Kim and Matt had two older children on the brink of adulthood when they felt the Lord calling them to adoption.

They had always talked about wanting to adopt but had never actually pursued it. 

Born into a tumultuous environment, Chandler entered the world amidst adversity, experiencing withdrawal after being exposed to drugs in the womb. 

Trusting the Lord through Challenge

“We knew nothing about withdrawal or what was about to happen,” Kim said. They took in Chandler at three days old, and he experienced withdrawal symptoms for two months.

The path to Chandler’s adoption was filled with challenges and uncertainties, yet amidst the difficulties, Kim and her family remained hopeful. “We knew that he was supposed to be our baby,” Kim said, encouraged by the Lord’s timing.

Receiving SCBaptist’s Adoption Grant

Kim and Matt were the first recipients of SCBaptist’s Adoption Grant, made available to South Carolina Baptists to help reduce barriers for church members to care for vulnerable children. The SCBaptist Adoption Grant is made available to SCBaptists through their local church who are adopting children out of Foster Care in South Carolina.

“These funds aren’t the only answer, but our prayer is that this will launch a movement of South Carolina Baptists into this worthy and pressing opportunity that is so close to the heart of God,” Tony Wolfe, SCBaptist Executive Director-Treasurer, said. Currently, three families have received the grant, and four more are in the process.

Kim and Matt feel grateful to have received the grant. “I just think it’s so kind that it is available and that somebody has thought about that. Just to be able to help people that are going through that situation because there are so many kids right now that need to be adopted,” Kim said.

She is grateful to South Carolina Baptists for their generous giving that funds the grant. “Please keep giving because, in a small way, this is encouraging others to be able to adopt or foster,” Kim said. “So thank you very, very much.”

Supported by Community

Members at Welcome Baptist Church, the community rallied around them, meeting tangible needs during their most trying moments. Kim said that they did not have to purchase diapers until after Chandler’s first birthday because of the gifts they received. 

During pivotal moments in the adoption process, such as visits to the Social Security office or other essential errands, members of the church offered to watch Chandler, allowing Kim and Matt to attend to necessary tasks with peace of mind. “He’s got about 50 ‘Church Grandmas,'” Kim said. “He’s very, very loved.”

She also explained that she has seen the prayers of the church impacting Chandler and their journey. “I don’t know that we could have done it without church personally,” Kim said.

Kim encourages other families to follow the Lord’s calling to foster and adopt without delay. “Adoption is such a picture of Christ and what he does for us,” she said. For Chandler, she recognized the situation could have been much different. “He’s growing up in a Christian home. It makes a huge, huge difference in a child’s life,” she said.