Meet Lizabeth
Lizabeth is dedicated to helping women of all ages walk through all seasons of life.
Lizabeth Swayne
Pastoral Counseling
Offering biblical counseling for over seven years.
Our Approach
We aim to help women in the Rock Hill/Charlotte area get to the bottom or to the “heart” of their issues, struggles or suffering, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word. We are teaching, training, and mentoring these women as well, so that they will be able to take what they have learned and pass it on to the people God puts in their path. We desire to assist churches in the area as well, with this same “care of souls.” It is our prayer that that these ladies can, as ambassadors of what they have learned, begin biblically developing their own communities once they have a handle on what has taken a hold of them, at the heart level.
Our Story
Elizabeth S. Swayne, Counselor “Lizabeth” and a history of MMI, Inc.
Born in Huanta, Peru, 5th of 6 children, on the mission field, Lizabeth grew up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Jesus became her Savior at the age of 6 years. Raised in Pennsylvania, she has had countless volunteer ministry positions in the church throughout her life. She has taught Sunday school ranging from 2-3s up to the leadership for both middle school and senior high students, as well as being involved in women’s ministry, various choirs and musical opportunities, among other roles. Short term medical missions’ projects worldwide broadened the scope of her ministry experience. Her desire is to be a servant wherever God would use her, to help women recognize how their hearts rule their thoughts and actions, so that they can heal from damage from their past. And then learn how to use their gifts and talents in their own communities to help others find the same valuable healing. Her greatest desire is bring glory to the only God of the Universe through this Kingdom work.
Lizabeth is professionally trained as a Pediatric Cardiac ICU nurse for babies with cardiac anomalies, as well as heart and lung transplant. After working for approximately 15 years in inner city Philadelphia hospitals in various pediatric medical/surgical areas as well, the desire to care for the deeper issues of the soul as well as the body, inspired a new and powerfully motivating direction in God’s Kingdom. She began seminary training and was awarded her “Masters of Divinity with Emphasis in Counseling “at Westminster Theological Seminary in PA, in 2004. Then she started working in campus ministry with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), working on the campuses of UNC, Chapel Hill, NC and Winthrop University here in Rock Hill, SC, for 6½ years. RUF is the campus ministry of the Presbyterian Church of America. Her ministry consisted of many opportunities for leading women’s ministries, small group bible studies, and training students to understand the Scriptures and lead bible studies. It also entailed one-on-one sessions, group development, and other fellowship and service activities.
Throughout her time working with RUF she also did women’s ministry at her own church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, here in Rock Hill, and found a great counseling need for women in the area who couldn’t afford what was available. In this recognition, God clearly led her to start “Merciful Ministries, Inc.,” (MMI) a pastoral biblical counseling ministry for women of all ages, which has 501(c) 3 non-profit status, in June of 2011.
We believe in the Centrality of the Gospel -
If change is going to happen, real change, it can only happen at the root of the problem. The Gospel becomes the medicine, if you will, which God applies to the unhealthy roots. The Gospel, the fact that “we are more sinful than we can imagine, yet more loved than we could ever understand, at the same time!” to quote Timothy Keller, is the key for any kind of healing. This is how we seek change “that will last.” Restoration, reconciliation, renovation, recreation, and renewal can all be found and received.
We believe in the Sufficiency of Scripture -
We’ve “been given everything we need for life and godliness… Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that thru them you may participate in the divine nature and escape corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2Peter1:3,4). Therefore, we have the most reliable source for the hopeless, poor, broken hearted, captive prisoner, the one left in darkness, and mourning, grieving, spirits in despair. It also is what “…is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2Timothy3:16). So Scripture is able to speak into and is the foundation for comfort, hope and healing of deep seated problems as well as mentoring and guiding the person to see and know Jesus Christ better and better.
We believe in the Centrality of Community -
Long lasting change does not come in a vacuum. As humans we are designed to thrive in community and not in “lone-ranger-ness.” When connected to a local church, that Christian community should give people places of protection, hope and healing, accountability and freedom to be authentically transparent. When counseling is a part of that community – the person is able to, “… have power, together with all the saints, to grasp (learn better and exponentially more), how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,” (Ephesians3:18). Jesus love for his people is the very “balm in Gilead,” the source of all help and healing.
We believe in the Reality of both Sin and Suffering -
We believe humans are both sinners as well as sinned against. And if a Christian, “a saint, sinner, and sinned against” to quote Mike Emmlet. If the person seeking change doesn’t first admit these realities of his personhood, finding healing of past trauma is not going to happen at the deepest level where it counts and is long lasting. It will matter when we seek help and healing for past broken relationship, past trauma to be recognized, understood, and brought into the light as well as our own response to that trauma of any kind of suffering. Jesus speaks into both our past and our present to bring forgiveness, comfort, healing, restoration and renewal as well as compassion for the “lostness” of those who have sinned against us over time, of course. But we are thankful for our wonderful counselor, Jesus Christ and his compassion to walk alongside us as we seek his restoration. By the time a person goes to a counselor – usually the problems are relatively embedded and takes time to unravel and discover. This is not a one-stop-fix-it shop!
Want to get involved?
We welcome you to begin supporting the important work of Merciful Ministries.