The Brotherhood of Lake Wateree Baptist Church recently sponsored their fifth Lake Wateree Kid’s Fishing Tournament. A total of 52 children, along with their parents, attended the annual outreach ministry, which featured devotional time, a hotdog supper, prizes for the biggest catch, and a gift card and fishing gear for each participant. Brotherhood member Marshall Brooks is shown presenting a devotional to the participants prior to weigh-in. Doug Cobb, who led the event, is Brotherhood director and Ron Gregory is pastor at Lake Wateree.
The Joyful Noise handbell choir of Lexington Baptist Church, Lexington, recently honored two of its members, Jeannine Spradlin (left) and Bobbie Sox (right), for 30 years of service. Spradlin and Sox were also part of a team that traveled to the Dominican Republic in June 2011 to establish the first handbell choir there. Presenting plaques of appreciation to Spradlin and Sox is handbell choir director Dan Williams.
The congregation of Oakdale Baptist Church, Cowpens, recently honored pastor Dennis Spencer, who retired on May 27, with a monetary gift and a luncheon. Spencer’s ministry has spanned 31 years at four South Carolina Baptist churches: Thompson Chapel, Cowpens; Fingerville First; Northside, Woodruff; and, for the past 10 years, Oakdale. Pictured with Spencer are his wife, June, who serves as minister of music at Oakdale; son Joshua and his wife, Brooke; daughter Rebecca; and grandchildren Campbell and Cade. Spencer will be available for supply/interim work.
The congregation of Deep Branch Baptist Church, Varnville, held a note-burning ceremony on May 20. This was the culmination of a $200,000 construction project to build a new fellowship hall following the fire that destroyed their building in 2006. Construction on this new building began in April 2011 and was dedicated on homecoming Sunday in October 2011. Pictured are Glen Samples, pastor; Carl “Bud” Freeman, building committee chairman; and Harold Ernest Mole, deacon chairman.
Ethel Taylor (center), oldest member of Hunt’s Memorial Baptist Church, Easley, was honored by the congregation and her family on May 19 with a luncheon celebrating her 100th birthday. Pictured with Taylor are friends from her Sunday school class: Margaret Black, Geneva Smith, Dot Hudson and Edna Reece.
More than 20 members of North Conway Baptist Church, Conway, will be traveling to all parts of the world to participate in mission trips this summer. Pastor Jeff Gaskins recently led the congregation in a prayer of dedication for the volunteers, who will share the gospel in France, Ethiopia, Brazil, Canada, Ohio, Georgia and Alabama over the next several months.