J. Donald McManus’s 1990 book Martha Franks: One Link in God’s Chain outlines the courageous, faith-filled life of one of SCBaptists’ choicest servants. She overcame great odds both as a missionary in China and as a catalyst for mission and ministry back home in Laurens County. The final words of McManus’s book quote Alfred, Lord Tennyson: “The old order changeth, yielding place to the new: and God fulfills himself in many ways.” Then, instead of the traditional storybook sign-off, the book concludes with these words: “The Beginning.”
By now, you have likely heard that the Executive Board will bring a motion to the Convention Nov. 10–11 at Taylors First Baptist Church considering the future of the South Carolina Baptist Ministries of Aging (SCBMA). The motion will be to approve the sale of the two retirement communities — Martha Franks and Bethea — and begin a 12-month process for reimagining the SCBMA’s ministry model.
This decision has not come lightly. For 18 months, we have explored every option: merger, acquisition, affiliation, partnerships, and divestment. After much prayer, research, and collaboration, we believe that the sale of the two properties is the wisest course of action; we also believe this action will enable a future ministry model with expanded opportunity in senior adult ministry and mission efforts.
No matter how many times I share it, the news hits me hard. Every time I think about it, my mind is flooded with the faces of precious saints at these two homes who I have personally come to know and love. Some are reading this article themselves right now. We have every reason to believe that current residents will not feel much change; however, changes are always possible under new ownership. It has been a constant matter of prayer for me, for SCBMA President Tom Turner, and for all who have been working on this potential transaction, that our current residents might be reassured that SCBaptists love them deeply and that their quality of care — even through this transition — is a matter of top priority. Still, it hits me hard.
I think that’s okay. It’s okay for me to be uneasy about the change and affirmative of it at the same time. It’s okay to acknowledge sadness, regret, and even frustration. Our emotions do not surprise God. It is also reasonable to feel deep affection for the past and, in the same breath, affirm that something new must come: “The old order changeth, yielding place to the new.” Every day, I am living between a deep affection for our current model (and its current people) and a heart of faith for the future. I imagine you know the feeling. It is both warm and cold, sad and hopeful, exhausting and exhilarating. I think that’s okay, too. I pray that’s okay. As people of faith, we trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. We acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He directs our paths.
What is unavoidable is that the current business model is not sustainable, and the future ministry opportunity is exponential. Every penny invested in these two retirement communities has been a worthy sacrifice. No gift has been wasted, and no sacrifice is meaningless. Today’s decision is not a commentary on the spiritual value of yesterday’s SCBMA investments. Rather, it reflects the urgency of today’s faithful management and the vision of tomorrow’s strategic opportunity.
What is at stake in this decision is not if SCBaptists love and serve senior adults, but, rather, how. We genuinely believe this is the next chapter of McManus’s book, so rather than “The End,” we see it as another “Beginning.” The beginning of a new model for senior adult ministry in our state. The beginning of something more than we can think or imagine right now.
You can find more information at scbaptist.org/scbma. Please pray with me that a unity of purpose and consecration, which SCBaptists have enjoyed for so long, will guide us forward in the days ahead.