Todd Deaton

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Fire guts Camp Creek’s sanctuary, but members’ spirit undaunted

Their sanctuary is gone — now only a charred shell. A lightning bolt likely ignited the blaze that gutted the building on Sunday, July 2. But “the church is the people,” interim pastor Joe Hayes Jr. maintains, and the... Continue Reading »

New Orleans annual meeting features two S.C. pastors

(Updated 5/30/23) As The Courier went to press on May 18, more than 8,800 messengers had pre-registered for the SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans to convene June 13-14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center — already passing... Continue Reading »

Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force changes course, divides website work

In response to recent concerns regarding the selection of Faith-Based Solutions to develop the “Ministry Check” website that will track sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches, the SBC’s Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force has announced a decision to “consider... Continue Reading »

Google search leads N.Y. teen to Mullins First for baptism

How far would you go to be baptized? Down the street? Across town? To a neighboring county? To a local lake or river? A teenager from Orchard Park, N.Y., a few miles southeast of Buffalo, recently traveled with his... Continue Reading »

Leopards devoted to helping couples ‘like each other’ again

A longtime South Carolina pastor, Eddie Leopard, and his wife, Dawn, have launched a ministry together devoted to helping couples who love each other learn to like each other again. While they’ve heard some spouses say, “I love him... Continue Reading »

Caring for Senior Adults Also Part of Sanctity of Life

While most people think of babies and abortions, Tom Turner also sees senior adult care as being connected with a holistic understanding of the Sanctity of Human Life. “In Job 12:10, it says that the life of everything is... Continue Reading »

Faith sustaining Varnville music leader after paralyzing fall

Chip Mixon was helping his son build a house, lost his balance, and tumbled off of a scaffold. The fall from a height of more than 10 feet fractured a vertebra in his spine, leaving his legs paralyzed. On... Continue Reading »

Bethlehem at Christmas: Not What You Picture

What is being in Bethlehem at Christmas like today? Well, it’s not exactly how a Hallmark card makes it out to be, as one tour host put it. A high point of a recent trip to the Holy Land... Continue Reading »

Hollingsworth recognized for service to S.C. Baptists

Messengers to the annual meeting at Irmo’s Riverland Hills Baptist Church took time to honor Executive Director-Treasurer Gary Hollingsworth for his seven years of service to South Carolina Baptists. Hollingsworth has set his retirement date as April 30, 2023.... Continue Reading »

Pastors find hope and encouragement at Riverland Hills

Meeting at Riverland Hills Baptist Church Nov. 14 in sessions featuring the theme of “Hope and Encouragement,” Pastors Conference attendees heard messages from their retiring state executive, two pastors from Easley, and another from Greer. South Carolina Baptist Convention... Continue Reading »

S.C. Baptists adopt SATF recommendations, elect Columbia pastor

With “Wake Up!” as their theme, messengers to the annual meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention approved a report from their Sexual Abuse Task Force, honored their retiring executive, and elected a Columbia pastor as president-elect. Gathering at... Continue Reading »

Bethany Westville: Going to Where the People Are

Bethany Westville Baptist Church near Camden may be a small church, but its members have big servant hearts that are committed to making an impact in their community. When Craigen Blankenship came to Bethany Westville in 2006, the congregation... Continue Reading »