Never underestimate the influence of a campus minister upon a college student, because that student may return one day to be a campus minister himself – or, in this case, herself, as it so happened for Suzanne Bachelor, new Baptist Collegiate Ministry director for Spartanburg area colleges.
“I had Bob Porterfield [at Winthrop University] as a campus minister, and he was just marvelous,” said Bachelor. “My faith grew in large strides during my school years. God put it in my heart even then that college is such a crucial time. There are so many opportunities for students to make some bad choices. I want them to know the best choice – the hope found in a relationship with Jesus.”
BachelorBachelor, a Kershaw native, earned a master of divinity with a concentration in campus ministry from Southwestern Seminary. After her husband was transferred to upstate South Carolina in connection with his job, and once her three children were older, she began working at the Spartanburg BCM office as an assistant.
The Spartanburg-area BCM includes five schools: USC-Upstate, Wofford, Converse, Spartanburg Methodist, and Spartanburg Community College, representing approximately 12,000 students.
“The number of campuses – and their diversity – is probably the largest challenge we face,” she said. “We have public, private religious, two-year, and community campuses. USC-Upstate has students from 70 different countries. Spartanburg Community College has a median age of 35. Converse is still a women’s school, except for some of its graduate programs.
“Students seem to really want to pour into [the] community of their own campuses, though we do some area-wide events.”
Bachelor said her focus will be upon small-group disciple-making, or, as she puts it, “making disciples who make disciples.”
“We teach our leadership how to first build intentional relationships, how to do biblical storying and how to ask questions that go to the heart,” she said.
“Suzanne has deep roots as a South Carolina Baptist,” said Ken Owens, state BCM director. “With her education, connection with church and campus leaders, and her passion to make disciples, she is a terrific fit as the future leader of collegiate ministry on the Spartanburg campuses.” – SCBC