Summerville mayor Berlin Myers didn’t sit in his regular pew May 1 at Summerville Church; instead, he sat in a special area surrounded by rows of family members. It was a day set aside both to honor the senior adults and to recognize Myers for his service to the community for the past 45 years.
Summerville Church pastor Joe Wren presents Mayor Berlin G. Myers with a plaque recognizing his dedicated service to the Summerville community for the past 45 years.Myers joined Summerville Church in May 1936 and was baptized the following month. He was ordained as a deacon in 1946 and now serves as a life deacon. He served on the committee to rebuild the sanctuary in the early 1970s. At 94, Myers is the oldest male member of the church.
Berlin Myers Jr., Richard Rosebrock and Jairy C. Hunter addressed the mayor. Myers Jr. and his three siblings grew up in Summerville Church, and he thanked the congregation for helping raise all of them, including his father. Myers Jr. offered a simple prayer: “God, thy will. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“A simple prayer is how my father lived his life,” he said. “When we live our lives loving our neighbors, it shows every day in everything we do.”
Rosebrock affirmed Myers’ service to Summerville, saying, “You can see his footprints all over town.”
Hunter described Myers as a godly man, a meek man, and a trusted friend to everyone.
“Mayor Myers has given much of his life to God, country, community and family,” said pastor Joe Wren.
Later that afternoon, a reception sponsored by Charleston Southern University was held at the church. Hunter, CSU president, presented Myers with an engraved clock recognizing his leadership as a co-founder of the university.
There was a constant flow of family and friends who shared their good wishes and appreciation with Myers and his wife, Marlena. “He got to see so many people he hadn’t seen in such a long time,” she said. “Berlin said it would go down as one of the finest days he’s ever had.”