Pastor Kenneth W. Harmon and his wife Joy were honored recently for 30 years of service to First Baptist Church, Newberry.
Joy and Kenneth HarmonHarmon became the church’s pastor in 1982 after previously serving for nine years as pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Pauline. His wife has served as church organist at Newberry First Baptist for 30 years.
During Harmon’s tenure as pastor, the church has added an education building and helped start two other congregations: Dreher Island Baptist (now Park Road Baptist) and Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida. Harmon has led the church to take mission trips every year since 1983, and the church has maintained strong missions and Cooperative Program giving.
Harmon has held leadership positions at the associational level and is a former chairman of the executive committee of the General Board (now Executive Board) of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
He served with the Newberry County Interfaith Community Service, which is the channel many pastors use to serve as a hospital chaplain.
Harmon is a graduate of North Greenville Junior College (now North Greenville University), Furman University and Southern Seminary.
The Harmons were married in 1970. They have two children and five grandchildren. He plans to retire at the end of July.