“I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16b).
Grace Baptist Church in Una, near Spartanburg, stands at a crossroads.
Ed Bolton, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Spartanburg, acknowledges a show of appreciation from the members of Renacer Baptist Church. The Renacer congregation is relocating to a larger Hispanic community after worshiping at Grace’s facilities for eight years.For about eight years, the people of Grace Church and Renacer Baptist Church, an Hispanic congregation, have been worshiping at Grace Church’s campus – Grace’s members in the sanctuary, and Renacer’s in the gymnasium.
Over the years, Grace’s membership has declined as community demographics have changed and textile jobs have all but vanished.
At the same time, Renacer has grown into the largest Hispanic Baptist church in South Carolina. Renacer’s pastor, Guillermo Laurent, feels led by God to relocate his congregation from Una to nearby Arcadia, where there is a larger Hispanic community to be reached for Christ. (First Baptist Church of Arcadia will share its facilities with Renacer, alternating Sunday school and worship service times.)
Grace Church recently conducted a multiethnic worship service to praise God for his empowerment and to ask for his continued guidance. Present for the service were Grace Church pastor Ed Bolton and his wife Mirth, along with members of their congregation; Laurent and the Renacer Baptist Church congregation; and pastor Ron Henderson and some members of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church.
During the service, Bolton thanked the members of Renacer for their friendship and partnership as the church moves to a new mission field among Hispanics in another area of Spartanburg County. Bolton challenged church members to continue to be faithful, and he acknowledged all present as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Joe Martinez interpreted as Laurent told the combined congregations that Renacer is not moving in order to be more comfortable, but to more effectively minister to Spartanburg County’s 20,000 Hispanic residents. The decision to move was not made by any person, Laurent said, but by the Lord.
Laurent thanked Bolton and the members of Grace Baptist Church for the love, support and opportunities they have given the Hispanic church. He expressed his heartfelt hope that one day he would be able to stand beside Bolton at the throne of Jesus.
Laurent then asked his congregation to recognize the Boltons for their service to the cause of Christ. A lengthy, enthusiastic ovation followed.
From left: Ed Bolton, pastor of Grace Baptist Church; Guillermo Laurent, pastor of Renacer Baptist Church; and Jim Goodroe, director of Spartanburg County Baptist Network.Jim Goodroe, director of the Spartanburg County Baptist Network, conducted much of the service on behalf of Bolton, who was under his doctor’s care. (Since the service, Bolton has undergone major coronary surgery.) Rick Pharr sang a solo and led congregational singing. The Renacer praise team sang “I Am a Friend of God” in Spanish and in English. Ron Henderson’s prayer for unity and oneness of purpose was preceded by a duet by two members of Mt. Nebo Baptist.
Bolton is the 83-year-old father of Karyn Wilton and father-in-law of Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg. Bolton and his wife answered God’s call to the ministry more than 50 years ago in South Africa. The Boltons’ two married grandsons have also been called to preach the gospel: Rob Wilton pastors Vintage Church, which he planted in New Orleans; and Greg Wilton is pastor of White Castle Baptist Church in Louisiana and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at New Orleans Seminary.
The members of Grace Church now wait for the Lord to illuminate the path he would have them follow. Bolton said he will trust in the promises of God as he seeks the Lord’s will for his ministry and for the future of Grace Baptist Church.
– Gardner, a retired science teacher, is operations manager for “The Encouraging Word,” a broadcast ministry of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg.