The gathering was officially a special called joint-session business meeting. But it wouldn’t have been too out of place if the fellowship time afterwards had included a white-tiered cake and the throwing of rice.
The “two became one” in a historic meeting May 2 at Fairview Baptist Church, as messengers from Greer and North Greenville Baptist associations voted to dissolve their individual associations and form a new Three Rivers Baptist Association effective July 1, 2013.
Each association voted for the merger separately by raised ballots, with North Greenville passing the motion by an 80-1 vote and Greer by a 132-2 margin.
Among those who spoke at the meeting were South Carolina Baptist Convention executive director-treasurer Jim Austin and Spartanburg County Baptist Network director of missions Jim Goodroe. Goodroe served as a consultant during the process leading up to the meeting and shared from his experience as a director of missions of a merged association.
It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that one or both of the two associations were struggling, but leaders from both groups are quick to dispel that notion. Bill Pfister, pastor of Locust Hill Baptist Church in Travelers Rest and part of the merger steering committee, said, “Neither association is in trouble. Both are healthy and thriving, have good staffs, great participation, and are very involved in missions.”
Montie Silvers (center) receives a plaque of appreciation from directors of missions Randy Bradley (left) and Tom Capps. The donation of land for a new associational office by Silvers and her husband Jack was the catalyst for the creation of the new Three Rivers Baptist Association.
Over the past couple of years, a group of pastors in North Greenville Association had been praying about the need for a new associational office. They needed more parking, more land and a new building. A huge part of the answer to those prayers was the donation of two acres of land on Highway 290 by Jack and Montie Silvers, members of Locust Hill. The land is in almost the exact geographic center of the two associations. In early December, North Greenville DOM Randy Bradley was praying on the new site and began to ask why the land was in that exact location. The next day he called Greer DOM Tom Capps and brought up the idea of merging. Capps laughed and said he had been having the same thoughts.
A series of meetings and studies followed, and, as it turns out, many in both associations were already thinking along the same lines as Bradley and Capps. “From the very beginning, there was a real sense of unity that we could do more together,” said Pfister. “For me as a pastor, it’s also going to double the number of pastors I’m able to fellowship with and work with on a regular basis.” With a combined larger budget and lower overhead, Pfister sees the ability to do more church planting, missions, training, and equipping of church members.
Staff from both associations will be able to continue serving in the new association, including both Capps and Bradley. One consideration was that the two would serve as co-DOMs. Capps thought it would be better to have one captain and suggested that Bradley take the helm. “I realized that Randy had more experience as a DOM and that Randy’s gifts are more in the area of administration and serving pastors,” said Capps, who plans to focus more on leadership development, mission partnerships, and church ministries. Both believe they complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Tom and I are already working great together,” said Bradley. “When you have two leaders come together, it can be a tough thing. But this has been smooth all the way and has been an affirmation that this is the Lord’s will.”
Bradley, Capps and Goodroe all believe that the merger could serve as a model for other associations who might benefit in similar ways. Capps says that even though Greer Association is healthy, like many others it has experienced a decrease in financial giving.
“If the trend continues, I think more associations will end up merging. Others in the state are already looking at something similar,” said Capps. “We realized we could come together now out of vision and hope, or have to come together eight to 10 years from now out of desperation and survival.”
Capps sees a lot of significance in the name chosen for the new association. “We noticed that the three rivers in our area — the Saluda, Tyger and Enoree — all converge to form the Congaree River, a much more powerful river than any of the three. Yet the Congaree wouldn’t exist without those three.
“We know that our churches can come together and do more than they can do alone. But we know that the association wouldn’t exist without the churches.”
— Cox is a freelance writer and president of Concoxions Ministries (concoxions.com), based in Spartanburg.