides public relations by keeping the lines of communication open.
Evangelism to the Homebound
Outreach and ministry seeking to reach the homebound and unchurched through online
conference calls, Facebook and YouTube.
Music/Choir Ministry
The music/choir ministry provides choral direction for worship services. Directed by the
minister of music, the music ministry provides inspirational and Holy Spirit inspired melodic
sounds to uplift and encourage the body of Christ.
United Methodist Men
The United Methodist Men of Mt. Zion, Sumter, SC, are committed to being doers of the word
and not hearers only (James 1:22). Supporting spiritual growth and empowering the will of
Jesus Christ and continuing a forward focus mode that strengthens the church.
Older Adult Ministry
The older adults ministry is open to all older adults who are interested in reading and participating in our activities. Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, we started a Book Club. It is a great and exciting way to exercise the mind, reduce stress and keep conversations going among us.
Audio-Visual Ministry
This ministry endeavors to be of service to the congregation and community. It provides
worshippers with visual insight by using audio visual presentations to enhance everyone’s
worship experience.