Gertrude Inness, a member of Union Baptist Church, Laurens, celebrated her 100th birthday May 2. On April 29, pastor Chris Garrison visited her and presented a plaque and a memory box of birthday cards from church members. “She is a faithful member and an inspiration to all who know her,” said Garrison.
Brooklyn Powell gives her Lottie Moon offering at Davis Memorial Baptist Church, Spartanburg. She has challenged many of the church members to give more. The church receives an offering every Sunday morning for international missions.
Emma Lee Fincher, WMU director of Padgetts Creek Baptist Church, Union County Association, presents a check for $1,450.44 to pastor Carrol Caldwell for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. The church surpassed its goal of $1,200, with an average contribution of approximately $6 per member.
Ministers of music George Haltiwanger, First Baptist, Moncks Corner; H.S. Yarborough, Ashley River, Charleston; Ron Cook, West Gantt First Baptist, Greenville; Stuart Condra, Riverland Hills, Columbia; and Mark Blankenship, First Baptist, Hilton Head Island, recently toured the southeast as members of The Centurymen, an auditioned men’s chorus of professional musicians who are directors of music in Baptist churches from the U.S. and around the world.
Fifth and sixth grade GAs and the Grace Bible Study group of First Baptist Church, Edgefield, held a sewing class and made shorts to be sent to children in Tanzania and Mexico on the church’s next mission trip. Participants included Madlyn Medlock, Janet Burgess, Carrie Ann Quarles, Beverly Quarles, Betsy Painter, Susan Medlock, Terri Miller, Lauren Williams, Shannon Tollison and Carole Chidley.
Residents and staff at Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community joined together on May 9 to celebrate the in-gathering of their Mother’s Day offering. Residents and staff raised more than $8,800 for this special offering. Pictured are (left to right) administrator Paul Alverson, Miriam Templeton, chaplain Russell Dean, Maydee Nabors, and Joyce Langford.
Springdell Baptist Church, Lancaster, held its second annual father/son camping trip April 27-28.
Jacob Cloer, center, was ordained to the ministry May 13 by Hepsibah Baptist Church, Seneca, where he is youth pastor. He will attend Mid-America Baptist Seminary this fall. His father, Michael Cloer, left, pastor of Englewood Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, N.C., preached the ordination sermon. With them is John McKnight, pastor of Hepsibah.
Providence Baptist Church, Greenville, held a service May 6 to ordain Terry Hopkins and Dan Sutherland, as well as to license Farron Hancox to the ministry. Sutherland, who is the children’s pastor at Providence, also has a full-time puppet ministry. Hopkins is involved in a counseling program. Hancox is a student at Fruitland. Pictured below are Paul Wilson, pastor at Providence; Sutherland; Hancox; and Hopkins.
The Woman’s Missionary Union of Taylors Grove Baptist Church, Lancaster, were awarded the “AAA” designation for the second consecutive year during the April 2 spring meeting held at Fork Hill Baptist Church. Pat Pardue, far right, was named associational Mission Friends coordinator for Moriah Association.
Evergreen Baptist Church, winner of the Saturday division, and Coward Baptist Church, winner of the Tuesday night division, met May 4 in the championship game of the Evergreen Baptist Men’s Basketball League. Evergreen won 53-51 in a “see-saw battle.” Evergreen team members (pictured above) include Rickey Boggs Sr., Rickey Boggs Jr., J.R. Locklear, Mike Collins, Marcel Boggs, Jeffery Hayes, Chris Owens, Evan Rivers, Derrick Hayden and Frankie Rivers. (Owens and Hayden are not pictured.) Coward’s team members (pictured below) included Matt Tedder, Josh Weatherford, Allen Brown, Ryan Derrick, Todd Stewart, Bobby Beasley, Robert Flowers and Chris Gibbons.
The congregation of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Roebuck, held groundbreaking April 29 for an 830-seat sanctuary. Jim Oliver is pastor of Bethlehem.