SCBC’s Robert Grant joining staff of Baptist Foundation of South Carolina

Robert Grant, a veteran South Carolina Baptist Convention staff member, will become resource development director with the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina on July 7.

The transition ends Grant’s 31-year career with the state convention staff, during which time he has served the convention’s churches through Sunday school and church business administration. The Baptist Foundation is a ministry partner with the state convention.

Barry Edwards, president of the foundation, said Grant “will be a tremendous asset to our work, bringing 31 years of experience among South Carolina Baptists.”

In his new position, Grant will coordinate development efforts leading to planned gifts, endowments and institutional money-management funds to be administered by the foundation. He will continue his longtime relationship with South Carolina Baptist churches, associations, ministry partners and individuals, according to a press release from the foundation.

Grant, 62, has lived half his life serving South Carolina Baptists. From 1983 to 2002, he served in the Sunday School Department and as its director from 1992-2002 during the Empowering Kingdom Growth emphasis. He often spoke at churches and was a frequent contributor to Southern Baptist Convention publications aimed at helping church leaders. In 2000, LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention presented Grant with the Washburn, Piland, Taylor Directors Award for outstanding Sunday school leadership.

From 2002-2010, Grant moved into church business administration and served as the convention staff’s first director of the Church Administration Office. Professional certifications and continuing education prepared him to assist churches with contracts, church administration, church architecture, and conflict resolution through church mediation.

Since 2010, Grant has served as director of the GuideStone and Church Administration Office on the convention staff. He has served churches as the GuideStone Financial Resources representative and continued his church administration service to churches.

Grant, a native of Greenville, made his profession of faith in 1960 and was baptized at Greenville’s Sans Souci Baptist Church. One year later, at McCall Royal Ambassador Camp, he accepted a call to ministry. He was licensed to the ministry in 1969 and ordained in 1976, both by Sans Souci Baptist Church.

Grant graduated from Gardner-Webb University in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in religious education. He received a master of religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1976. That degree was updated to a master of arts in religious education in 1983.

Grant and his wife, the former Robin Batson, a retired kindergarten teacher, have one adult daughter, Morgan. Grant is also an accomplished musician who plays tenor and bass trombone. The Grants are members of Lexington Baptist Church, where Grant is ordained as a deacon and is a member of the church orchestra.