Carlisle Driggers, retired executive director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, currently serves as interim pastor at Manley Memorial Baptist Church in Eatonton, Ga. The church is growing, and Driggers has led the church to see the need to expand their facilities to reach a growing community on Lake Sinclair.
Since the church had limited funds, Driggers contacted some friends he knew through South Carolina Campers on Mission to see if they would be willing to help out. As a result, seven couples volunteered, led by Kenny and Lynn Owen of Westminster. Kenny retired after serving as a pastor of Earle’s Grove Church in Westminster for 28 years, where Driggers had led a revival several years ago.
Others who gave of their time and energy were Stanley and Jenny Brock from Seneca, Berry and Cathy Doyle, also from Seneca, Tom and Louise Denton from Lancaster, John and Joyce Flowers from Camden, Dan and Debbie Hughey from Travelers Rest, and Jack and Beth McAlister from Fair Play. They constructed a Sunday school annex with five rooms, a new pastor’s office, more supply space, and bricked the entire front of the existing church complex.
Work began in February, and church members will finish up the project in early July. There were always at least 10 church members helping with construction, and each day women of the church came to prepare meals. Many of the members invited the campers into their homes for evening meals as well.
Driggers was “deeply touched” by the assistance from South Carolina Baptists, but not surprised. “This was a remarkable story of Baptist cooperation and shows how South Carolina Baptists are living out the focus on kingdom growth they have heard and seen for many years,” he said.
Church members raised more than half of the $60,000 needed to buy materials for the expansion project in two months. The volunteer labor provided by Campers on Mission is equal to the cost of the building supplies.
The church has baptized 51 new believers and received 52 other new members by transfer of letter. The local paper, The Eaton Messenger, did a front-page story on the church in April and reported that church members’ confidence in the future has soared, along with their faith and willingness to obey God’s word. – SCBC