Northside Baptist Church in West Columbia installed Rocky Purvis as pastor on Jan. 28. He was called on Nov. 19 and began duties in December.
Participants, from left, were Jim Henry, Rocky Purvis, Don Purvis and Allan Covington.Jim Henry, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., brought the installation message. Allan Covington and Don Purvis brought the charges of responsibility. Covington is associate pastor of worship and arts at Northside Baptist Church in Liverpool, N.Y. Purvis, father of the Northside pastor, is the retired pastor of Lakeview Baptist Church, Hartsville, and a former state convention president.
Purvis came to Northside from Downtown Baptist Church in Orlando. Purvis has described himself as a servant leader following the example of Jesus. “I approach pastoring humbly,” he said in a statement to the Courier, “and yet I approach it boldly because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt God called me.”
Claude Sandidge, who offered a prayer at the installation and chaired the pastor search committee, praised Purvis’ “heart for God, for evangelism, and for young people.”