Trouble and blessing are two things we do not usually think about occurring simultaneously. However, pastor Billy Dickerson experienced these two seeming opposites at the same time. After delivering the morning sermon at his church, Cedar Grove in Belton, on June 20, he was driving home when an erratic driver, weaving in and out of […]
Financial predictions for giving to churches and Christian ministries looked bleak in mid-March when the American economy seemed to come to a screeching halt. Fast forward to the present, and surprise! Christian giving is alive and healthy. In July, a survey was released by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. It included over 1,300 Christian […]
With over 400 churches and 17,000 students, the new Crossroads: Hometowns — an online alternative summer camp — has reached more people than ever. Crossroads Summer Camps, a ministry of Clayton King Ministries, typically operates summer camps on the campus of Anderson University each summer. With the COVID-19 pandemic, this year is different. “This was […]
It is time for God’s people to rejoice! In America, we have a divided nation, a raging pandemic, racial tensions, economic turbulence, and an election year creating bitterly divisive and ungodly rhetoric. However, those things are not the reason we need to rejoice. We need to rejoice because it is God’s will and it is […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and more restraints are placed on public assemblies and even church services, the question of our First Amendment rights has become a point of discussion and debate. The First Amendment simply states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging […]
With the convergence of a global pandemic, struggling economy, racial tension, protests, recent Supreme Court decisions, a contentious election year, and a growing uneasiness, the question “Where do we go from here?” is on the minds and hearts of many people. The Courier reached out to our South Carolina Baptist Convention institutional presidents and executives […]
Union Baptist Church of Iva is a rural church in Anderson County. Like most churches, it was following guidelines during the pandemic and not gathering together in its buildings. When the church met for its first regular worship service since the COVID-19 crisis, a history-making baptism highlighted the worship service. Jamilius Freeman, discharged from the […]
There is unrest in America as three distinct experiences intersect, creating a dangerous climate for many people. The unjust killing of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota lit a fuse of anger that resulted in protests and lawlessness as the nation continued to navigate life during […]
Mark Twain said, “True patriotism, the only rational patriotism, is loyalty to the nation all the time and loyalty to the government when it deserves it.” Even though America is going through hard times right now, we are blessed to live here. We have our problems, for sure, but we are also, with God’s help, […]
For Pastor Hank Williams and the congregation of First Baptist Church, Boiling Springs, the strategy for a safe regathering was captured in a slogan for social distancing: “From the street to the seat.” The church began regathering on May 17 with four services: two at 9:30 and two at 11:00, in two different locations on […]