The history of Baptists in South Carolina begins in the late 17th century. The names of William Screven, Oliver Hart, Richard Furman, and W.B. Johnson are very familiar to Baptists in the South. These men, along with others like Isaac Chandler, John Roberts, and Philip Mulke, helped to establish the foundations of Southern Baptist life, […]
This year we will celebrate the 199th year of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. This will be our 200th annual meeting. When we look at the history of denominations, this is really an amazing feat that testifies to the grace and mercy of the Lord. As we come together with the theme of “Legacy,” it […]
The year 2020 has asked more questions than most of us have answers. This year has brought about a seemingly endless string of difficult decisions, made all the more difficult by the small amount of information we have on which to base those decisions. Time has come to a screeching halt and also seems to […]
Baptist identity has always been rooted in our shared beliefs. The discussions around Baptist identity over the last few decades have centered around “Baptist distinctives.” While Baptists share a majority of their beliefs with other Protestant Christians, they also hold to certain beliefs that set them apart. Baptist distinctives include believer’s baptism by immersion, regenerate […]
Baptist identity has always been rooted in our shared beliefs. The discussions around Baptist identity over the last few decades have centered around “Baptist distinctives.” While Baptists share a majority of their beliefs with other Protestant Christians, they also hold to certain beliefs that set them apart. Baptist distinctives include believer’s baptism by immersion, regenerate […]
Richard Furman is arguably the most important figure in early Baptist life in America and unquestionably the most important foundational figure in South Carolina Baptist life. Another well-known contemporary and important leader in his own right, W.B. Johnson, said that when Furman spoke on an issue, “he settled it.” Furman was sought after as a […]
Southern Baptist higher education is rooted in South Carolina. It found its soul here as well. It began deep in the 18th century — in 1755, when Oliver Hart led the Charleston Baptist Association to take up a collection of 155 pounds, in order to “defray the cost of expenses of needy young men while […]
I hesitate to write this for fear of being misunderstood, and it is not in any official capacity that the following is offered. I am writing this simply as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and seeking nothing more than to be faithful to the Word of God and devoted to the gospel of […]
“We are living in unprecedented times.” I have heard this several times in the past few days. It sure feels that way. Remembering the influenza pandemic of 1918 can help us understand the challenges the church is facing in the current coronavirus pandemic. Called the “Spanish flu,” it infected nearly 500 million people worldwide, with […]
In the 1921 centennial edition of The Baptist Courier, Professor H.T. Cook wrote, “The Baptists in South Carolina have an enviable reputation as a missionary minded people.” Passion for the salvation of the lost led Luther Rice and South Carolina Baptists William B. Johnson and Richard Furman to call Baptists to unite for missions. It […]