The Baptist Courier recently conducted a Q&A with the 2026 president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Ryan Pack, senior pastor of Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Irmo. Pack began his duties following the annual meeting in Columbia in November.
• Would you tell us a little about your background, your family, and your church?
Pack: I was born and raised in South Carolina. Specifically, both my wife, Heather, and I grew up in Spartanburg. I accepted Christ as my Savior at age 9 and was called to the ministry as a teenager. We were married right after our graduations from Converse College for Heather and Clemson University for me. I earned my Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and my Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Leadership from Columbia International University. We have raised four children. Our three daughters are married, and our son is a junior in college. We recently have been blessed with two grandsons. I highly recommend being a grandparent! It has been a joy!
God has blessed me with the privilege of pastoring churches in South Carolina and North Carolina over the past 26 years. I have been the pastor of Riverland Hills Baptist Church in the Columbia area for more than eight years.
• How do you see the state of the South Carolina Baptist Convention and its future?
Pack: It’s an exciting time to be an SCBaptist! I see a fresh longing for cooperation in reaching people with the gospel. We just heard at our annual meeting in Taylors about an increase in baptisms and Cooperative Program giving over the past year. The number of salvations coming from our “One Night” events, collegiate ministries, and our summer camps should make all of us shout with joy. We are seeing a move of God especially among our teenagers and college generation. This should encourage us! Developing these young leaders has been a priority of our convention, making our future brighter than ever.
• What led you to pick “One” as the theme for the 2026 Annual Meeting?
Pack: The word “one” is a reminder of our unity in mission and purpose. Our oneness is a picture of Jesus to the lost world. Jesus said in John 17:21 “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” When the lost see us working together in unity, it paints the right picture of our beautiful Savior. The world needs us to look like Jesus, and as brothers and sisters in Christ we need each other.
This is why we will be focused this year on three facets of “One.” First, we are unified by One Gospel. Let’s stay focused on the top priority, which is sharing and exalting Jesus. Second, since we are united by One Gospel, we function as One Family. We are adopted as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and therefore are joined as one big family. Third, we are all ambassadors to reach One More. Let’s share the joy of seeing one more baptized, one more called out to missions or vocational ministry, and one more church planted as a result of our cooperative efforts.
• In what ways do you envision calling SCBaptists to be “One” in fulfilling the Great Commission and supporting the Cooperative Program?
Pack: We are one in our calling, but every church is unique in their contribution. We have rural churches, urban churches and suburban churches. We have churches over 200 years old and churches that are just 200 days old. Regardless of location or number of attenders, we all can make a major impact in evangelism, discipleship, and giving. This is the brilliance of the Cooperative Program and Southern Baptist missions … every church matters! Everyone can make an impact locally, in our state, and around the world from your corner of South Carolina. I would encourage every church to find at least one way to advance the gospel in 2026.
• What do you see as South Carolina Baptists’ greatest opportunities and challenges?
Pack: Our greatest opportunity is people! I mean this in two ways. First are the people in our churches. We have over 600,000 people in South Carolina Baptist churches. What would happen if just 10 percent of those people led someone to the Lord this year? That would be over 60,000 salvations! Second, there are more people moving to South Carolina than most other states in our nation. People are everywhere. This is an unlimited opportunity. The greatest challenge: We need healthy churches and more churches to reach more people in the midst of a booming population.
• How would you encourage other South Carolina pastors?
Pack: I love being a pastor because I love seeing changed lives! Watching people respond to the gospel and grow in that grace is amazing. I still can’t get over the fact that God called me out to serve His church.
I would encourage pastors to remember their calling. Ministry is hard. There are times I wanted to give up. In those moments, you have to remember that God called you for this moment in time to the place He sent you. He told us it wouldn’t be easy, but it’s worth it for His glory. When He calls us, He equips us! God is with you. God will strengthen you, and God is not done with you. Lost people all around you need you to lead well so they can experience our oneness, which points them to Jesus.
• What is something unusual about you that few people know?
Pack: When people ask me how long I have known my wife, I can literally say “all my life.” We grew up together at First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, and our first introduction to each other was the nursery. We’ve known each other since we were in diapers but didn’t date until college. I guess I was a little slow to figure out we were meant to be together!