Marion Zeigler
Team Leader/Pastor
Marion is a native of Sumter, S.C., growing up in the Bethel Church community. He attended Thomas Sumter Academy and graduated from Wilson Hall in 1970. He was greatly influenced by two pastors who mentored him during his high school and college years. While attending Clemson University, he felt God’s call on his life and after graduating with a degree in psychology in 1974, he attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and completed his Masters of Religious Education in 1976. While he was in Louisville, KY he met Brenda and they were married in 1975. Brenda completed her Masters in Religious Education/Social Work at Southern Seminary in 1976.
Marion & Brenda have had great experiences in Southern Baptist Churches through their years. After serving as Minister of Education/Youth in Edenton, NC at First Baptist Church for two years, they accepted a call to First Baptist Church Sumter in a similar role. After nine years in Sumter, they moved to Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Columbia, SC as Marion served as Minister of Education. They moved to First Baptist Church, North Augusta, SC for five years as Associate Pastor for Program Administration before they were called back to First Baptist Sumter where Marion served as Outreach Minister for seven additional years. During this time, they felt the call to plant a church that would reach the unchurched in the Sumter community. Salt & Light Church was birthed in February 2002.
After graduating from Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, Brenda served as a missionary Journeyman with the IMB for two years in Brazil. Brenda recently retired after completing 21 years with the Sumter School District working with hearing impaired and special education students.
They have two children, Jonathan and Angela. Jonathan & Bridgett live in Sumter and have one son, Cooper. Angela has one daughter, Anna.
Marion was introduced to sailing over 10 years ago and loves being on the water. One of Brenda’s favorite pass times is scrapbooking.
Team Leader/Pastor
Marion is a native of Sumter, S.C., growing up in the Bethel Church community. He attended Thomas Sumter Academy and graduated from Wilson Hall in 1970. He was greatly influenced by two pastors who mentored him during his high school and college years. While attending Clemson University, he felt God’s call on his life and after graduating with a degree in psychology in 1974, he attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and completed his Masters of Religious Education in 1976. While he was in Louisville, KY he met Brenda and they were married in 1975. Brenda completed her Masters in Religious Education/Social Work at Southern Seminary in 1976.
Marion & Brenda have had great experiences in Southern Baptist Churches through their years. After serving as Minister of Education/Youth in Edenton, NC at First Baptist Church for two years, they accepted a call to First Baptist Church Sumter in a similar role. After nine years in Sumter, they moved to Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Columbia, SC as Marion served as Minister of Education. They moved to First Baptist Church, North Augusta, SC for five years as Associate Pastor for Program Administration before they were called back to First Baptist Sumter where Marion served as Outreach Minister for seven additional years. During this time, they felt the call to plant a church that would reach the unchurched in the Sumter community. Salt & Light Church was birthed in February 2002.
After graduating from Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, Brenda served as a missionary Journeyman with the IMB for two years in Brazil. Brenda recently retired after completing 21 years with the Sumter School District working with hearing impaired and special education students.
They have two children, Jonathan and Angela. Jonathan & Bridgett live in Sumter and have one son, Cooper. Angela has one daughter, Anna.
Marion was introduced to sailing over 10 years ago and loves being on the water. One of Brenda’s favorite pass times is scrapbooking.
Rodney Howard
Teaching Pastor
Rodney was born in Hartsville, S.C. and graduated from Hartsville High School. He received an Associates Degree in Engineering Technology from Florence Darlington Technical College in 1980. In 1982 Rodney returned to college after experiencing a spiritual awakening earlier that year. He met his wife Gay Dyches while attending Charleston Southern University and they were married in 1984. After Rodney graduated from CSU in 1985, he and Gay both began classes at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas later that year. In December of 1988 Rodney graduated with a Masters of Divinity Degree and Gay received her Masters Degree in Religious Education.
Rodney and Gay served churches in Vansant, Va., and Hemingway, S.C., before moving to Sumter in November, 1996 for him to be pastor of Crosswell Baptist. Rodney made a transition to bi-vocational ministry in February 2003 and came to Salt and Light in 2005 just before Clay and Kathryn Weeks were about to prepare for their work in Central Asia.
Gay grew up in the home of IMB missionaries in Latin America and has been a high school Spanish teacher since they returned to South Carolina. They have two children, Kate and Phillip. Kate and Shuler Spigener live in Laurens, S.C. and have two girls, Sullivan and Camille. Phillip and Bekah live near Pinewood, S.C. and have one daughter, Miriam.
Teaching Pastor
Rodney was born in Hartsville, S.C. and graduated from Hartsville High School. He received an Associates Degree in Engineering Technology from Florence Darlington Technical College in 1980. In 1982 Rodney returned to college after experiencing a spiritual awakening earlier that year. He met his wife Gay Dyches while attending Charleston Southern University and they were married in 1984. After Rodney graduated from CSU in 1985, he and Gay both began classes at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas later that year. In December of 1988 Rodney graduated with a Masters of Divinity Degree and Gay received her Masters Degree in Religious Education.
Rodney and Gay served churches in Vansant, Va., and Hemingway, S.C., before moving to Sumter in November, 1996 for him to be pastor of Crosswell Baptist. Rodney made a transition to bi-vocational ministry in February 2003 and came to Salt and Light in 2005 just before Clay and Kathryn Weeks were about to prepare for their work in Central Asia.
Gay grew up in the home of IMB missionaries in Latin America and has been a high school Spanish teacher since they returned to South Carolina. They have two children, Kate and Phillip. Kate and Shuler Spigener live in Laurens, S.C. and have two girls, Sullivan and Camille. Phillip and Bekah live near Pinewood, S.C. and have one daughter, Miriam.
Clay Weeks
Worship Leader/Pastor
Clay is from Florence, S.C. He graduated from Clemson in 1980 with a degree in Forest Mgmt. At the age of 43, following Christ’s call, Clay went to Columbia International University and graduated in 2001 with a Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Leadership. He and his wife Kathryn joined Marion Zeigler to help plant Salt and Light Church in 2002. Clay was the teaching pastor and helped lead Celebrate Recovery.
Clay and Kathryn served as missionaries in Central Asia and the Balkans from 2006-2015. For most of that time, their role was pastoral member care, along with reaching out to their neighbors with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Clay and Kathryn have 3 married children, Clayton and Anna Margaret Weeks, Rhett and Kathryn Weeks, and Brett and Laurin Evans. They have given them seven precious grandchildren- Lowndes, Crosby, Dak, Anna Briggs, Hadley, Felder, and Haynie.
Worship Leader/Pastor
Clay is from Florence, S.C. He graduated from Clemson in 1980 with a degree in Forest Mgmt. At the age of 43, following Christ’s call, Clay went to Columbia International University and graduated in 2001 with a Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Leadership. He and his wife Kathryn joined Marion Zeigler to help plant Salt and Light Church in 2002. Clay was the teaching pastor and helped lead Celebrate Recovery.
Clay and Kathryn served as missionaries in Central Asia and the Balkans from 2006-2015. For most of that time, their role was pastoral member care, along with reaching out to their neighbors with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Clay and Kathryn have 3 married children, Clayton and Anna Margaret Weeks, Rhett and Kathryn Weeks, and Brett and Laurin Evans. They have given them seven precious grandchildren- Lowndes, Crosby, Dak, Anna Briggs, Hadley, Felder, and Haynie.