Prolegomenon

Prolegomenon

Who Am I?

My name is Tim Wojcik. I am halfway to 90 and I live in Columbia, SC. A native of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and naturally a die hard Red Sox fan, I am the son of Wally and Helen. My step-father, Bill also played a significant role in my upbringing. I am married to Nikki and have 4 kids, Kymber, Bryce, Ashley and Charlotte. I have spent my adult life working in and around public safety.

My early life was spent as a Catholic in a New England town where the church and the school were the major community centers. I attended catechism, made my first communion (I can remember leaving baseball practice to go to those classes) and served as an altar boy. I attended mass regularly, sometimes daily (we took turns serving at morning prayer for one week at a time). I learned a lot about reverence, tradition and liturgy from the Catholic church. I attended a Baptist Bible camp near Concord, New Hampshire. For several summers in a row, I learned the finer points of baseball, soccer, air hockey and dodge ball. I learned how to develop skits and tell jokes. I learned what a "dust bunny" was and how to get rid of them. I was introduced to Michel W. Smith and Joni Erickson. I was also introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeds were planted.

In early 1987, after the devastating events of the '86 World Series, we moved from Norman Rockwell's New England to Pat Conroy's South. Moving from rural New England to suburban South Carolina would be a culture shock to most anyone, but especially to a middle school boy. This was shortly after my mom's re-marriage to Bill and we began to attend an Episcopal church. Not just any Episcopal church, but indeed, the last remaining of the ten original churches established by the Church Act of 1706. As different as Charleston, South Carolina was from Cheshire, Massachusetts, I discovered connections in the colonial histories and traditions handed down from one generation to the next.

Old St. Andrew's and the Diocese of South Carolina were good to me, allowing me to grow as a young leader and sending me to diocesan youth events several times a year. I also served as an acolyte and grew in the knowledge of liturgy and tradition. On July 19, 1989 I sobbed in Camp St. Christopher's Kimbel Chapel as the reality of what Christ had endured for my sins truly hit home for the first time. To this day, I will not wear shoes in that room, as it is Holy ground.

I graduated from Middleton High School in the spring of 1991. Although I wasn't quite the righteous dude that Ferris Bueller was, I did get along with people from pretty much every circle. I was one of a couple of student athletic trainers. I was active in the drama and forensics (debate) clubs and a ranking member of the Civil Air Patrol's Coastal Charleston Composite Squadron.

All of those things are important to understand the foundation of my attitudes and beliefs. So, let's just hit the highlights of the rest then, shall we?

1. Became an Emergency Medical Technician in 1992, joined South Berkeley EMS and Charleston County Rescue that same year.
2. Graduated from the College of Charleston in 1996 with BS degrees in Elementary Education and Sociology. 
3. Worked as an EMT in Richmond, Virginia straight out of college.
4. Married my first wife, Tonya, in 1997. She and I would go on to have 3 children. They, along with Charlotte are counted daily as blessings to me. Shortly after this, we returned to South Carolina and we began attending a Baptist church, although I kept many ties within the Episcopal church.
5. Lived and worked in a few places in South Carolina, Master's in Education degree earned, life happened. Tonya and I went separate ways. I had also returned to the Episcopal church somewhere along the way as my primary house of worship.
6. Fell in love with Nikki and we attended the Baptist church that she grew up in. My family grew by dozens as the Smith's and Sturkie's adopted the three older kids and me as their own. Charlotte was born to compliment us as God has intended.
7. Many of  my dear friends had to leave the Episcopal church and, with them, I now associate many of my customs and observations as "Anglican" and no longer "Episcopal".

In 2016, the Lord called me to leave the mega-church we were attending (not the one Nikki grew up in) in order to better serve our local community. We were called to join the Ebenezer Pentecostal Holiness Church in West Columbia. I began laying the foundation for the South Carolina Institute of Leadership and Success (SCiLS). SCiLS exists to support programs and education targeting multi-generational poverty. One day, and in one sentence, Pastor Henderson planted the seed that he would support me pursuing licensure as a minister in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC). At the time, it was one sentence; a passing thought. Like the seed planted at Bible camp, this seed began to sprout and grow and about 4 months later, I discerned the call to began my formal ministry training with the South Carolina IPHC Conference. I am about 75% done with the required coursework. I am still working out the kinks, but I agree with and fully support the doctrines of the IPHC, while still feeling a tight connection with the Anglican community.

Why "Anglocostal"?

While taking a required church history class, I learned more about the Wesley brothers. I learned the details behind how John founded Methodisim, which would later lead to the founding of the IPHC. My heart was strangely warmed (see what I did there?) to learn that he did this while never forsaking his orders as an Anglican priest. In fact John believed that his teachings were not at all at odds with Anglican doctrine, but that they deepened it. Everything began to come into focus for me. The IPHC is the grandchild of the Anglican church. I discovered the relationship that my heart had been searching for. I believe in the power of liturgy as defined by tradition and the Book of Common Prayer. I pray (more days the not) from the daily office. I sometimes wear an alb and yes...I intend to wear a collar when appropriate. I believe in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit as an active participant in my life and I am growing in the knowledge of sanctification as it is outlined in the IPHC Manual. I am anglocostal.

 To be honest I still struggle quite a bit with being the Christian that He calls ME to be and not the one that fits into my cookie cutter oriented mind. As a bit of a hiker, I have become fond of the phrase "Hike your own hike". I believe that my hike with Jesus is going to be different than yours. It is going to look different, feel different and yield different results. Not better, not worse, just different. And different is necessary to reach the lost and the suffering in this rapidly dying world. 

Why a Blog?

Like many people my age, this is not my first attempt at blogging (you guys remember Myspace?). So, why again? Why now? Simple....He told me to do it. It has been in my heart for months to start sharing what He is teaching me and frankly I have been slow in answering Him. So, after much (necessary) ado, here it is. Wherever it goes will be part of my hike and I will be blessed knowing that my thoughts may be a part of yours.

Contact Me:

tim@scleaderinstitute.com