Kile Antone, 36, pastor of First Baptist Church in Abbeville, has confirmed to The Baptist Courier that he will be a candidate for president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Antone said he will be nominated by former state convention president Mike Moody, pastor of First Baptist Church of Honea Path, at the SCBC’s annual meeting in November.
Kile Antone“It is crucial that we as South Carolina Baptists support the Cooperative Program,” Antone said, “so that the local churches, along with our institutions and agencies, can continue to advance the kingdom of God together in a way that we could never do separately.”
Antone reported that Abbeville First Baptist directs 11.5 percent of its budget to the Cooperative Program. Last year the church gave more than $57,000 to the Cooperative Program and more than $11,000 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. In addition, he said, the church conducts several local mission projects and foreign mission trips each year.
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In his 11th year as a pastor in South Carolina, Antone has served congregations in Anderson, Greer, Honea Path and Abbeville. He also has served for 12 years as a chaplain for both police and fire agencies and is chief chaplain for the Abbeville Sheriff’s Office. He has served two years as a board member and is vice-chairman of Winning Our World Ministries, a ministry of South Carolina evangelist Jim Osteen.
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Antone has been active in associational work, serving on committees including personnel, youth, and reconstruction teams. While serving in Saluda Baptist Association, he was president of the pastor’s conference and moderator of the association. He recently concluded a three-year term as chairman of the missions awareness team for Saluda Association, which led in the association adopting the Acts 1:8 strategy, and he coordinated an On Mission associational missions conference.
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Antone is a graduate of Liberty University. He recently served as an adjunct professor in Zimbabwe, South Africa, with Covington Seminary.
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He and his wife Melanie, a home healthcare nanny in Taylors, have been married for 13 years. They have a 9-year-old son, Dylan.
If elected, Antone would be among the youngest presidents in SCBC history.