Pride: Power of Eight!

For 30 years, Pride has awarded individuals with the Power of One medal, eight of whom have a direct connection to St. John’s.

The first, in 1999, was the Rev. Tom Dobbs, son of longtime parishioners Dr. Fred and Polly Dobbs. Tom was an Episcopal priest working in Colorado when diagnosed with AIDS. He returned to Charleston and our parish. Mac and Mary Adelia McLeod asked him to oversee our Integrity chapter, which had been started by Jim Lewis.

Marty Adams and Justen Deal, 2002 honorees, were high school students who were referred to SAGA in an era when local schools did not offer SGAs. Our Stright and Gay Alliance provided these youths with a safe, supportive place to explore their sexuality.

In 2003, Margaret Lindsay, co-founder of SAGA, received the award, and, in 2007, SAGA founding member Bob Rosier was added to the list.

The 2009 award was bestowed on the Rev. Jim Lewis, who had already made St. John’s a beacon of acceptance to the LGBTQ community.

Fast forward to 2022, when Linda Bodie was added to the list, and 2025, when the honor went to Dr. Christine Teague.

Others on the list whose ties to our parish were more tangential include Ted Brightwell, who starred in our second rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar, and City Councilman Robert Sheets, who led a group of gays whom Jim Lewis had allowed to have meetings in our parish house.