Timothy Coker wants everyone to learn to fly. He believes it’s what God intends for us. In his new book, “Learning to Fly,” published by Courier Publishing, Coker observes, “There’s a big difference in traveling by air and flying.” The pastor of Central Baptist Church for the past 24 years explains, “Those who fly … […]
The 2019 recipients of the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina’s Dr. Lonnie H. Shull Jr. Legacy Award are Ryan Bellman Eklund and Betty Galloway Eklund (posthumously). The award is given annually to a friend of the Foundation who has demonstrated outstanding support of the Foundation’s ministry through leadership in legacy giving. Eklund served as pastor […]
In April 2016, Jill Carraway was diagnosed with breast cancer. While other authors have been diagnosed, received prognoses, were treated successfully and have written about the ordeal, Carraway’s approach is somewhat different. After she was diagnosed, Carraway determined that she would undergo chemotherapy armed with what she sees as her strongest spiritual gift: sarcasm. In […]
Tim Murr has been called as senior pastor of Hope Baptist Church in northeast Columbia. He holds degrees from Oklahoma Baptist College, Tennessee Temple University and Columbus University. He most recently served as assistant pastor of Chambersburg Baptist Church in Chambersburg, Pa. He and his wife, Denise, have four daughters and one grandchild.
Bobby Strother is the new pastor of Covenant Baptist Church of Lancaster. He is a graduate of Southeastern College at Wake Forest and Columbia International University. He and his wife, Jessi, have four children: Elijah, Simeon, Titus and Colton.
Bethea Retirement Community broke ground Aug. 27 for a 60,000-square-foot healthcare and rehab facility that will accommodate both long-term care and short-term rehabilitation needs. According to Bethea’s executive director, Ben Spurling, the new facility will feature private rooms, a 3,000-square-foot rehabilitation gym, a household design with residential living, activity and dining spaces, and access to […]
The South Carolina Baptist Convention has released the 2019 reports of the Committee on Committees and the Nominations Committee. The membership roster of the 2020 Committee on Committees has also been released. The reports will be considered at the upcoming SCBC annual meeting, to be held Nov. 11-12 in Moore. The reports can be viewed […]
Seth Buckley, student minister at First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, will be nominated for second vice president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention when messengers gather at the Church at The Mill in Moore Nov. 11-12. In announcing Buckley’s nomination Sept. 9, David Wike, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Florence, noted that Buckley […]
John Osborne “Joe” Reed Jr., 96, of Columbia, died Aug. 10, 2019, at Agape Hospice House in Columbia. A native of Sumter, he was a graduate of North Greenville University, Furman University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He also attended Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University) for two years. Ordained in […]
Juanita Garrison, who dispensed wit and farm-fresh wisdom for 15 years as the “Sunday Dinner” columnist for The Baptist Courier, died Sept. 5, 2019. Her column featured recipes submitted by Courier readers as well as favorite dishes from her own kitchen. “Sunday Dinner” ran in The Courier from 2002-2018, and in 2016 Courier Publishing released […]