HISTORY
OF
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
MYRTLE BEACH
Established 1870
In 1870 the Socastee township area was pine trees, scrub oaks, sand dunes, swamp land, and a few scattered farm houses. No highways traversed the region. The Intracoastal Waterway existed only in the imagination of some far-sighted dreamer. The site of Myrtle Beach was to become first of all the end of a logging tramway system that ran through the forests from Conwayboro to the AtlanticCoast. Homes at present-day Myrtle Beach were nonexistent, unless a temporary fishing lean-to could be called one. Tobacco, peanuts, sweet potatoes, garden vegetables grew in the sandy soil of eastern HorryCounty. The farm families subsisted on these crops. Timber was abundant. Wild game added meat to the table. Oysters from the inlets, crabs from the ocean, and fish from the sea and rivers made meals tastier. Families that derived their livelihood from the soil lived in the Sand Ridge and Socastee sections of the township between the ocean and the county seat. In this setting, the founders of FirstBaptistChurch lived.
In the 1871 minutes of the Cape Fear Association, which consisted of churches in Brunswick, Columbus, and New Hanover counties in North Carolina and Marion and Horry counties in South Carolina, Rev. D. K. Bennett, missionary of the association, reported “I also constituted a Church at Socastee.” The same minutes report on page 23: “Socastee has been recently organized. Has been supplied with preaching by Missionary Elder D. K. Bennett.”
In 1873 the Church reported 37 members. Two years later on request of the church it was dismissed from Cape Fear Association to join the Waccamaw Association of Horry County.
A receipt recorded in Horry County Clerk of Court’s office on January 29, 1875 for land sold by Capt. Cephas Gilbert to Rev. Bethel A. Brown “for and in con(sideration) of Five dollars to me paid in hand…
Located on the Cart Road leading from SocasteeBridge to Withers Swithers Swash in what is known as BuckBay and School House Branch” is issued in the name of SocasteeBaptistChurch. This document describes the site of the church long known as EdenBaptistChurch and later called First Baptist Church of Myrtle Beach. As was often true, the congregation met in the homes of members for the first few years of its life.
The decade of the 1880’s report showed the slow growth of a struggling rural church. Rev. Bethel A. Brown, Rev. Moses Pridgen, and Rev. T. M. Owens served as Pastors. During part of the decade Rev. W. S. McCaskill, a circuit preacher, of Conwayboro, preached at Socastee on the third Sunday and Saturday before. The Horry Herald of April 5, 1888 reported the death of Mrs. Anna Jane Owens on March 11th from measles. It added: “She leaves six children and thirty-six grandchildren. The oldest child, Rev. T. M. Owens, is Pastor of Socastee Baptist Church. Her descendants constitute the main portion of that Church.”
During the last 1880’s the name Eden began to be used in reference to the Church. In a deed given on December 2, 1887, but not filed at the Courthouse until November 28, 1891, “Rev. Thomas McDaniel Owens to EdenMissionaryBaptistChurch…gift of one acre of land” is the heading used. By 1895 the name had completely replaced the old one.
Rev. Asa West of Socastee became a missionary of the association. In 1899 he visited EdenBaptistChurch on February 26 and June 25. Rev. D. D. Cox was then Pastor.
The turn of the century brought changes to the area. A growing community at the eastern end of the Conway and Seashore Railroad was no longer referred to as “New Town”. For the evergreen myrtle’s flourishing in the region, it was named Myrtle Beach.
The new town also welcomed the first train that year. A truck farm was begun at PineIsland. The EdenChurch this year reported 52 members.
A significant step in mission outreach was made in 1906. On the Saturday before the first Sunday in September, eight members were granted letters to “organize a church at PineIsland”. A number of farming families lived in PineIsland section across the FlatSwamp from the Sand Ridge. A trip to church was slow and tiring and many did not make it. Some living at the truck farm were anxious to form a church to reach these. Those granted letters were Brother S. A. Howard and wife, daughters Bessie and Latie Howard, Brother S. N. Moore and wife, and Brothers E. J. Cox and J. W. Johnson. With the removal of the farm folk and the closing of the farm, the work at PineIsland ceased.
During the years from 1908 until 1914, the church apparently had financial problems. In February of 1908 the call to their pastor was withdrawn by the Eden members because of their inability to pay him, but before the day was over arrangements were made by the men to “recall” him. In 1912 and in 1914 applications for state convention aid on the pastor’s salary were made.
In 1919, as a member of the new Carolina Association, EdenChurch reported 32 members and total gifts of $68.70. In 1920 the Association met with Eden. That winter after hearing of destitution in Europe following World War I, the members voted to “send what money we have on hand and take up a collection and send it to the starving children overseas.”
The 1920’s brought talk and eventual plans to relocate the church from the site near Withers Swash. In August 1929 movement to preaching two Sundays a month took place.
Other signs of development came in the thirties. The Building Committee was enlarged in 1931. In the following year the first Every Member Canvass was conducted. In 1934 the Carolina association met at EdenChurch. (This was probably in the new building at Fourth Avenue North and Oak Street) Whether by design or accident in 1935 every messenger to the association was a lady member. In 1937 the name was changed from Eden to First Baptist Church of Myrtle Beach. (Already the church was being referred to as Myrtle BeachBaptistChurch rather than Eden.)
In August 1938 a committee to solicit funds for a new parsonage was selected. On November 10, 1938, the First Baptist Church of Myrtle Beach returned to membership in the Waccamaw Association. The spring of 1939 brought the first resident Pastor, Rev. M. O. Owens Jr. to Myrtle BeachFirstBaptistChurch. The parsonage was finished and furnished for the young seminary graduate and his family. By the end of 1939 a total of 104 members belonged and 243 had been enrolled in Sunday School.
The town of Myrtle Beach was incorporated in 1938. The FirstBaptistChurch was already a strong 68 years old. As the town grew, so has the church grown. The year 1940 marked the building of the NanceEducationalBuilding, a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Nance. Room for growth in the younger departments was provided here. In 1943 the Waccamaw Association minutes listed FirstBaptistChurch as one of five full-time pastorates in the association. It was one of the seven churches with Training Union. The church had grown by now to 199 members.
Rev. Jasper Hinson came in 1944 as the second resident pastor. Growth in membership, organizational life, and gifts was evident in these years. In five years the church grew from 236 to 493 members. Total gifts rose from $7,311 in 1944 to $21,890 in 1948. Three lots on The Kings’ Highway were purchased and the initial stages of construction of the present sanctuary took place. Work Saturdays were held when men and boys labored and women and girls prepared and served the noon meal. “So built they the wall…”
In 1949 the third Pastor, Carl E. Compton, came to the church. The decade of the fifties was characterized by building. The sanctuary portion of the new church building was completed in 1950. More persons were at the first worship service on August 13, 1950, than could have been seated in the old church building. Later the education space beneath the worship area was finished. In 1954 the addition of the steeple was begun. Hurricane Hazel, October 15, 1954, delayed its completion. Already surveys and plans were being studied for additional educational space. A lot on Fourth Avenue was purchased behind the church building. Two beach cottages on the lot, the NanceBuilding, the old Church building, and several homes near the church were used for Sunday School classes. Later an old barracks from Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was moved to a lot on Oak Street to be used. Before the building was completed in 1958 space at the Grade School a block away was rented. In the early part of the decade Sunday afternoon services were held at the Donnie Chestnut home, eight miles north of the church. Friday night services were conducted in the old Air Base housing area.
In the fifties the church grew from 522 in 1950 to 1193 in 1959. Gifts increased from $50,890 to $79,856 a year. Mission giving grew from $1,930 to $12,030 a year in the same decade. During the last month of the decade, work at SurfsideBeach, which had already been started, became a mission outreach of the church.
In the sixties growth and outreach continued. In 1962 the SurfsideBeach work became the First Baptist Church of Surfside Beach with Rev. H. E. King as Pastor. In March 1964 work was started in the north area of Myrtle Beach. The Ocean City Life Insurance building and auditorium was the first meeting place. Rev. James E. James, Associational missionary, served as Interim Pastor. In July the work was constituted as the OceanViewBaptistChurch. In the fall Rev. Cecil Cave Jr. came to serve as their Pastor.
In May 1967, as a result of a survey made by ladies of the church and the Missions Committee, a work was begun in a rented house in Socastee near the Back Gate of the Air Base. By October of 1967 land had been procured and the building formerly used by the SocasteePentecostalHolinessChurch had been purchased and moved to the new site. James D. Morse served as first Pastor.
The sixties referred to in December 1959 as a “Decade of Dedication” brought expansion and growth. Membership advanced from 1298 in 1960 to 1488 in 1969 plus 115 at Socastee Mission. The OceanViewChurch had grown to 477 members, while SurfsideBeach reached 360. Gifts for missions advanced from $14,568 to $26,852 a year in the decade. Total offerings moved upward from $82,397 to $126,831 a year.
The early seventies saw our membership reach 1585 with 60 baptisms. Our contributions reached $131,583. The fall of 1973 saw the establishment of a church kindergarten and day care.
A new Minister of Music and Education, H.S. Yarborough, began duties October 5, 1985. Our budget in 1976 reached $174,930.44. With an ever-growing ministry, the church called Danny M. West as the director of Christian Recreation in our new FamilyLifeCenter in March 1977. Larry E. Allen became the director of recreation in December of 1977. Frank A. Smith Jr. was called as Associate Pastor and Minister of Recreation and Education on March 30, 1979. This year also saw the opening of the Prayer Chapel on the second floor of the educational wing. Our membership reached 1617, with a budget of $259,323.
The decade of the 80’s began with the calling of James Steelmon as the new Minister of Music and Education on June 15, 1981. We also built our fourth mission church, Forestbrook Baptist, which began November 13, 1983. Tim Holland became the Minister of Youth and Family Life Ministries on March 17, 1985. Our total membership was 1650 and our budget receipts were $338,160.
In a letter dated June 13, 1986 Dr. Carl Compton wrote, “After much thoughtful and prayerful consideration we have come to the following decision: On December 31, 1986 I plan to retire as pastor.” These words ended an era of ministry that lasted 37 ½ years.
Dr. Robert Deneen was the interim pastor beginning on January 11, 1987. Sunday, March 6, 1988 was the beginning of the ministry of the present pastor, Dr. Wayne Brown and his family, Joy, Meri Beth and Molly. March 10, 1989 brought James Tippins III as Minister of Music, Activities and Drama, after serving as interim since August of 1988.
The decade of the 90’s brought the need for more expansion. The church bought the property fronting 4th Avenue North and Kings Highway for a new parking lot. On April 21, 1990 the church brought C. Larry Cashatt as Associate Pastor, Education, Outreach and Administration and Andrew T. Mays as Minister of Recreation, Activities and Youth began duties December 8, 1991. The church had a total membership of 1997 with 23 baptisms in 1994. Our total budget for 1995 is $651,589. Mission giving rose to $156,278.
God led First Baptist to create an outreach to a foreign language people living in the area – the Vietnamese. In the summer of 1992 the church called a Vietnamese Pastor to come to Myrtle Beach and begin a new work with Vietnamese. The members had renovated and furnished the “Gray House” next to the church parsonage and the Reverend Lanh Duong and his family arrived in Myrtle Beach on August 14, 1992. Two weeks later the first Vietnamese Worship Service was held on Sunday, August 30 at the church’s FamilyLifeCenter. Nineteen people attended – and so began the fifth mission work.
In 1995, The Grand Strand Passion Play became an annual outreach of our church as it relocated to the Myrtle Beach High School auditorium and various local theaters in the area. Judgement Night was another church outreach that began in 1998. 1,500 people came through and there were 134 decisions; 43 of those first time decisions for Christ.
We called the local US2 Missionary Eric Gargus as our Minister of Youth and Children in 1997. Mr. Gargus left after a year of service to continue his education at New Orleans Seminary.
The decade of the 90’s has seen major renovations to our church building as we changed the color of the walls from “Vereen Green,” as it was affectionately called to an off-white with multi-colored carpeting throughout the 2nd and 3rd floors. Building and Grounds has worked hard to minimize the effects of possible flooding and the natural aging of our facilities. We have also bought property south of the Family Life Center and North and West of our main church facility for future buildings and ministries.
As we celebrate the new millennium here at First Baptist Church, Myrtle Beach we measure our service by God alone. Our Girls in Action have renovated our Nance Building, our Royal Ambassadors are a model to the entire convention, our Music and Drama ministries are the fifth largest in South Carolina, our church is being revitalized through the F.A.I.T.H. Sunday School Evangelism Strategy. And our giving has increased each year to accomplish the ministries under the leadership and example of Dr. Wayne Brown.
In October of 1999 we called Stephen B. Marshall as our new Minister of Youth. He began his ministry with us on Sunday, December 21, 1999. On September 5, 2001 we called Chris Harding as our new Director of Weekday Education and Children Pastor.
On January 9, 2005 Reverend Bruce M. Crawford began his ministry as Senior Pastor. Immediately the church voted to completely renovate and update the sanctuary. This project was completed in three months. The church also voted to take the existing parsonage and make it a new missionary residence for furloughing missionaries.
