“Thanks for helping me move into college, Dad. So, how long are you planning to stay?” Just like that, 18 years of preparing my second son Connor for the world came to an end. Connor is attending Anderson University and is on their inaugural football team. For those who have not experienced taking their child […]
How does Janie Chapman Offering make a difference?
In 1902, Janie Chapman became the first South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union president, and she served for 22 years. She was said to be disciplined with inner strength and a gentle spirit. She glorified the Lord in her work. The Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions was started and continues to be the driving force […]
President’s Perspective: ‘Let’s Go’ … to Thailand!
Thinking of going on a short-term mission project? It could go something like this: Our mission team convened in the First Baptist, Newberry, parking lot in the wee hours of a July Thursday. Six of us from our church, plus Ben Harr, pastor of Willow Swamp Baptist Church of Norway, headed off to catch a […]
Legislative Update: What Can We Learn from the Ohio Constitutional Referendum?
On Tuesday, Aug. 8, the people of Ohio voted no on a constitutional amendment that would have raised the bar to change their state constitution from 50-percent-plus-one to 60 percent. The “no” vote means the current law will stay in place. The vote is being seen as a defeat for pro-life forces who are now […]
Ninety Six Pastor Nominee to Lead SCBC
Chuck Sprouse, pastor of First Baptist Church of Ninety Six, will be nominated for president-elect of the South Carolina Baptist Convention at the annual meeting in November. Zack Little, pastor of South Side Baptist Church in Abbeville, announced his intention to nominate Sprouse in an Aug. 8 email to The Courier. Sprouse has been a […]
Striking the Waters: Confessional Cooperation the S.C. Baptist Way (Part 2)
Last month, The Courier published the first of this two-part series explaining the South Carolina Baptist kind of confessional cooperation. The thesis is that Baptists came confessing and Baptists came cooperating; we are a confessionally cooperative people. However, part of historic Baptist doctrine and practice emphasizes the autonomy of both local congregations and Baptist organizations. […]
The Charleston Way: The First Southern Baptist Confession of Faith
Northerners have been moving south for centuries. They come seeking a new life and new opportunities. Such was the case with a group of Baptists from Maine more than 300 years ago. Pastor William Screven and some of his congregants, looking to cash in on a strong shipbuilding economy, arrived in Charleston in 1696. As […]
6 Ways Confessions of Faith Promote Church Health
Particular Baptist churches planted in the tumultuous soil of 17th century England grew up and bore fruit under a nasty set of doctrinal and methodological accusations, including that they subscribed to libertarian free will, denied original sin, that their pastors baptized women in the nude, and were opponents of church and crown. Perhaps their most […]
Open Letter to S.C. Baptists: Executive director-treasurer shares priorities, announces key staff changes
South Carolina Baptists have been gracious to afford me the time necessary to move slowly through the state, building relationships, praying for wisdom, and asking questions. In traveling the state these past five months, the Lord has planted several priorities in my heart — the first of which I would like to share with you […]
Across continents and borders, college students spent summer sharing gospel
The South Carolina Baptist Convention’s family of ministries mobilized 347 students this summer alone through the Palmetto Collective, BCMGO, and SCBC summer camps – Camp La Vida, Camp McCall, SummerSalt, and KidSalt. Serving at Camp Camp La Vida, an auxiliary ministry run by the Woman’s Missionary Union, had 24 students serve on staff, representing 15 […]