The October SCBaptist Advance Rally brought together SCBaptist staff and church planters from across the state for a time of worship, inspiration, and collaboration with a focus on church planting efforts in the state.

The first highlight of the morning was a focus on Kingdom Church, a church plant in the Nexton community of Summerville, SC. Launched in January of 2024, Kingdom Church was sent out by Restoration Church, pastored by Adam Spurlock. After serving on Restoration’s staff for six years, Joe Douglas was sent out to plant the church.

Daniel Norman, worship pastor at Kingdom Church, led attendees in song. He shared about his recent experience at SCBaptist’s church planters retreat, hosted by Living Water Baptist Church in Longs, SC. “I haven’t been a pastor for very long and a church planter even less, so this is all new to me,” Norman shared, “but I’ve never felt so much support from people I didn’t know.”

Cliff Marshall, SCBaptist’s Start Team Leader, shared that Kingdom Church is one of thirty church plants that receive monthly funding from the generous giving of SCBaptists to the Cooperative Program and to the Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions. Attendees sat alongside church planters and leaders representing 13 church plants and heard about church planting challenges and opportunities, praying over specific needs and for the Holy Spirit’s continued blessing of each church.

An Ancient Church Planting Strategy

Marshall also shared key updates on the church planting landscape in South Carolina. He emphasized the need for more churches to reach the rapidly growing population across the state, especially in areas like Greenville, where there is a significant need for new church plants. Pastor of Redeemer City Church, Phillip Smith, said, “Greenville is a unique context because of the concentration of young professionals in the downtown areas and the surrounding towns of Greenville County.”

Marshall emphasized that every SCBaptist church was once a church plant, “whether it was planted 12 months ago, 12 years ago, or 120 years ago.” He shared that healthy churches planting churches has been the strategy for SCBaptists and believers since the beginning of the church in Acts. “There was a time when every church did not exist, and then a group of people or another church targeted an area, saw a location, and said, ‘We’re burdened for the fact that the Gospel needs to be proclaimed here,'” he said.

Executive Director-Treasurer Tony Wolfe echoed Marshall’s statements about church planting strategy, teaching from Acts 14:21-28 and sharing that the rudimental building blocks for a biblical church planting strategy consist of preaching the Gospel, strengthening disciples, and starting churches.

“Church planting is not new or trendy. It’s two thousand years old,” Wolfe said. “It’s not just our job; it’s our joy to plant healthy churches with healthy pastors in South Carolina and all over the world.”

Disaster Relief Updates

Jon Jamison, SCBaptist Serve Team Leader, also presented updates about the SCBaptist Disaster Relief response to Hurricane Helene. He shared that Disaster Relief teams continue to through a full list of job requests across the state. Since Hurricane Helene recovery efforts began, there have been 25,312 meals prepared, 497 recovery jobs, 2,939 volunteer days, 80 Gospel presentations, and seven professions of faith.

Jamison also noted that the numbers received come from individual church reporting, so he is sure that the actual numbers are even higher than what gets reported to the Disaster Relief leaders. “The beauty of cooperation is on display in moments following a disaster,” Jamison said. “When our neighbors face disaster and crisis, it is SCBaptists who I want to meet and serve them in that moment. Who better than SCBaptists to bring help, hope, and healing in Jesus’ name to individuals and families across our state?”

He also encouraged attendees to continue to give to Disaster Relief efforts and to coordinate with their local Associational Mission Strategist for other volunteer opportunities and to meet tangible needs. While relief efforts in South Carolina continue, SCBaptist also turn their eye toward Florida and the destruction caused by Hurricane Milton. Currently, SCBaptists await further direction from Florida Baptists regarding whether it will request any SCBaptist Disaster Relief teams to aid in its recovery efforts.