Highlights of the History for the Pacolet River
Baptist Association
A few years following slavery, a few dedicated and consecrated Christian leaders of Union County organized themselves and the churches of this area into a union for spiritual usefulness, realizing that in unity, there is strength. More strength, more usefulness, more missions, more Christian education, and more evangelism were the things they felt were needed at the time. Thus, the Pacolet River Baptist Association was established in the year of 1874. At that time seven churches united, namely: Bethel, Bethany, Corinth, Galilee, Mt. Zion (now of Cherokee County and the Thickety Mountain Baptist Association), Woodson Chapel, and Wyatt Chapel.
On January 8, 1908, the Pacolet River Baptist Association was incorporated by the Executive Department of the State of South Carolina to carry on religious and educational work including charity and other eleemosynary purposes. A charter to this extent was granted.
Property on Lovers Lane Road in Union, South Carolina was purchased by the pioneering fathers and remained vacant until 1983 when at that time the Pacolet River Baptist Association Center was erected. Since this small beginning in 1874, there are currently twenty Baptist churches enrolled with the Association: Bethany, Bethel, Bethesda, Corinth, First Unity, Foster Chapel, Galilee, James Chapel, Jerusalem, Lockhart Chapel, Maple Ridge, Mark Hill, Mt. Olive, Mt. Rowell, New Emanuel, Red Hill, St. Luke, St. Paul, Woodson Chapel, and Wyatt Chapel.
The purpose of the Pacolet River Baptist Association is to promote the Kingdom of God as it has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ. It is our purpose to protect the purity of the church, to encourage spiritual usefulness, to promote Christian Education, Missions, and Church Schools, and to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment through a systematic approach to evangelism that is designed to win the lost and to advance the cause of Christ in every way.
The current auxiliaries of the Pacolet River Baptist Association are the Pacolet River Baptist Congress of Christian Education (PRBCCE) and the Pacolet River Baptist Missionary Auxiliary.
Past Moderators of the Pacolet River Baptist Association are Rev. John Wallace, Rev. H. K. Bates, Rev. Calvin Peak, Rev. A. D. Duncan, Rev. M. A. Zimmerman, Dr. B. T. Sears, Sr., Dr. A. L. Brackett, Sr., Rev. Malachi Rodgers, Sr., Rev. James L. Mason, and Rev. George W. Shell, Jr
