UNITY NEWSLETTER GRANT HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 5405 BLACK RIVER ROAD, REMBERT, SC REV. CLIFTON N. WITHERSPOON, PASTOR

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1 UNITY NEWSLETTER GRANT HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 5405 BLACK RIVER ROAD, REMBERT, SC REV. CLIFTON N. WITHERSPOON, PASTOR FALL EDITION October 2016 Grant Hill Burns Its Mortgage By Brother Jimmy Sanders The history of the Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church dates back more than 153 years. On Sunday, July 17, 2016, Grant Hill achieved another impactful milestone with the church conducting a mortgage burning ceremony. The ceremony was truly a manifestation of God s love for us and the results of visionary leadership by a succession of pastors, deacons, trustees and other officers of Grant Hill. The ceremony was held as the congregation witnessed Grant Hill s Pastor, Clifton N. Witherspoon, invited guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Vernon Holland and other guests, as church officials provided inspiring remarks. As usual, the Praise and Worship Ministry did a wonderful job to set the tone for this moving occasion. The event was truly an inspirational occasion for the entire congregation. Appreciation plaques were presented to Deacons Glover and James Sanders; along with Trustees Dennis Nickens and Leonard Scott. Paying off the final payment on any mortgage most certainly should be a joyous time, but saying an early goodbye to debt calls for true celebration. The services were highlighted and punctuated throughout by praise and expressions of love for God s blessings. Grant Hill is well on the way to having the church campus that many have long aspired to have. As a part of his sermon and remarks, Dr. Holland praised the church s leadership and the congregation for the hard work and dedication required to reach this major milestone. Everyone took the opportunity to join in the celebration. The official events were concluded with a meal being served in the former sanctuary. (c) In This Issue: Pastor s Corner Page 2 Date Night With A King Page 2 New Members Page 3 Women s Tea Page 4-5 Athletic Corner Page 6 YWA Annual Celebration Page 7 Grant Hill Black History 365 and more... Editor in Chief: Pastor, Clifton N. Witherspoon Deacon Advisor: Unity Newsletter and Director of the Education Ministry Dr. Gladys Grant Editor: Ann Dawson August 1

2 2 Pastor s Corner! Praise the Lord Grant Hill! As I have mentioned numerous times, there is a shift taking place in the atmosphere, and we must be prepared for the change. Are you ready? We ve reach a couple of milestones since the last newsletter, such as the burning of our mortgage and the addition of new large TV Monitors within the church There is much more to come In a previous message I indicated that we are functioning and prospering in a dysfunctional environment. Many things are happening that is just unbelievable. I ask that you pay close attention to the things around you, what is being said, and those things that are unspoken I am not going to take up a lot of your time, reading my message since there is lots of great information for your review. We are moving forward in various ways, trying to keep you informed, with our updated Website, Facebook Page and Newsletter. Its all about Ministry inside the four walls, and Mission outside the four walls Pastor Clifton N. Witherspoon 2016 Date Night with a King By Dr. Denise Nixon The 2016 Girls' Night Out event was truly a success once again this year. Ladies from far and near gathered together to praise God in a spirit of true worship and love. The Theme She s Royalty was perfectly fitting for attendees who were asked if they could, to wear a Tiara, Denim, Silver, Gold or the Date Night Tee-Shirt. The event speakers were Pastor Angela Ford-Nelson of Good Hope Wesley Chapel UMC, Camden, SC; Pastor Cathie Martin of Higher Level Ministries, Kenansville, NC and Evangelist Laquanna G. Aguirre of Eutawville Miracle Overcomers Ministries, Eutawville, SC. The artist delivering the Spoken Word was Tomeka Walker Ewing, Charleston, SC; Musical tributes were rendered by Michelle Breaux, Sumter, SC with Desiree and Cheyenne Ross (HI2 Breath Mime Ministry) of Orangeburg, SC providing a great mime performance. The entire event began with uplifting music and continued with praise and worship, dynamic performances and inspirational sermons. If you missed it this year, believe me, you don t want to miss this spectacular event next year.

3 3 High! Grant Hill is very pleased to introduce to you, individuals who decided to join our church prior to the printing of this newsletter. We asked that you take the time to meet and greet them, as they adjust to their new praise and worship center. April English, 6/26/16, Baptism Eura Seabrook, 6/26/2016, Baptism Sheena Davis, 6/26/2016, Baptism Carrie Sue Reid, 6/26/2016 -prior member for Baptism Joyce Alston, 7/24/2016, Christian Experience Photo was not available at the time of printing Dwayne Deas, 8/7/2016, Restoration Photo was not available at the time of printing Geraldine Swann, 9/15/2016 Christian Experience Georgia McDaniel, 9/25/2016 Christian Experience. Happy Belated Birthday to those who have previously celebrated their birthdays before the printing of this Newsletter; and Happy Birthday to those who will be celebrating during or after its printing. May God continue to bless you to celebrate many, many more Special Prayers for our Sick and Shut-In The following individuals were on our sick and shut-in list as of the printing of this newsletter. Pray for one another, that ye should be healed. Sis. Maggie Johnson Sis. Alma Pollard Bro. Leonard Scott Dea. George Williams Sis. Marie China Sis. Lottie Rembert Sis. Yvonne McClary Bro. James Lowery Sis. Ella Temoney Sis. Elizabeth Boyd

4 A WOMAN S STRENGTH - POVERBS 31:25 SATURDAY, JUNE 11, AM SPEAKER DEACON DR. DENISE NIXON By Sister Ann D. August On Saturday, June 11, 2016; Family and Friends of Grant Hill members experienced a wonderful afternoon of conversations, laughter, fun, sadness, love and overall; the Strength. Of our Power. We were blessed to have our First Lady provide a delicious dinner, cooked with her own hands. The program had a special guest who delivered a very amazing story of her life experiences; the sorrows and the remarkable joys. It reflected our theme A Woman s Strength. We were humbled to have one of our very own, Deacon Denise Nixon delivered a very inspiring message. Deacon Nixon indicated that there are three (3) areas that Women should have Strength and Power. She began by indicating that a Women s Tea usually mean that you wear a hat, she stated that; however, she is not a hat wearer, so she had to go out and buy one. Since she is an on-line shopper, she did her hat browsing on the internet until she found one. The hat she is wearing is what she found. She stated that one should remember not to go in debt looking for a hat. Which led into her first area of a woman s strength (Financial). Finance As she holds money up in her hands, she emphasized that personal financial power is very important to us as women. Women headed households reflects many families within our community. This is why you need to decide if you want to have good credit or bad credit your credit scores reflect whether you are paying your bills on time or not Having good credit scores, allows your interest rates to be lower. We as women must establish priorities within our life and take financial responsibility for what we do. Which means that we must determine if we will pay our essential bills, before we buy non-essential items, as well as get our hair and nails done We all must realize that credit cards are not magic money, the bill must be paid. Always live beneath your means, not above it. Then insure that you have enough to give to your church and charities as well. She indicated that when we help out others, it s the rent we pay on earth. Faith Deacon Nixon wore a Peace Symbol and indicated that we must always remember you are what you think and speak, If you feed negativity it will win you over; however, if you feed positivity that will feed you; and place you in a better state of mind. Let your faith be your personal trainer, never stop believing in your faith and keep your faith active at all times. Continues on Page # 5 4

5 Take it by the tail (Snake)-- This was a very interesting analogy, in which Deacon Nixon related to how God talked to Moses in Exodus Chapter 4 verses 1-4. However, the main part of the message, was to take note of the fact that verse 4, reflects that God told Moses to Take it by the tail. God was referring to the rod that he had turned into a serpent (snake). One of the most important things that we know or have learned is that when you are going to deal with a snake you go for the head not the tail. However, when you trust in God, your troubles, concerns and problems is your (Snake), and you will need to let God help you work things out. Never lean on your own understanding. You must insure that you have a great relationship with Him, which will allow you to grab your snake by the tail. This was the second Women s Tea that Grant Hill has sponsored. And we are excited about the possibility of another one next year. Women s Tea Photo Gallery Tea Table designs continues on page # 11 5

6 Athletic Corner By Deacon David L. Glover, Jr. Once again as the calendar shifts and summer turns swiftly to fall we roll out the basketballs. It s time for another season of Free Spirit League Basketball. This is the league for childr en between the ages of This year we had 220 young people to sign up for the league. Excitement was high as our season began on September 10 at Mayewood Middle School. Players, parents, coaches and fans were all anxious to get the season started. As usual we started our day by giving reverence to the one who made it all possible. Each sponsoring church gets an opportunity to lead the devotion before the games begin. Devotion includes the scripture and prayer by players and an inspirational talk from a coach, pastor, deacon or a representative from the church. The players also join hands and pray at the end of each game. The aim of the league is to promote God, fellowship, sportsmanship and basketball. Now to our Grant Hill Team. We have a total of 36 players on three teams this year. The age divisions are: 6 & under, 7-9 and We have some outstanding young people who represent the church well as usual. Each year we ask our players who do not attend Grant Hill and their parents to come worship with us one Sunday during the season. This year this took place on September 18. Players and parents were recognized during the service and the players were given words of encouragement by our pastor. It was a spirit-fill day on the hill indeed. On behalf of the Athletic Ministry and especially our coaches I would like to thank our Pastor and the grant hill family for your continued support of this ministry. As I have said before we could not do what we do without your help and your prayers. Finally, an appeal for you to support our teams in another way, that is by coming to the gym on Saturdays. Our players would love to see you in the bleachers cheering for them during the games. Game schedules are posted on the churches website and on our Facebook page. On October 15 we will have Fan Appreciation Day at Hillcrest Middle School. There will be a competition between the churches, to see which church has the most fans in attendance. The winning church gets a $ donation to their youth department to do something fun for the youth in their church. We want this money for our youth. Also, we would like for you to purchase a Grant Hill fan tee shirt to wear to the games (details and prices can be found in pew notes, on our website and Facebook page. That s my time, thanks for listening and remember, The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. 6

7 The Wateree Baptist Association, LD Semi-Annual Session By Dr. Gladys M. Grant, Association Clerk THE WATEREE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, L.D CONVENTION Was held between October 16-22, 2016 Host Pastor and Church Dr. Sammie D. Simmons, Host Pastor St. Mark 4B Missionary Baptist Church, Sumter, SC Theme: The Convention Letting Its Light Shine Through Unity - Matthew 5:16 The annual banquet was held on Saturday, October 22 Morris College 6:00 p.m. Garrick-Boykin Human Development Center, the speaker was Dr. Charles B. Jackson, Sr., Senior Pastor, Brookland Baptist Church, Columbia, SC and Chairman, Trustee Board Morris College, Sumter, SC. Highlights of the Association events will be featured in the next Newsletter. YWA Annual Celebration Theme Sisters in Unity United to Serve On Sunday, June 26, 2016 The YWA Ministry held its Annual Celebration in a very spiritual and powerful way. First Lady Claudette Witherspoon was the Worship Leader, with the Praise Team perform in an outstanding manner as usual. Sister Agnes Griffin provided the Invocation and Sister Joann Rembert acknowledged visitors and made announcements. Special Certificates were presented by Pastor Witherspoon and Sister Mary Howell explained the Occasion. The Grant Hill Male Chorus serenaded the audience very eloquently. God s word was brought to the Congregation by our guest, Pastor Julia Sanders, of Jerusalem Stuckey Baptist Church in Bishopville., SC. Her message was entitled Do you have a Testimony - Luke 2 Verses Sister Marie Knox, YWA Ministry President, invited Deacon David Glover, Jr. to the podium as she provided remarks and present him a $1,000 donation for the Grant Hill Building Fund. This was a very enlightening and spiritual service. 7

8 8 Grant Hill Black History is 365 Did You Know? 1. Matthew A. Morgan ( ) - Planted the US Flag on the North Pole. 2. Henry O. Flipper ( ) - in 1877 became the first Black Man to graduate from The U.S Military Academy at West Point 3. Black Women have served in the Women Army Corps since the beginning of its existence in Black Women was barred from the WAVES (Navy) until October 1944; and on October 20, 1944 Black Women were admitted into the Coast Guard (SPARS) which stands for Semper Paratus, Always Ready Service. 4. Norbert Rillieux ( ) - Inventor of the sugar refining process. 5. In 1688 the earliest recorded protest against slavery was by the Quakers. Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, have a long history of abolitionist and wrote the initial protest in the 17th Century. 6. Victor Green, an Afr ican Amer ican Mail Man, with a 7th gr ade education wr ote a Black Travel Guide to provide safe passage for Black travelers entitled the Green Book Chronicles. The book was written and updated between the years of It showed travelers safe places to stop while traveling, especially in the south; which included hotels, gas stations and restaurants. 7. The Transatlantic slave trade was from ; of the 12.5 Million across the world, only 10.7 Million are said to have survived the Middle Passage. 8. It is recorded that of the 12.5 Million Africans that were shipped into the New World during the Tran-Atlantic Slave Trade, fewer than 388,000 arrived in the United States. There is a difference between Spiritually and Religion; you were born with a spirit, and was taught religion.

9 9 Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church Updated Website for Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church By Dr. Denise Nixon A new look for the GHMBC website is coming soon! The church website is undergoing some construction in order to provide more features for our members and the public. Videos of church activities and events, sermons, and activities of our ministries will soon be available on our new website. The new website will maintain the same address, but will have a new look and new features. The new website was designed using a platform called Wordpress, which offers a large variety of website templates, features, and functionality. The website even offers the option for a blog by our Pastor, which would allow him to post videos, lessons, mini bible studies, and more. Ministry leaders will also be able to post information about their ministries, and an event calendar on the website will allow the church to advertise upcoming events. A bold front page banner will highlight church events and activities. We are looking forward to reaching even more people with the word of God through the website. The website was completed in September, We encourage you to review the new website when time permits.

10 Below are Members, Families and Friends who did not shy away from the Camera, as they attend or visited with Grant Hill during its Sunday Services. Please come again, our doors are always open to you... 10

11 Veterans Recognition and Appreciation Plaques Project By Brother Jimmy Sanders A new church initiative is underway to prominently display military plaques. These plaques will highlight the significant accomplishments and achievements of Grant Hill Veterans. The initiative was inspired during efforts to prepare for this year s Memorial Day and Veterans Day (November 11 th) programs. The plaque will provide military-related details of our veterans, past and present. As we seek new ways to recognize and honor our veteran men and women who have served our nation in uniform, we must also be mindful of our responsibility to protect and nurture their legacy and contributions on behalf of the American people. The plaques should provide us with a mean to achieve our goals. Veterans of the past, surviving veterans, and the future generations of veterans will continue to play a crucial role in our country s armed services. We will never repay our veterans for their sacrifice, but we can undertake projects such as the service plaques to honor them. The details around this project and others ongoing. Our goal is to present the initial iteration of the board by Veterans Day. Veterans can self-nominate for this distinction or can be nominated by a family member or friends. For more details, please contact Brothers Henry Jenkins, Michael Jackson or Jimmy Sanders. Women s Tea Table Photos Continued From Page 5 A Grant Hill Business Directory will be coming soon. If you have a business and want to be included in the business directory; please provide your information to Deacon Denise Nixon ASAP. 11

12 GHMBC Scholarship Awards By Sisters Gloria Scott and Linda Rogers On September 11, 2016 Gr ant Hill Missionar y Baptist Church (GHMBC) was blessed to have so many young people who are aspiring to do great things. The members of The Scholarship Ministry, proudly stood with our Pastor, Clifton N. Witherspoon, to honor the recipients. Scholarships in the amount of $500 were presented to Freshmen college students who applied, and are members of Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Additionally, these applicants needed to have at least a 2.5 grade point average, and were enrolled in at least 12 credit hours of coursework in a 2 year or 4-year college or university. Scholarships in the amount of $250 are given to continuing students who meet the same criteria as freshmen. This year, we are awarding one of our continuing student, Ms. Brianna Williams. Brianna is a junior at Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC, where she is majoring in Psychology and has a GPA of 4.0. Our freshmen students receiving the scholarships are as follows: Ziare Levell, graduated from Crestwood High School with a GPA of 2.69 and is attending South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC, majoring in Early Childhood Education. Zondria Levell, graduated from Crestwood High School with a GPA of 2.5 and is attending South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC, majoring in Criminal Justice. In memory of Reverend R. E. Bennett, our most immediate Past Pastor of twenty years, a scholarship of $50 each is also awarded to Zaire Levell and Zondria Levell. Ziare and Zondria are the only two qualifying high school graduates that served here at Grant Hill under the leadership of Pastor Bennett. Alexis Good graduated from Crestwood High School with a GPA of 3.96 is attending the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, majoring in Biomedical Sciences. Jonah Williams graduated from Crestwood High School with a GPA of 4.61 and is attending the College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, majoring in Tourism & Hospitality. Jordan Richardson graduated from Sumter High School with a GPA of 3.36 and is attending the University of South Carolina, Sumter, SC, majoring in Computer Science. In addition to his scholarship, Jordan was being awarded a computer and printer for the best written essay judged by the committee. The Scholarship Ministry would like to thank our judges, Sisters Pam Witherspoon, Anissa Cruse- Choice and Brother Gary Colick for a job well done.. We would like to congratulate all of our scholarship recipients. Sister Gloria Scott, Coordinator, GHMBC Scholarship Ministry Brother Jimmie Deas, Member Sister Darnisha Griffin, Member Sister Linda Rogers, Member Deacon Gladys M. Grant, Advisor Pastor Clifton N. Witherspoon, Ex-Officio Faith is not knowing what the future holds. But knowing who holds the future. 12

13 Grant Hill Celebrates It s 39th Annual Homecoming Theme A Day of Celebration Psalm 95: 1-3 On Sunday, October 16, 2016, Grant Hill celebrated its 39th Homecoming. What an dynamic and spiritual inspiring day it was. Brother Michael Jackson was Worship Leader. With the Praise and Worship Team getting the congregation off to a songful start. Deacon Gladys Grant provided everyone with a heartfelt Invocation; that was followed by Deacon Glover who brought some additional good news, that Grant Hill won the Fan Count at the Free Spirit Church League game on Saturday 10/15/16 and brought home $ with it. Grant Hill once again celebrated another new member who received the Right Hand of Fellowship; Ms. LaShawnte Jackson. Sister Sharon Gathers provided the announcements and welcomed our visitors. The Male Chorus once again rendered a melody of songs that inspired the soul and continued with the celebration theme. Our New Member Sister LaShawnte Jackson, recited the Occasion with much enthusiasm. The Grant Hill Praise Team performed in an outstanding manner. Pastor Witherspoon provided another soul stirring and thought provoking message. After the message Pastor Witherspoon called for a song by a few of the Praise Team members that sealed the message. As he sat and mediated on the sidelines. Sister Dorothy B. Nixon, Special Events Chairperson, provided closing remarks, thanked everyone who participated and reminded everyone that dinner would be served in the former Sanctuary. If you missed this years event and still want to participate, you can still provide your donation of $ Or you can wait and attend the full event next year. Tuesday, November 8th is Election Day-Don t Forget to 13

14 Grant Hill Usher s Annual Day But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33) The Usher s Ministry celebrated their Annual Day on Sunday, September 11, Sister Catherine Council was the Worship Leader, the outstanding Praise and Worship Team as usual set the tone for the day. Brother Brendon E. Gathers read the scripture with Sister Mary Johnson delivering the Invocation. Sister Sharon Gathers acknowledged our visitors and provided announcements. Special Scholarship presentation were made See page #12 for additional information. The Male Chorus continues to deliver a melody of inspiring songs. Pastor Witherspoon introduced the special guest speaker Bishop G. Emerson Scott, Pastor of Impact Christian Center, Houston, Tx. Bishop Scott is internationally known as the Fire Man and has authored two books entitled The Stewardship and Tithes; Anointing/Offering and its Anointing. Bishop Scott delivered a wonderful motivating message entitled God Wants to Prepare You. Job 33: After hearing the outstanding message Sister Delphine C. Bradley, President of the Usher s Ministry provided closing remarks thanking everyone for their participation in an exciting and inspirational program. She recognized Ushers, they included: Mary Howard, Mike Jackson, Amelia Nickens, Debbie Rembert, Mary Boyd, Annie Bell Bradley, James Jackson, Alfred Bradley and Jasmine Bradley for their outstanding service to the Usher Board. If you missed this years event, you missed a very blessed occasion. See you all next year. 14

15 Bible Word Search To The Grant Hill Family Love Heals: Lord, daily you protect us from harm. We feel your love surrounding us, acting as a buffer against the world s evils. You take defeats and turn them into victories. You turn our weaknesses into our strengths and our sorrows into joys. All of this you do because we are your children and you love us. We do not deserve your love, but you give it anyway. Recreate your love in us. Use us to help in the healing of others. 15

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17 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Sunday School Sunday Morning Worship Wednesday Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday Evening Bible Study New Members Class (1 st, 2 nd 3 rd, 4 th Sundays) 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 12 Noon 7:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. ASSOCIATE MINISTERS Rev. Durant Jenkins (803) Minister Quentina Gregg (803) Minister Jake Sanders, III (803) Minister Jarren Johnson (803) DEACONS Mr. James L. Sanders, Chairman (803) Mr. David L. Glover, Jr. Vice Chairman (803) Mr. L. B. Johnson (803) (H) (803) (C) Mr. Larry Harris (803) Mr. Alexander Jenkins (803) Mr. Roosevelt Sanders (803) Mr. Tyrone Alston (803) Dr. Gladys M. Grant (803) Mr. Herbert June (803) Dr. Denise Nixon (803) Ms. Rhetta Sanders (803) TRUSTEES Frank Jenkins, Chairman (803) Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church 5405 Black River Road Rembert, SC (803) Pastor s Study (803) Church Office ghbcinfo@granthillbaptist.org Website: granthillbaptist.org Please check out the website for additional information 17

18 Pastor Witherspoon Christens Baby Kaleah Johnson On September 25, 2016, the Grant Hill Congregation witnessed the Christening of Baby Kaleah as the Simon and Johnson families watch and listened closely to the Pastor s words. It was an awesome ceremony to watch, and a memorable one for the families. GOD s special blessings for both families and Baby Kaleah. Grant Hill Golf Team Wins Second Place The Grant Hill Golf Team participated in the 17th Annual Christian Golf Outing, and came in 2nd place, The second place prize was $1,200, which was donated to the Grant Hill Building Fund. Plaques were also awarded. HOOAH! Grant Hill Minister of Music Herbert Johnson receives Teacher of the Year for Lakewood High School. Grant Hill Celebrates with SFC John Sanders who recently retired from the U.S. Army. We congratulate and thank him for his service, as he begins a new career. 18

19 The Kingdom Connection Ministry under the direction of Minister Quentina Gregg held a fantastic clothing give-away on Saturday, August 12th. The event was held outside of First Lady Claudette Witherspoon s Beauty Salon. It was a beautiful day and the Grant Hill Volunteers were out in force to assist in the event. Minister Gregg was very thankful for the support, just knowing that everyone cared about helping others in need. Stay tuned, there is much more to come Grant Hill s Praise Dance Ministry is on Fire Deacon and Mrs. L.B. Johnson visits Montgomery, Alabama and shares photos. 19

20 To Contact Us: Give us a call for more information about our services and ministries. Grant Hill MBC 5405 Black River Road Rembert, SC Phone: (803) Rev. Clifton N. Witherspoon, Pastor (H) ghpreacher@granthillbaptist.org Website: Facebook: Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church Church Clerk Bro. Thomas Nickens ghbcinfo@granthillbaptist.org Secretary Sis. Sharon Gathers sjgathers@granthillbaptist.org Grant Hill MBC 5405 Black River Road Rembert, SC Phone: (803) Rev. Clifton Witherspoon, Pastor PLACE STAMP HERE 20