News Articles by Baptist Courier Staff

YORK, S.C. (BP) – A former volunteer for the children’s program at Central Baptist Church has pled guilty in York County criminal court to inappropriately touching a minor while at the church, according to The Herald newspaper of Rock Hill.

GOWENSVILLE, S.C. (BP) -- A former South Carolina youth pastor is facing 26 counts of voyeurism and 32 charges of criminal sexual conduct, many involving minors, in two counties, according to the WYFF-TV. County court records show 21 new charges were filed against Daniel Kellan Mayfield, 35, the last week in June.

GREENWOOD, S.C.—Daniel Kellan Mayfield, a 35-year-old youth pastor at First Baptist Church of Gowensville, S.C., was arrested May 27 for videotaping a woman while she showered, according to a report by the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP) -- A South Carolina congregation has taken a step to officially honor the memory of past members of the church who were enslaved prior to 1865. On Nov. 11, First Baptist Church of Charleston dedicated a marker that says: "In memory of the thousands of enslaved members of the First Baptist Church of Charleston whose names we do not know, but are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 7:9." The bronze tablet was unanimously approved by the congregation as a way of acknowledging the contributions of the many enslaved members who served in the church but had been largely ignored by history, said pastor Marshall Blalock.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP) -- North Greenville University officials have been asked to appear before the South Carolina Baptist Convention Executive Board Oct. 13 to explain the university's actions surrounding the departure of its former president, Jimmy Epting, in January. Dwight Easler, SCBC Executive Board chairman, has asked the university's board chairperson and vice chairperson, along with the interim president, to attend the fall meeting of the Executive Board in order to "give explanation of actions taken, and future actions to be taken to improve accountability and processes."

TIGERVILLE, S.C. (BP) -- The chairperson of North Greenville University's board of trustees has issued a statement that school leaders "are expected to lead Christ-centered lives" and that current administrative staff and faculty members reflect the Baptist university's "legal, moral and ethical expectations" and are held to "the highest of standards." The written statement, which the university sent to The Baptist Courier by email Aug. 27, apparently was in response to a recently uploaded YouTube video titled "Epting ...