Obituary: Ronald Hasty

Ronald Eugene Hasty, 84, of Graniteville, died March 18, 2023. He served as pastor of Baptist churches throughout Georgia and South Carolina, led Bible studies, taught seminary classes, and shared the good news of Jesus through mission trips during more than four decades of ministry. He served in the U.S. Navy and held a doctorate […]

Obituary: Barry Gray

Leon Barry Gray, 73, of Elgin, died April 22, 2023. A native of Brunswick, N.C., he was a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as pastor in Sand Springs, Okla., before answering a call in 1996 to serve as associate pastor at Shandon Baptist Church, Columbia. Survivors include two children and two grandchildren. […]

Charles Stanley, pivotal SBC president, TV preacher, dies

Charles Stanley, a former Southern Baptist Convention president and one of the nation’s foremost television and radio preachers, passed away peacefully at his home April 18 at age 90. Stanley presided over the two largest annual meetings in SBC history — 45,531 messengers in 1985 in Dallas and 40,987 in 1986 in Atlanta — when […]

Obituary: Steve Rutledge

Steve Allison Rutledge, 85, of Greenville, died March 5, 2023. A native of Atlanta, Ga., he served as pastor of Swift Creek Baptist Church, Darlington; Portside Baptist Church, North Charleston; Northside Baptist Church, Rock Hill; and Welcome Baptist Church, Greenville. He taught classes at North Greenville University, served as director of missions for North Greenville […]

Obituary: Buster Benton

Joseph Benjamin “Buster” Benton III, 70, of Conway, died Feb. 15, 2023. A native of Conway, he was pastor of several South Carolina Baptist churches during his ministry. At the time of his death, he was pastor of Gurley Baptist Church in Loris. He was also employed with Bi-Lo, retiring after 29 years of service. […]

Obituary: Larry Southerland

Lawrence “Larry” Southerland, of Anderson, died Jan. 29, 2023. A native of Easley, he was a graduate of Erskine College, Furman University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Japanese Language School, Tokyo, Japan. He was pastor of churches in Indiana and South Carolina for nine years […]

Obituary: David Duncan

David Eugene Duncan, 65, of Macon, Ga., died Dec. 11, 2022. A native of Pickens, he was a graduate of Southern Wesleyan University. He served in many ministry positions, including minister of music, youth pastor, and senior pastor for several churches, including Beaverdam Baptist in Fair Play and Glenwood Baptist in Easley. Survivors include his […]

Obituary: Henry Chennault

Henry Lee Chennault, 84, of Aiken, died Jan. 17, 2023, following a period of declining heath. He was a native of Dalhart, Texas, and was ordained into the ministry in 1956 at First Baptist Church, Altus, Okla. He was a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, the University of Oklahoma, and Trinity Theological Seminary. He served […]

Obituary: Jennie Clayton

Jennie Rae Surratt Clayton, 76, of Blacksburg, and wife of Rev. Joseph Clayton, died Nov. 7, 2022. She was a graduate of Lander University and served as a pastor’s wife, church pianist, music teacher, and substitute teacher. She and her husband served several South Carolina Baptist churches, including Nazareth, Blacksburg; Lowrys, Chester; Juniper Bay, Conway; […]

Obituary: Redden Thames

Redden Thames, 90, of Lexington, died Nov. 23, 2022. He was a graduate of Stetson University and Southern Seminary, and did graduate studies at Chandler School of Theology. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Stetson in 1971. A retired minister, he served as pastor of Baptist churches in Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina. He […]