SCBaptists Focus on Evangelism and Harvest Events
From record-breaking generosity to powerful stories of life change, the March SCBaptist Advance Rally was a celebration of the harvest God is bringing across South Carolina.
This monthly meeting gathered SCBaptist staff to sharpen their focus on evangelism and the mission ahead, hearing testimonies from harvest events like ONE Night and witnessing the impact of the Janie Chapman State Missions Offering, which continues to fuel Kingdom work across the state.
During the meeting, Jess Archer, Executive Director-Treasurer of the South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union, presented a check on behalf of SCBaptists. Archer announced that South Carolina Baptist churches collectively gave over $2 million to the Janie Chapman State Missions Offering in 2024, a 6.6% increase from the previous year. This offering directly funds SCBaptist ministries across the state, supporting initiatives such as church planting and disaster relief.
ONE Night Successes
The offering also fuels evangelism efforts like ONE Night, an event aimed at reaching students with the Gospel in bold and creative ways. As part of the Give+Go Initiative, these harvest events like ONE Night are a strategic effort to reach 10% of South Carolinians with the Gospel. Local churches partner to plan and host these mass evangelism events statewide. In 2024 alone, more than 5,500 students attended ONE Night events, with 481 making decisions for salvation. So far in 2025, ONE Night events have resulted in 74 students making decisions for Christ.
Ricky Wilson, Next Generation Evangelism Strategist for SCBaptist, emphasized that these events are designed to reach lost students with the Gospel in engaging ways. From mechanical bulls to silent discos, the goal is to provide a fun and inviting atmosphere where students feel comfortable bringing their friends who may not have a church home. At the heart of each event, though, is a clear Gospel presentation, ensuring that every student in attendance hears about the hope of Jesus Christ.
Beyond the event itself, ONE Night also equips students to reach their schools and communities. Last year, nearly 8,000 Gospel-sharing bracelets were distributed, and students used them to lead 35 peers to Christ. This year, 3,000 bracelets have already been given out, with students actively sharing their faith. The impact has been evident in places like Fountain Inn, where a youth group at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church grew from 10 to 50 students after a ONE Night event, as students boldly invited their friends. Currently, there are nine ONE Night events planned, along with the first-ever women’s ONE Night event, and a men’s night is in development for the fall.
The Heart of Harvest Events
The success of ONE Night reflects a broader truth about evangelism—when the Gospel is boldly proclaimed, lives are transformed. This principle is at the heart of harvest events, which Tony Wolfe, SCBaptist Executive Director-Treasurer, emphasized as a biblical and historically effective means of reaching the lost. Drawing from Acts 1 and 2, he explained that mass evangelism is not just a strategy but a theological principle rooted in the early church’s witness.
Wolfe laid out four essential commitments for effective harvest events:
- Praying with expectation
- Preparing with diligence
- Presenting the Gospel with conviction, and
- Pleading with integrity
He warned against reducing evangelism to emotional manipulation, vague invitations, or a “cheap Gospel” that lacks both repentance and faith. Mass evangelism, when done correctly, is not about numbers but about creating opportunities for life transformation, connecting new believers to local churches, and ensuring they are discipled in their faith. Wolfe challenged churches to embrace harvest events as a vital part of evangelism today. “If you want to see revival, do revival-like things,” he said.
Personal Evangelism Efforts
Despite a shift away from mass evangelism in recent years, Lee Clamp, Associate Executive Director-Treasurer, emphasized that its effectiveness remains unchanged. “If there are lost people there and the Gospel is presented, it works,” Clamp said. Though evangelistic methods may have shifted with a changing culture, he encouraged churches to continue embracing mass evangelism as part of their strategy, particularly as they approach Easter, one of the greatest opportunities to reach people with the Gospel.
Ultimately, Clamp emphasized that evangelism shouldn’t rely solely on mass gatherings but should also extend into everyday life. One opportunity for this is a North American Mission Board evangelistic emphasis called “3:16 on 3/16.” This encourages believers to share the Gospel on March 16, using John 3:16 as a foundation for conversation. South Carolina Baptists will join with believers across the nation to boldly proclaim this good news.
