East Cooper mission team members Pam and Rhys Hester spend playtime with several missionary children. Rhys teaches criminal justice at Charleston Southern University, where Pam is a financial aid counselor.In a missions partnership that has flourished for years and has grown even deeper with time, East Cooper Baptist Church in Charleston sent a volunteer force of 62 church members for the annual general meeting of missionaries and their families serving in the region of South Asia.
“Each year,” said Dave Bruner, retired from the Navy and now missions pastor for the Charleston church, “we get more connected with what South Asia is doing.”
David Garrison, regional leader for South Asia with the International Mission Board, praised East Cooper for its involvement “all over this region,” calling the Charleston congregation a “young, vibrant, worshipping body of Christ.”
Bruner, who joined the staff at East Cooper in 2002, coordinated the efforts of the volunteers, whose primary responsibility was to provide child care and other activities for the children of the missionaries as they attended seminars and gathered for worship.
East Cooper’s involvement in South Asia pre-dates the partnership begun by the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 2005. Today, East Cooper has what is called a Faith Promise Offering, which is taken every Sunday. It goes beyond what the church contributes to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions and money allocated for the church’s budget.
Last year, the fund took in more than $200,000 for various missions endeavors, mostly in South Asia. The funds were used for the purchase of Bibles and other literature, and to provide training.
Volunteers worked in child care during the day, some at the hotel and others at a nearby school. From left are Dave Bruner, missions pastor, East Cooper, and his wife Ceil; Wanda Bryan; and Danny Ta.
The praise band that led worship services for the missionaries also took part in child care and other activities for the children of the missionaries. The band was led by Eric Sparks, worship pastor at East Cooper. Rhys Hester is guitarist, Danny Ta is drummer, and John Kennedy is guitarist.