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News Articles by Butch Blume/Baptist Courier

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S.C. Baptists build Gospel bridges spanning barriers

CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP) -- Holding their 198th annual meeting under the theme of "Building Bridges," South Carolina Baptists committed to advancing the Gospel and healing racial divisions in their home state and beyond. An emotional high point of the Nov. 13-14 gathering was an evening worship service at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, also known as Mother Emanuel, a church revered as one of the oldest independent black congregations in the South. Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, a historically African-American congregation in ...

At Mother Emanuel, S.C. Baptists seek racial unity

CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP) -- About 300 worshipers filled the sanctuary of historic Mother Emanuel Church Nov. 13 for a session of South Carolina Baptists' annual meeting, held at the site of the 2015 massacre of nine black worshipers by a self-avowed white supremacist. An overflow crowd of 400 watched from closed-circuit TV at the nearby Citadel Square Baptist Church. South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) President Marshall Blalock had arranged for SCBC messengers to hold evening worship at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in keeping with the annual meeting theme, "Building Bridges."

Billy Graham’s pastor reflects on ‘dear friend, mentor’

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (BP) -- As he prepares to speak Friday (March 2) at the interment service for the preeminent preacher of the 20th century, South Carolina pastor Don Wilton admitted earlier this week he doesn't yet know what he'll say. "I've prepared many messages in my life, and I've had numerous conversations with Dr. Graham about this moment, but I would be less than honest if I did not say that the privilege to stand over the casket of Dr. Billy Graham and share what I believe would be, in that sense, his last message, is a very humbling thing," said Wilton, who has served as Graham's pastor since 2008 and has been a close friend going back 25 years. "I can only ask the Lord, by his Holy Spirit, to take hold of me and completely and totally hide me behind the cross," said Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Spartanburg. "Nobody taught me that better than the living example of Dr. Billy Graham."

Love stronger than hate, victim’s son says

CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP) -- Less than 24 hours after his mother died at the hands of an assassin during a church prayer meeting, Charleston Southern University sophomore Chris Singleton stood before television cameras and declared that "love is always stronger than hate." Flanked by coaches and teammates, Singleton, who plays baseball at CSU, thanked his teammates for their "amazing" support and recalled his mother's example of showing love to others.

S.C. exec Jim Austin to retire

COLUMBIA, S.C. (BP) -- Jim Austin, executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention since April 2007, has announced that he will retire on Oct. 7 of this year.

S.C. Baptists increase direct giving to IMB

GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP) — Under the banner of “Great Commission Living,” South Carolina Baptists gathered at the TD Convention Center in Greenville to conduct their state convention’s annual business and to worship and fellowship together. Messengers elected new officers, adopted a $28.6 million budget, enacted bylaw changes to conform with last year’s adoption of the […]

Rudy Gray named S.C. Baptist Courier editor

GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP) — James Rudy Gray, a pastor, writer and Christian counselor with roots in journalism, has been named the 11th editor and president of the Baptist Courier, the official newspaper of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Gray, 59, was elected unanimously by members of the Courier’s board of trustees at their fall meeting […]

Rudy Gray named S.C. Baptist Courier editor

GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP) — James Rudy Gray, a pastor, writer and Christian counselor with roots in journalism, has been named the 11th editor and president of the Baptist Courier, the official newspaper of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Gray, 59, was elected unanimously by members of the Courier’s board of trustees at their fall meeting […]

Brad Atkins to be nominated for SBC 2nd VP

NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) — South Carolina pastor Brad Atkins will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention second vice president during the denomination’s Tuesday-Wednesday annual meeting in New Orleans. Atkins, 39, pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church in Easley, S.C., and president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, will be nominated by Johnny Touchet, pastor […]

3 fallen firemen had ties to SBC churches

CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP)--At least three of the nine Charleston firefighters killed June 18 in a furniture store blaze were connected with Southern Baptist churches in the area.       Capt. William "Billy" Hutchinson, 48, was a member of Pinecrest Baptist Church in Charleston, and will be memorialized at a funeral service at the church at 2 p.m., Friday, June 22. He is survived by his wife Phyllis and three children.