A seven-member committee appointed at the 2018 annual meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention has begun its work to enhance the efforts of the SCBC in racial reconciliation.
The group has been assigned the task of helping South Carolina Baptists build greater cooperation and create ministry partnerships with “our African-American brothers and sisters in South Carolina.”
Donald Greene, president of the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention, plans to form a similar group from the BEMC and possibly meet with the SCBC committee. The BEMC is the largest organization of African-Americans in the state.
Josh Powell, chairman of the SCBC committee and president-elect of the state convention, stated, “I believe there is no better place for us to start than to seek out opportunities to work with our BEMC brothers and sisters. This committee is dedicated to praying and seeking the Lord’s will, and we believe God desires for all of His children to work together to bring Him glory.”
The group was appointed by last year’s SCBC president, Marshall Blalock, who said, “The committee is made up of a diverse group of leaders. There are differences in age, geography, experience and race.” He noted further that each committee member has a “track record for building bridges across racial barriers.”
In addition to Powell, the committee includes Walter Belton, pastor of Word of Change Church in Spartanburg; Phillip Pinkney, pastor of Radiant Church in Charleston; Alex Sands, pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Mauldin; Ron Henderson, pastor of Mount Nebo Church in Spartanburg; George Wright, pastor of Shandon Church in Columbia; and Michael Duduit, dean of the Clamp Divinity School at Anderson University.
The committee will schedule meetings throughout the year and meet with the SCBC Executive Board in the hope of having some clear steps to present at November’s annual meeting. “We want to do more than talk,” Powell said. “We want to work together to reach our state with the gospel of Jesus Christ and build relationships and develop partnerships across racial lines.”