South Carolina S 971: Reverend Sammy Lee Wade pastor of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in Eastover

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 971 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 03, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 971

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A senate RESOLUTION

to congratulate and honor reverend sammy lee wade 
upon the occasion of his twenty-fifth anniversary as pastor of Mt. Nebo Baptist 
Church in Eastover. 

Whereas, Reverend Wade 
is a native of Charleston, the son of the late Herbert Wade and the late 
Leaseanna Alston Wade Simmons, and the youngest of seven living siblings. He 
was baptized at an early age at the Lovely Mountain Baptist Church in North 
Charleston and was ordained in September 1984, by the Charleston County Baptist 
Association; and

Whereas, Reverend Wade 
earned an associate degree in liberal arts, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, 
a master's degree in biblical studies, and a Master of Divinity degree. He is 
certified in Clinical Pastoral Education. In June 2023, he received an 
Honorary Doctorate of Humanitarianism from Global Alliance Institute (GIA). His 
numerous honors include the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award presented 
by President Joe Biden, a Richland County Proclamation for "Share Operation 
Care," and the Order of the Silver Crescent awarded by Governor Mark Sanford; 
and

Whereas, Reverend Wade taught 
World Religion as an adjunct instructor at Benedict College. He has faithfully 
served as a part-time chaplain at Dorn Veterans Hospital and the South Carolina 
Department of Corrections and taught at the Department of Juvenile Justice. He 
is also a published author of Faith in Action: The Principles of Servant 
Leadership; and

Whereas, a retired 
United States Army veteran of twenty-six years, Reverend Wade served in key leadership 
roles, including assistant inspector general at Fort Leavenworth, and was commissioned 
as an Army chaplain; and 

Whereas, Reverend Wade 
is the founder and chief executive officer of J.U.M.P.S. (Juveniles Upholding 
Morals and Principles of Society), a nonprofit organization dedicated to 
serving youth and the underserved. He co-directs, alongside Mrs. Mary Wade, 
the Mary Lee Howell Holiday Food Box Program, which provides food assistance to 
senior citizens. He is the founder of the Gospel Hammer Project and the Lower 
Richland Veterans Formation and organized the International Seminary Extension 
in Lower Richland in 2003 to train ministers and Christian workers; and 

Whereas, Reverend Wade 
played an instrumental role in coordinating and negotiating the designation 
that allowed Mt. Nebo Baptist Church and St. John Baptist Church to become the 
first churches in South Carolina certified as Safe Haven sites. He is 
co-founder of Southeast Rural Community Outreach (SERCO), founder of Tri-City 
Visionaries, and the visionary behind "Swamp Fest," a widely attended and 
impactful community event in Lower Richland. In addition, he is an 
entrepreneur and successful businessman engaged in networking and 
transportation services through veterans' affairs; and 

Whereas, currently, 
Reverend Wade is the pastor of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church and St. John Baptist 
Church in Hopkins, and chaplain for the Community Wellness Group and is the 
former moderator of the Wateree Baptist Association Upper Division. He has 
served on several community boards, including the Richland One Strategic 
Planning Committee, the Richland County Health Care Association Board, and the Richland 
County Blue Ribbon Disaster Relief Board; and 

Whereas, Reverend Wade 
is a gifted preacher, revivalist, vocalist, and visionary leader who has overseen 
the development of numerous ministry teams. He has been featured on gospel 
recordings by his son, Reverend Jabari Wade, including, "I Claim my Destiny" 
and "Greater Works"; and 

Whereas, Reverend Wade 
is married to the former Mary Ann Johnson of North Charleston. Together, they 
are blessed with three children, Kanika Aisha (deceased), Jabari Darweshi 
(Melissa Jones), and Kamilah Rehema (Allen Frazier Brown), and are proud grandparents 
of Jabari Darweshi Wade II, Jayion Christopher Wade, and Jelissa Samirah Wade; 
and 

Whereas, the members of 
the South Carolina Senate deeply appreciate the enduring ministry, leadership, 
and community service of Reverend Sammy Lee Wade and are honored to recognize 
his twenty-five years of faithful pastoral service. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the 
South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, 
congratulate and honor Reverend Sammy Lee Wade upon the occasion of his twenty-fifth 
anniversary as Pastor of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in Eastover.

Be it further resolved 
that a copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Sammy Lee Wade. 

This web page was last updated on March 03, 2026 at 12:42 PM