On Good Friday, two churches in Bennettsville, South Carolina, gathered for a joint outdoor worship service—just one example of how a growing partnership between their pastors is bringing a Gospel presence to their community. 

The Pee Dee Baptist Association saw a need to connect pastors in a rural context for equipping, resourcing, and encouragement. A cohort was created out of this need, called “RE Cohort” for its emphasis on church revitalization, with a group of pastors meeting monthly. The RE Cohort is made possible in part by funding from the Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions, which supports missions and ministry initiatives across South Carolina. Of the cohort, Ron Taylor, Associational Mission Strategist at Pee Dee Baptist Association, said, “The advantage is for them to be together, to learn from somebody who has a lot of experience, and to learn from each other.” 

At the same time, Taylor saw an influx of new pastors in the association and wanted to pair them with more seasoned pastors. “There are a lot of pitfalls in your first ministry, so we thought this would be a good way to help these first-time pastors,” he said. Two first-time pastors, in particular, formed a unique partnership out of the cohort. Thomas Memorial Baptist Church, pastored by Joshua Hilton, is about a mile down the road from Bennettsville Second Baptist Church, pastored by Jacob Orr, in the rural town of Bennettsville, South Carolina.  

A Growing Partnership in Bennettsville 

Both Hilton and Orr are from the Bennettsville area and share a passion for collaboration. The ties between the two churches extend even further, with Bennettsville Second originally being planted out of Thomas Memorial. With deep roots in their hometown, both pastors feel a burden for its spiritual health. They both described Bennettsville as spiritually dark and in need of hope. “A lot of people probably see this as a smaller, darker area, but I think through teaming up and working with other pastors and churches that we can really make a difference in this area,” Hilton said. 

One aspect of their partnership includes pooling together their resources for greater impact. The two churches hold a joint youth ministry service once a month with teaching and fellowship, filling a gap to provide a safe, encouraging environment for students. “There’s nothing in our county for our teenagers to hang out. No thriving student ministry,” Orr said. Already, they’re seeing signs of growth as teens begin to engage. “We’re starting to see some engagement, and our community is being impacted because we’re coming together for one purpose and one mission,” Orr said.  

Their efforts also include local outreach, including a school partnership and community events like the Good Friday service. “We’re taking our worship night outside the walls of our sanctuary,” Orr said. He also said that they prayed the event would allow them to be “outward-facing” in the community, demonstrating what it looks like to praise the Lord. Hilton emphasized that the partnership extends beyond the pastors to their congregations. “Every time we’ve had a worship service together, they talk about how much they enjoy being with each other,” he said. “We’re reaching so many more people because of this partnership.” 

Revitalization Efforts 

The pastors are beginning to see lasting fruit from their collaboration, citing a growth in baptism as one way they believe the Lord is working through the churches. Hilton shared about one student who was baptized and is now sharing the Gospel with his friends at school. “Those baptisms are fruit for our church, but it’s producing fruit in our schools as well,” he said. Orr also shared about a recent baptism where three generations of the same family were involved. “The grandfather stood there and got to baptize his granddaughter and son-in-law,” Orr said. Taylor emphasized that although the growth may not be rapid, it is steady, which is encouraging to see after both churches have experienced a decline in recent years, as have many rural churches. 

For both pastors, these stories are signs of revitalization taking root in a difficult context. Though pastoring in a rural setting presents unique challenges, the cohort is a reminder for Orr and Hilton that they are not alone. “There are people in my area desiring to do the same thing that I am in expanding the Kingdom of God right where we are,” Orr said. They emphasized creativity and relationships as key factors to success in a setting like theirs. “When we bring our resources together—and not just financial resources, but our people resources, our skills, our talents—we do so much more, and our impact is so much greater,” Orr said. From an associational level, Taylor has seen this to be true as well. “You just have a stronger presence in your community when people in churches work together,” he said. “Jacob and Josh have both realized that and are trying to influence their community.” 

As they plan for the future, both pastors are praying for unity and for the Gospel to have an impact on the next generation. “We’re doing everything we can to work together to bring light to our community,” Hilton said, “So to see our community come to know Jesus would just be phenomenal.” Orr remains confident that the Lord will move in their city. “God has not forgotten Bennettsville,” he said. “If God can start a revival in the people and the church, why not here? Why not Bennettsville? Why not South Carolina?” There’s still work to do, but in Bennettsville, that work is no longer done alone.