For more than 25 years, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina (CBFSC) has been leading efforts into some of South Carolina’s most destitute areas and communities. It has successful community development initiatives in Allendale and Metanoia and has partnered with Koinonia of Columbia, Carolina Immigrant Alliance, Palmetto Works and has disaster relief teams ready to mobilize when called into action.
Triune Mercy Center in Greenville is just one of the many who have received crucial funding from CBFSC. Triune Mercy Center seeks to bring homeless, working poor, middle-class and wealthy into a worship community as they work to get homeless parishioners into drug treatment, housing and employment. Last year, partial funding by a missions grant from CBFSC supported two of Triune’s ministries—the art room and the Playback Cafe. The art room provides a place for all to come to heal and have fellowship—not only street dwellers and families from the nearby shelter but also college students and volunteers. The art room has also provided a place for women from Jasmine Road to come and heal as well as other artists to come and spend time offering their gifts. According to Deb Richardson-Moore, pastor, “the Playback Cafe is a monthly program in which local community actors ‘play back’ stories told by homeless parishioners who have told us that the worst thing about being homeless is ‘being looked right through.’ [The Café] is a way to honor their stories.”
The incredible work of CBFSC reminds us that field personnel don’t just exist halfway around the world. There are dedicated individuals and organizations working right here in our own communities to spread the message of God’s love. As CBFSC is a direct beneficiary of the Lula Whilden World Missions Offering, portions of all donations stay right here in South Carolina and in Greenville. When these local efforts are combined with the national and international work from CBF and the Alliance of Baptists, it demonstrates how our commitment to missions funding is impacting 1000s of lives.
As we celebrate Lula Whilden, please remember to include this important offering in your giving plans. On average, about 30% of the First Baptist congregation makes a donation. Just think what we could do if all members made a contribution—no amount is too small to be put towards these worthy causes!
—Ryan Dennis, Missions and Affiliations Committee Chair