In 2005, Richie Hicks became pastor at Second Baptist Church, Dillon. In three years, the church of 73 people that voted to call him as pastor has become 170. The story of the church’s growth is a mirror of Hicks’ own growth as a follower of Jesus.
On Feb. 24, 1997, Hicks surrendered his own life to Jesus at South Florence Baptist Church in Florence. “I prayed to Jesus, ‘When you save me, I want you to make me different,’?” Hicks said. “I stood up a new creation in Jesus Christ.”
Hicks, who at the time owned a poker machine business, sold it. “From that day, my lifestyle completely changed,” he said. “I became one of (South Florence) pastor Howard Allen’s home-grown boys and surrendered to the ministry.”
Before answering the call to serve as pastor at Second Baptist, Dillon, Hicks served on staff at South Florence for four years, starting as a custodian. “I began to have several opportunities to go out and preach, and then got the call from Dillon. I was open to what God wanted to do with my life. They came and heard me preach.”
Hicks said the search committee asked, “What are you going to do with your lack of experience (as a pastor)? What methods will you use at our church?”
“I told them that I would rely on the Bible and lift up the name of Jesus,” he said. “That’s all I’ve been doing, and it is drawing people to him. Our people are excited, and there is a wave of enthusiasm. God is blessing us, and I’m amazed myself.
“When I first came here, my focus was the need for altar prayer,” Hicks said. “The church was a praying church, but we weren’t praying like we should. I brought a series of messages on prayer and the altar; God reached down one Sunday morning and rested on our church. It seemed like every pew emptied, and there was weeping at the altar. God began to bless our church.”
Since Hicks arrived, the church has baptized 49 people, including 20 in 2008. In the past year, worship attendance has grown by 16.5 percent and Sunday school enrollment by 15.2 percent.
Hicks said, “We may not see someone saved every week, but we feel the presence of God each week and that makes our church very special. I believe the most important thing we can do is use our altar. It means a lot when loved ones see people beside them at the altar; others are moved to come forward and pray. Our church is full of life.”
Pee Dee Baptist Association director of missions Ron Taylor said, “Dillon Second Baptist is a very vibrant church, growing under the leadership of Richie Hicks. This is a church that is serious about soul-winning. On Monday nights, they don’t go out visiting people; they go out soul-winning. They don’t let anything get in the way of that mission, and, as a result, this is a church that is as alive now as it has been in its history.” – SCBC