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As the 2025 legislative session moves quickly toward its expected May adjournment, the priorities of both chambers have emerged. The Senate passed S62, known as the Education Scholarship Trust Fund. The House amended the bill and voted to send... Continue Reading »
Rollen began carrying a sign at major sporting events in the early 1980s that grabbed the attention of the world. The Rainbow Man positioned himself at strategic locations in the background donning a rainbow afro and holding a sign... Continue Reading »
We were broke growing up. My dad pastored very normative-sized SBC churches, and my mom worked off and on to help make ends meet. To be honest, my four older brothers and I never knew we were poor. We... Continue Reading »
By Jason Blankenship › I listened to the burden of a pastor friend of mine who, through his broken heart, shared the story of a child who has strayed from faith. I have many other friends who tell the... Continue Reading »
Every Sunday when SCBaptists gather in our churches, we celebrate the resurrection. On April 20, we will gather early in the morning outdoors for sunrise services and in our churches for our Easter celebration. What do we celebrate on... Continue Reading »
In 1972, Christian music legend Larry Norman recorded a song that resonated with many younger evangelicals, particularly hippies whom God saved out of the Jesus People Movement. One verse in particular frames the question: There’s a good world that... Continue Reading »
“There was just something in my brain that kept me going.” Those are the chilling words of Kavita Fisher, a 41-year-old mental health professional who struck it big in online gambling, winning close to $500,000. According to the Wall... Continue Reading »
I met one of the million at the pickle ball courts. Don was curious about the college pickle ball tournament that was occurring in his neighborhood in Myrtle Beach. It wasn’t normal to see this many young people, laughing... Continue Reading »
In my late 20s, I was called to pastor a small, rural church in deep East Texas. Having come from years of associate pastoral ministry in more urban contexts, the first thought that crossed my mind was how “behind... Continue Reading »
The local church has always been a major part of my life. I remember those days when we filled out cards in Sunday School that asked if we read our Bible daily, studied our Sunday School lesson, witnessed to... Continue Reading »
It’s time to take back your joy. Pay attention for a moment — this might just save your sanity. We’re in an intense political season, and I know the emotional toll it’s taking on many people. I’d never want... Continue Reading »
We, the undersigned, are Southern Baptist pastors and leaders who love our family of churches and who are grateful for the hard-won complementarian commitments expressed in the Baptist Faith & Message (BF&M). A recent decision by the SBC Credentials... Continue Reading »
I walked into the sanctuary and beside the pulpit sat a Lazy Boy recliner. I thought, “That’s interesting … I wonder what the preacher will do with that today?” About halfway through his message, to make his point, he... Continue Reading »
We have all types of memberships in America. You can be a member of Sam’s Club or a rewards member of Chick-fil-A. You know people who are members of a local gym or the Lions Club. Membership is all... Continue Reading »
Members of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Rowing team depicted in the movie “The Boys in the Boat” were able to accomplish far more than anyone expected because they discovered what can happen when you work together in perfect unity.... Continue Reading »
My son is a video gamer. I have fond memories of us playing Tecmo Bowl, Punch-Out, Donkey Kong, and, of course, Super Mario Brothers. At the time, we had a basement set up with an early Nintendo, an old... Continue Reading »
In 2025, we celebrate the centennial anniversary of our Southern Baptist Cooperative Program (CP). Since 1925, SCBaptist churches have given more than $2 billion through the CP. Those funds, cheerfully and sacrificially given by cooperating churches like yours, have... Continue Reading »
There is a patch of snow five miles in the air that has captivated the curiosity of the world. Reaching it alone is highly unlikely. If you desire to make a snowball there, you and an experienced companion must... Continue Reading »
I was in high school and college in the 1980s, so, naturally, I look on those days with a particular fondness. Those were heady times for a teenage hillbilly. Reagan was in the White House. Herschel was toting the... Continue Reading »
Dad told me they were tornado clouds. I was a kid in the 1960s when he uttered those words. I was too young to realize that we might be facing a potential threat. The technology that could confirm his... Continue Reading »
The addition of four Republican Senators and a House returning 88 Republicans have conservative hopes running high as the 2025 legislative session begins. Super Republican majorities in both houses could mean bills dealing with parental rights, school choice, and... Continue Reading »
Kelly* is a South Carolina Baptist “sent one.” I met her a few years ago while leading a trip to Los Angeles to serve people on Skid Row. She was educated at one of our South Carolina Baptist universities,... Continue Reading »
The 2024 election turned into a big night for Republicans on the state and national levels. Here in South Carolina, as of this writing, it appears Republicans will gain four seats in the Senate and pick up one additional... Continue Reading »
What did you get for Christmas? What are your New Year’s resolutions? I bet you’ve been asked those two questions more times than you can count over the last several weeks. Christmas feels like a season of gift-giving and... Continue Reading »
Those who know me well know that I love being a South Carolina Baptist. I am thankful for each church, association and ministry partner that make up our SCBaptist family. I stand in awe, filled with gratitude, as I... Continue Reading »
Psalm 119 teaches us that the Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. The message of the Bible is God’s amazing love for us, that He gave His only Son that... Continue Reading »
In 1925, the Southern Baptist Convention convened in Memphis, Tenn. At that momentous meeting, messengers made two decisions with far-reaching consequences. First, they adopted the Baptist Faith and Message. Second, they launched the Cooperative Program as a unified funding... Continue Reading »
I remember when I was a senior in high school and was gearing up to go to college to begin my pathway to becoming a heart surgeon. This had been a lifelong dream. No. Really. I had planned on... Continue Reading »
A few years ago, we were moving some things from my mother’s house, and I found a letter addressed to myself to be opened after 2016. Evidently, I wrote the letter in the summer of 1991 for a career... Continue Reading »
Imagine Mary’s surprise when Gabriel appeared, announcing she would conceive and bear the Son of God. This wasn’t an ordinary announcement; it was life-altering. Gabriel revealed that her child would be “the Son of the Most High” and that... Continue Reading »
People struggle from the end of November to the beginning of January. The holidays are difficult. Unrealistic expectations clash with cold, hard realities. Everyone around us is pretending and projecting the same false narrative: “All is merry and bright.”... Continue Reading »
Because this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is the most important offering in the history of the International Mission Board, I am asking every church to give 10 percent more to the IMB this year than you gave last... Continue Reading »
Chris lived in the shadow of a South Carolina Baptist steeple. He was lost. After years of decline, the church decided to be replanted. Pastor Ed Stewart birthed New Creation Baptist Church, one of our 34 funded church plants,... Continue Reading »
I write these words less than 24 hours from the closing gavel of our 2024 SCBaptist Convention at FBC Columbia. My heart is still swollen with gratitude to our God, love for our people, and hope for our future.... Continue Reading »
The holidays are a time of flavor. We walk into Grandma’s house on Thanksgiving or Christmas, and all the spices combine for amazing smells and delicious food — cinnamon, nutmeg, cranberry, butter, garlic, and much more. These are the... Continue Reading »
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, America’s hotly contested presidential election was called for Republican Donald J. Trump, who now becomes presidents 45 and 47. After four years of leadership from a Democrat administration that pushed... Continue Reading »
Heading into the busiest shopping season of the year, many Americans may find meaning and purpose while they’re picking up gifts for others and themselves. A Lifeway Research study asked 1,200 U.S. adults their level of agreement with 10... Continue Reading »
When I hear the question, “Do I have any hope in this life?” I immediately take note of the severe pain from which this question arises. Those who know little trouble and only acute hardship do not ask such... Continue Reading »
If the title of this column surprises or shocks you, you are not alone. When I read the data provided by Alliance Defending Freedom, it amazed me how South Carolina law does not clearly define parental rights and offers... Continue Reading »
The gospel of Jesus Christ is for all nations and ethnic groups. God makes this truth clear throughout the book of Acts. Each chapter reveals the Holy Spirit ensuring that the apostles would be witnesses “to the end of... Continue Reading »
Disasters have a way of getting your attention. Dylan was one of thousands of South Carolina residents whose homes were affected by downed trees from Hurricane Helene’s destructive path. The early morning hours of the storm for his street... Continue Reading »
As a combat veteran who deployed to and fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’ve heard the words “thank you for your service” more times than I can count. And while these five words are often spoken with genuine respect... Continue Reading »
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, America’s hotly contested presidential election was called for Republican Donald J. Trump, who now becomes presidents 45 and 47. After four years of leadership from a Democrat administration that pushed leftist policies... Continue Reading »
Nov. 11–12, SCBaptists from across the state will gather at Columbia’s First Baptist Church for our 204th annual meeting. The room will be full of pastors, associate ministry staff, lay leaders, and church members who are invested in our... Continue Reading »
I remember reading Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities while in high school. My imagination was instantly captured by one of the most iconic opening paragraphs in literature. “It was the best of times, it was the worst... Continue Reading »
As I sat at my desk this morning, staring at all the accoutrements of academia that surround me, I suddenly realized that I will soon celebrate 40 years of full-time Christian ministry. Over these decades, I’ve been privileged to... Continue Reading »
There’s a pretty significant vote going on in America. If you’ve been paying attention to the news or scrolling through social media, you know our country is in the thick of another intense political season. In my 68 years,... Continue Reading »
We live in a tumultuous, polarized, sharply divided partisan political environment. Everyday exchanges on social media and daily conversations with friends, co-workers, and family members can, and often do, devolve into heated debates over the issues of our day.... Continue Reading »
Ten days after the ascension of Christ, the disciples were in the upper room of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. The signs and miracles that took place on that day were numerous: the sound of a violent rushing... Continue Reading »
“Who is that? They’re not being very nice,” my 5-year-old son asked as he pointed at the TV. “Well, son, one of them will be the future president of the United States,” I said reluctantly. “You shouldn’t vote for... Continue Reading »
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