Thomas M. “Tommy” Knotts, 79, of Belvedere, an active leader in Baptist denominational life, died March 24, 2010.
His ministry included serving as director of missions for Aiken Association, youth conference leader for the first Southern Baptist Youth Conference at Ridgecrest, and board member of United Christian Action. He served on the Brotherhood Commission board of trustees, the presidential search committee and credentials committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, the General Board of South Carolina Baptist Convention, as chairman of McCall Royal Ambassador Camp committee, and as president of an organization of directors of missions.
Knotts served as interim pastor of National Hills Baptist Church, Augusta, Ga.; Town Creek Baptist Church, Aiken; and Hillview Baptist Church, Graniteville.
His civic involvement included serving on the multidisciplinary committee for child abuse with the Aiken County Department of Social Services, the starting committee for Helping Hands, chaplain of the Aiken Soil and Water Conservation District and state chaplain of the South Carolina Soil and Water Districts, where he received the State Chaplain Award and Area Chaplain Award three times. He was a district commissioner for the Aiken Soil and Water Conservation District and chairman of the legislative committee of the South Carolina Soil and Water Conservation Districts. In February 2010, the South Carolina Senate passed a resolution honoring Knotts, concurred by the House of Representatives, for his service to the South Carolina Association of Conservation Districts.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Jeanne McDougal Knotts, three children and four grandchildren.