William’s life changed as he watched two planes fly into the World Trade Center with his fellow cadets at the Citadel. Soon he would join his friends to defend freedom and fight against terrorism. He was commissioned into the U.S. Army and became an officer in the elite special forces unit of the Green Berets and served several tours in Afghanistan and North Africa.
Recently I had the honor of giving the invocation at his promotion ceremony to lieutenant colonel 24 years after serving as his student pastor. William approached the podium in his full dress uniform to address a packed auditorium of soldiers, family, and friends.
He shared his faith in Jesus and his appreciation for his family and friends. William then took the rest of his speech to redirect the attention from himself to 18 friends who, during his career, lost their lives for the sake of freedom.
One by one, he projected a picture of a fallen soldier, told their story, and then said, “You will not be forgotten.”
Because of these fallen soldiers, Southern Baptists had the freedom to worship and safely gather in Indianapolis. During the annual meeting, we commissioned 83 missionaries to be sent all over the world to fight for freedom for the lost who have been terrorized for generations by the enemy. One by one, the missionaries told their stories and asked for prayer. Some were behind screens to conceal their identity for security purposes. At least five of them were South Carolina-sent.
South Carolina Baptists, we will not forget them. We hold the rope for each of these missionaries through our prayers, generosity through the Cooperative Program, and partnerships to go and support them short-term.
Missionaries and soldiers, you will not be forgotten. Let freedom ring.
— Lee Clamp is associate executive director-treasurer for the SCBC.