Lexington pastor will be nominee for SCBC president

Rocky Purvis, senior pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Lexington, will be nominated for president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention at this year’s annual meeting, to be held Nov. 11-12 at Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia.

He is the second confirmed nominee, joining Tommy Kelly, pastor of Varnville First Baptist Church.

“I was called back in the spring and asked if I would be willing to let myself be nominated,” Purvis told The Courier. “My answer was no. In August, I received a second call while I was in Egypt, asking me again. After prayer, I felt that God clearly said that I needed to be willing to be nominated.

“I have a great burden for our state and want to see South Carolina Baptists come together around what is really important, and that is reaching our communities, state, nation, and world with the gospel.”

Purvis said he does not yet know who will nominate him for SCBC president at the upcoming annual meeting.

A Hartsville native, Purvis has pastored Northside Church for almost eight years and served previously at Downtown Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. He holds degrees from Furman University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He serves on the SCBC Executive Board and is one of 10 members recently appointed to a committee charged with finding a new executive to lead the state convention following Jim Austin’s retirement last month.

Purvis, 54, and his wife, Sherrie, have four children. He is the son of former SCBC president Don Purvis, a retired pastor.