Mary Murray, center, was honored Oct. 28 during homecoming services at Memorial Baptist Church, St. George. She has been church secretary for 41 years. She was presented with a plaque and a gift of money. With her are her children and grandchildren and pastor Clay Shook. Guest speaker was Barclay Radebaugh, men’s basketball coach at Charleston Southern University. His wife Hope provided special music.
Mike Edens was ordained to the ministry Nov. 4 by Sonrise Baptist Church, Spartanburg, where he serves as associate pastor. Pictured from left are Larry Bateman; Arnold Becker, former pastor of SonRise; Edens; David Moore, pastor of SonRise; and Paul McKee, missions mobilization consultant for Spartanburg County Baptist Network.
Volunteers from Macedonia Baptist Church, Columbia, opened the doors of the church Oct. 26, giving away donated clothing to anyone in need. Free health screening was also provided for the public.
Charleston Southern University students shared Christ at the annual Convoy of Hope community outreach event held in Charleston Oct. 20. Forty students worked in the Kids Zone, talked with people in the evangelism/counseling tent, helped with clothing and food distribution, haircuts, and more. The event included more than 1,500 volunteers and approximately 7,000 guests.
Five people (above left) were baptized Oct. 21 by pastor Carrol Caldwell at Padgett’s Creek Baptist Church, Union. The church membership has grown at a rate of 23 percent per year for the last two years and is on course to do the same this year. Pictured (above right) with Caldwell, third from left, are members of the Padgett’s Creek outreach team: Heather Loftis, Brenda Whitmire, and Ken Pittman.
Last July, a group from West Side Baptist Church, West Columbia, served in Elizabethton, Tenn., working with Hale Community Ministries. The 30-member mission team, consisting of both youth and adults, conducted backyard Bible clubs at two apartment complexes, a youth sports clinic at Oak Street Baptist Church, and a backyard Bible club at Roam Mountain State Park. Frank Strange is mission coordinator for West Side.
Pastor Scott Griffith of First Baptist Church, Wagener, was honored on Pastor Appreciation Sunday by his congregation. A gift of an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast with tickets to the Newberry Opera House was presented to Griffith and his wife Betina by deacon Tom Fraser on behalf of the congregation.
The RAs and GAs of Northgate Baptist Church, Florence, collected more than 150 cans of food for the Florence campus of Connie Maxwell Children’s Home in observance of World Hunger Day.
The congregation of First Baptist Church, North Myrtle Beach, recently dedicated their new family life center. John Gambrell is the pastor and Dwain Hayes is the family minister at First Baptist.
Center Baptist Church, Hemingway, recently recognized two of its members who retired from their church positions. Ervin Poston, left, served 42 years as church treasurer, and Vernon Port, center, served more than 50 years as Sunday school clerk. A reception in their honor followed evening services. With them is pastor Rick Henderson.
The Seafarers Center in Georgetown, above left, was recently renovated and re-opened under the leadership of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church. The center is within walking distance of the Port of Georgetown, near Georgetown Steel and International Paper. Volunteers pictured above right are (front row, l to r) Seafarers Center director Skipper Prevatte, Beth Prevatte, Roy Rogers, Susan Ward, Mike Smith, and Kasandra Woodruff; (back row) Robert Moore, a truck driver from North Carolina who spent time at the center while waiting for his cargo to be loaded; John Adams; Norman Howard; Mt. Tabor pastor Ron Ward; and Pete Smith.
Ernest Gibson was named deacon emeritus by Centenary Baptist Church, Marion Baptist Association. Gibson, the oldest deacon in the church, was ordained in 1965 and has served as active deacon many times. From left are Gibson’s children Wanda Lane and Michael Gibson, his wife Hazel, Gibson, and deacon chairman Allston Rowell.
The GAs from First Baptist Church, Edgefield, met at a local grocery store to distribute candy, scriptural bookmarks, and pens for their community service project. Top row: Bailey Pedersen, Brice Brown, Maggie Childress and Susannah Hammond; bottom row: Emma Pedersen and Caroline Hammond.
The youth mission groups at First Baptist Church, Edgefield, participated in a mission project for cancer victims – Pantene Beautiful Lengths, a foundation which supports the American Cancer Society – by donating 8-inch ponytails to HairUWear, which creates free wigs for cancer victims. GA leader Janet Burgess and Marie Mims volunteered to have their hair cut by hairdresser and GA leader April Berry and GA helper Carrie Ann Quarles, while the youth cheered them on.