Beth Lindsay Templeton 
Loving Our Neighbor 
A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty

Loving Our Neighbor provides practical advice for churches, businesses, civic organizations, school groups, and individuals who need seasoned guidance in making wise and compassionate decisions when approached for financial donations.

Beth Templeton is a minister who clearly understands both the heart of the charitable organization and the need for focus and planning when it comes to helping those in need. She relies on twenty-five years of experience as a nonprofit executive at United Ministries to:

Provide an understanding of the Biblical call to help
Assist others in comprehending a life of poverty
Advise the different ways to aid those battling financial hardship
Illustrate how to organize a direct ministry for a church
Facilitate others in gaining a deeper understanding of the social and economic conditions that lead to poverty

Templeton shares fresh insights, thought-provoking lessons, and timeless wisdom that exemplify an organized and compassionate process that includes various approaches designed to help others decide how, when, and whom to help in times of need. Loving Our Neighbor encourages building relationships with those who can benefit from assistance, ultimately enriching their lives in countless ways.

Über den Autor

The Rev. Beth Lindsay Templeton
Director, Our Eyes Were Opened
An Outreach of United Ministries
606 Pendleton Street, Greenville, SC 29601(o)
864-271-2965 (direct line), 864-370-3518 fax
btempleton@united-ministries.org
www.oureyeswereopened.org

Beth Lindsay Templeton, Director of Our Eyes Were Opened, is a community activist, innovator, minister and presbytery leader, consultant, teacher, and writer. She has for twenty-six years worked at United Ministries, a non-profit in Greenville, South Carolina. She has interacted with people who are poor and marginalized, as well as with groups and individuals who want to help people with minimal resources. She is a graduate of Presbyterian College and Erskine Theological Seminary. She and her husband have three married sons and four grandchildren.


Education:
Presbyterian College, BA Mathematics, summa cum laude
Erskine Theological Seminary, M.Div., with honors

Community Activist:
Director of Our Eyes Were Opened (2007-present)
Executive Director of United Ministries (1983-2007)
United Way’s Community Impact Agenda Partnership: Financial Stability Counci
Vision 2025 for Greenville, SC and Greenville Forward: Families and Social Services Committee
Housing Task Force – Educating stakeholders about housing issues
Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Academy inaugural class
Liberal Arts Leadership at Furman University inaugural class

Innovator:
On the development team or charter member of:
Project which built 68 units of housing for senior citizens/ people with disabilities
Free medical clinic
Coalition of organizations that work with people who are homeless
Agency focused on child care issues
Come to the Table, a consultation ministry of Foothills Presbytery for helping congregations deal constructively with conflict
Along with United Ministries staff developed:
Program for women who were addicted and/or prostitutes
School for adults 8th grade-GED
Program to help adults get and keep permanent jobs
Day shelter for people who are homeless

Minister and Presbytery Leader:
Ordination: Presbyterian Church, U.S.A (1982)
Preacher and Administrator for congregations in need: 3 months (pastor(s) on sabbatical) to three years (church in conflict)
Temporary pulpit supply for congregations of different denominations
Vision Committee (2008)
Committee on Ministry: (Foothills Presbytery, 1999-2006, chair in 2005-2006)
Initiated procedures and policies for dealing with clergy sexual misconduct in Foothills Presbytery (chaired the task force) (2000)
Moderator of Foothills Presbytery (1999)
Committee on Preparation for the Ministry: (Foothills Presbytery, 1991-1997)
Furman University Volunteer Chaplain for Presbyterian Students:(1982-1996)

Consultant and Teacher:
Bible Study Leader for Circle #4 at Fourth Presbyterian Church (2000- )
National, regional, local workshop and retreat leader
Consultant/coach to boards and Executive Directors of other nonprofits
Keynote speaker
Teacher and presenter in congregations, classrooms, and the community
Consultant to congregations dealing with conflict

Writer:
Loving Our Neighbor: A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty (Released in November 2008)
Curriculum for Teens to learn more about poverty
In Our Own Words, editor and contributor: A compilation of newsletter articles and a history of United Ministries
Articles in religious magazines and newspapers

Conversations on the Porch: Biblical Women Embrace Us With Calls to Action (unpublished)
Awards:
Coretta Scott King Dream Keeper Award: 2009
Dream Achiever- YWCA: 2008
Service Award for Professional Excellence (Rotary Centennial: 2005)
League of Women Voters Honoree: 2005
Commander’s Appreciation Award (Post 3 Goodfellows Club: 2005)
American Association of University Women Honoree: 2001
Vocational Service Award (North Greenville Rotary Club:1998
R. Cooper White Humanitarian Award (Greenville County Human Relations Commission: 1993)
Distinguished Service Award (Greenville Lions:1988, Greenvil