Before I begin, I would like to thank the messengers of the South Carolina Baptist Convention for electing me as your president. It is an honor and privilege to serve you, and I continue to be deeply humbled by the experience. I covet your prayers this year, that I may lead only through God’s direction. I look forward to meeting you as I speak in associations and churches.

Also, I would like to thank Rudy Gray and The Baptist Courier staff for faithfully reporting denominational news as well as other pertinent events to the more than 2,100 churches of our state convention.

As the promise of a new year has been given to us, South Carolina Baptists are living in a time that can described much like the opening line of the Charles Dickens novel: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … .”

Since January is the first month of the new year, we typically focus on new beginnings. Yet many children never make it to their own beginning. God told Jeremiah, “I knew you before you were in your mother’s womb” and “I called you to be a prophet to the nations.” However, the abortion of the unborn abruptly and sinfully goes against God’s purpose. Through abortion, the greatest innovations in many areas of society will never be developed, seen or heard.

For South Carolina Baptists, the future is bright. The annual convention in November was described as harmonious and uplifting. We are ready to creatively reveal God’s plan to a lost world. However, this cannot happen until South Carolina Baptists begin to realize that it all started with us. We set the trend around 200 years ago as the first state Baptist convention. We are a “state of firsts,” so let us start showing the world that the one true God sent His only Son to save them from their sins.

— Tommy Kelly is pastor of Varnville First Baptist Church and president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.