South Carolina H 4364: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE THE DORCHESTER ACADEMY BASEBALL TEAM, COACHES, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS ON THEIR SPECTACULAR SEASON AND TO CELEBRATE THEIR WIN OF THE 2017 SOUTH CAROLINA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (SCISA) CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4364 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 22, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4364

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A house RESOLUTION

TO CELEBRATE THE JOYOUS OCCASION OF THE EIGHTY-FIFTH 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE OAK GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH AND TO CONGRATULATE ITS PASTOR, THE 
REVEREND DR. WILLIE J. THOMPSON JR., AND THE CHURCH'S CONGREGATION FOR YEARS OF 
DEDICATED SERVICE TO ELGIN.

Whereas, the South 
Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that Oak Grove Baptist 
Church of Elgin will celebrate its eighty-fifth anniversary with a formal gala 
on May 16, 2025; and

Whereas, Oak Grove 
Baptist Church started in 1940 with two deacons, Mason Hudson and P. B. Boyd, 
and worship services were held at Deacon Boyd's home and other members' homes. As 
the Lord prospered the church, founding members began having prayer and worship 
services at The Old School House, about a mile from the current campus, with 
several ministers providing services; and

Whereas, services were 
soon held in the peach orchard shed of Mr. Ike Jacobs, about a thousand feet 
from the church today, a site that the church used for many years. In June 
1954, Sister Mae Bell Hudson purchased an acre of land from Mr. Jacobs, on 
which a wooden church was built by Mr. Warren and Estill Carter, and it was 
called Oak Grove Baptist Church because of the surrounding oak trees; and

Whereas, Reverend A. D. 
Robinson was the church's first pastor, and after several other pastors, Reverend 
J. R. Butler was called, serving as pastor from 1960 to 1982, and in 1968, 
Deacon Brooks Hudson Jr. became chairman of the Deacon Board and served for 
over forty years. Under their leadership, a new church was built. and

Whereas, in 1982, Reverend 
Willie J. Goodwin Jr. became the pastor, and during his tenure, many 
improvements were made to the church, including a pastor's study, classrooms to 
the rear of the church, baptism pool upgrading, and a fellowship hall, among 
others. After the church's incorporation in 1988, twenty preachers were 
ordained or licensed, several of whom were called to lead churches locally or 
nationally, and during that time, the trustee ministry expanded. In 1996, some 
two acres of land were purchased for a new sanctuary, and the first worship 
service was held in it early in 2004. Reverend Goodwin retired in 2010 after 
twenty-seven years of service to Oak Grove; and

Whereas, in 2012, Reverend 
Dr. Albert Downing was called as senior pastor, serving until 2016. During his 
tenure, the deacon and trustee ministries expanded; the first associate pastor, 
Reverend Andrew Kendrick, was added (2013); a new sound system and a sanctuary 
screen, an electronic street sign, a nursery, and a fourteen-passenger bus were 
purchased; and the capacity to spread the Gospel grew by adding a radio broadcast 
on WFMV 95.3, live streaming its morning worship service, publishing the Vision 
magazine, and sending the pastor and missionaries to the Philippines and 
Australia; and

Whereas, the church 
called Dr. Willie J. Thompson Jr. to serve as senior pastor in 2017, and since 
then over one hundred new members have increased church membership to over six 
hundred. The church ministries now include the Young Worshippers Experience, 
Membership Care Services Ministry, Stepping for Jesus step team, Sheep School, 
and the Good News Club; and

Whereas, to assist the 
community, the church launched a Back-Pack Outreach program and deployed 
mentors to area elementary schools. To address the lack of access to careers in 
science, technology, engineering, and math, the church launched a strategy to 
construct a state-of-the-art S.T.R.E.A.M. Center on the existing campus to provide 
children training for these careers; and

Whereas, the House of 
Representatives commends Oak Grove Baptist Church in Elgin for eight and a half 
decades of ministry and service to the community and extends warmest 
congratulations on the occasion of the church's historic anniversary. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House 
of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, celebrate 
the joyous occasion of the eighty-fifth anniversary of Oak Grove Baptist Church 
and congratulate its pastor, the Reverend Dr. Willie J. Thompson Jr., and the church's 
congregation for years of dedicated service in the Elgin.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution 
be presented to Reverend Dr. Willie J. Thompson Jr.

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