President’s Perspective: Till All Have Heard

Randy Alcorn tells the story of Florence Chadwick, the famed 20th century ocean swimmer, in his book Heaven. At the age of 10, Chadwick became the youngest person to swim across the mouth of the San Diego Bay. Later, she became the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions and set a […]

SCBaptist Unveils Historic 10×10 Plan

On Dec. 7, 2023, the Executive Board of the South Carolina Baptist Convention voted unanimously and enthusiastically to release $10 million in unrestricted cash assets into the mission and ministry model of the convention over a 10-year period. The plan includes a detailed quarterly report to the board’s Executive Advisory Team, an annual detailed report […]

Striking the Waters: A Very Good Place to Start

When Maria (Julie Andrews) began to teach the von Trapp children the musical alphabet in The Sound of Music, she decided to “start at the very beginning.” Remember why? Because it’s “a very good place to start.” It’s often difficult to start anywhere else. I am not a huge fan of reading fiction, but one […]

A Conversation with Our New President

Wes Church, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Columbia for the past five years, assumed the role of president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention following the annual meeting in November. He will preside at next year’s annual meeting when the state convention will convene at Columbia First on Nov. 11-12. He has chosen […]

President’s Perspective: An Enthusiastic Invitation

November is coming quickly, and along with it, the 2023 Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Our 2023 theme is “Let’s Go,” as we lean heavily into the Great Commission. Since our inception as a convention, in response to God’s call for us to reach the nations, South Carolina Baptists have always had […]

Striking the Waters: An Invitation to Prayer

Dear Reader, allow me to invite you to a very special, convention-wide prayer gathering Monday night, Nov. 13, from 8:30–9:30 p.m. at Shandon Baptist Church in Columbia. We’ll sing a couple of songs, but this is not a praise and worship gathering. We’ll shake hands and give hugs, but this is not a fellowship gathering. […]

Wolfe to be nominated as SCBC executive director-treasurer

Tony Wolfe will be nominated as the next executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The SCBC’s Executive Director-Treasurer Search Team presented Wolfe’s nomination at a called Executive Board meeting Feb. 27 at First Baptist Church of Columbia. Team Chairman Ian Geimer made the motion, which was then affirmed by the Executive Board. “Our […]

President’s Perspective: Let’s Leave!

Nobody was going to heaven from Thessalonica. It was a spiritual wasteland: no Jesus, no hope. Jesus had come into the world, done His amazing work, and returned to the Father; but the folks way over in Thessalonica were completely oblivious. It was a long way from Bethlehem, Golgotha, and the empty tomb. Somehow, though, […]

President’s Perspective: Engaging Lostness Overseas

Part of the turf that goes with pastoring Southern Baptist churches is the annual tipping of the hat to international missions under the banner of Lottie Moon. At least that’s how I viewed it for many years: “It’s Lottie time again, let me work up a missions sermon and slide it in somewhere between Thanksgiving […]

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. Calling his years at the state convention’s helm the pinnacle of his 48 years of ministry, […]