On the western edge of Sumter, South Carolina, a congregation that began as a mission of First Baptist Church in 1956 now fills three campuses across two counties. Alice Drive Baptist Church grew out of thirty-four families who saw the western part of the city as unreached and planted what would become one of the largest Baptist churches in the area. Today the church gathers under the leadership of Lead Pastor Corey Watson and lives out a single, repeated phrase: helping as many people as possible take their next step toward Jesus Christ.
Three Campuses, One Church
Alice Drive Baptist Church worships at three locations in two South Carolina counties. The Loring Mill Campus at 1305 Loring Mill Road in Sumter is the broadcast campus and the home of the most extensive programming. It hosts Sunday services, the church offices, the preschool, and the central production team. The Pocalla Campus meets in its own building at 65 Masters Drive in Sumter after years of moving between schools, a skating rink, and a shopping center. The newest campus, Bishopville, meets at Chappell Park in Bishopville and is led by Campus Pastor Sam Smithson and his wife Paige.
The Pocalla Campus opened in February 2017 when ninety volunteers launched the work on Super Bowl Sunday, first meeting at Pocalla Springs Elementary School before moving to Lakewood High School and eventually to a permanent building that was dedicated in early 2022. The Bishopville Campus launched in October 2021 after Smithson was hired in preparation the year before. The two newer locations represent the same conviction that shaped the church in 1956: people in this region matter to God and deserve a nearby place to worship.
A Heritage Rooted in the Santee Association
Alice Drive Baptist Church carries a Baptist lineage that runs back to the Revolutionary era. In 1770, citizens of the Statesburg community erected a meeting house north of the present town that quickly became a Baptist church. Richard Furman, the founder of the first national Baptist body in America and a key figure in the founding of Furman University, was ordained there in 1774. First Baptist Church of Sumter grew out of that "mother" High Hills church in 1813. A century and a half later, in November 1955, thirty-four families from First Baptist's Adult Department II proposed a new church in the western part of Sumter, and Alice Drive was officially organized on October 21, 1956, in the cafeteria of Alice Drive Junior High School. One hundred seven members enrolled that day.
The name has a story of its own. Alice Harby Shelor died in 1916 at age thirty-three from tuberculosis. Her father, Henry J. Harby, built a twenty-six-bed sanitarium at the corner of Alice Drive and Wise Drive that, unusually for its day, admitted children and patients of every race. The access road to that hospital was named Alice Road, and the sanitarium became known as Camp Alice. When the church family gathered at the junior high school named for that road, they chose to keep the name even though the building would later move to Miller Road and then to Loring Mill Road. The sanctuary at Loring Mill is built around a "Big Rock" that commemorates the first sermon preached by Dr. W. R. McLin, pastor of First Baptist Sumter, who titled his message "Upon This Rock."
Through five senior pastors and decades of growth, Alice Drive has remained affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and the Santee Baptist Association. In 2018 the church joined the Columbia Metro Association as an associate member while maintaining its primary relationship with the Santee Association.
Beliefs and the Church Covenant
The constitution and bylaws lay out a detailed statement of faith built around historic Baptist convictions. The church affirms one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the virgin birth, true divinity, and true humanity of Jesus Christ; the substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross and his bodily resurrection; the personal and imminent return of Jesus; the new birth by the Holy Spirit through faith; water baptism by immersion for believers; the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust; the full inspiration and authority of Scripture; the Lord's Supper for believers walking in fellowship with Christ; and the regular gathering of Christians for worship, the ordinances, and mutual encouragement.
The Church Covenant pairs that doctrinal foundation with a four-part way of life the congregation calls Know Jesus, Know Community, Grow Character, and Go Share. Members pledge to welcome those exploring faith, gather regularly in fellowship, care for one another, refuse to gossip, protect the unity of the church, follow its leaders, and discipline themselves in prayer, Bible study, giving, and fasting. They also pledge to discover their calling, serve with their gifts, share their resources, and tell the story of Jesus. The constitution makes the Bible the final authority for faith and practice, with the Direction Team serving as the congregation's interpretive body.
Sunday Services and Worship at Each Campus
The Loring Mill Campus offers three Sunday services. The earliest, at 8:30 AM, is a Classic Worship service with hymns for those who prefer a more traditional setting. The 9:45 AM and 11:00 AM services feature contemporary worship led by a vocal team and worship band, with modern instruments, screens, and a mix of recent and older worship songs. Worship at Alice Drive is described as vibrant and expressive, with freedom to worship with hands raised or lowered, eyes open or closed.
The Pocalla Campus meets at 9:45 AM and 11:00 AM, with contemporary music in both services. The Bishopville Campus meets at 11:00 AM, with a LIFE Group hour for adults at 9:45 AM. Programming for kids, students, and adults runs alongside each service, with nursery and preschool care available at every campus during worship. The Loring Mill Campus also livestreams each service online, and sermons remain available along with notes in the YouVersion Bible app.
Baptism is scheduled on the second Sunday of each month at every campus. The Lord's Supper is observed at least four times a year. Children are always welcome in the service, and a nursing mothers' room at Loring Mill streams the worship service so parents can still participate.
What to Expect as a First-Time Guest
Alice Drive describes itself as "a place of grace welcoming people from all walks of life." Visitors are not put on the spot, asked to sign anything, or singled out. First-time guests who fill out a connect card will receive a small gift delivered to their home. Ushers and greeters direct newcomers to classrooms, restrooms, and the worship center. Dress at every campus ranges from casual to business casual.
For families, the kids' check-in system issues each child a nametag matched to a parent security tag, and no child enters or exits a classroom without both tags. Every volunteer who works with children and students has been background checked. A team called Buddies serves children with special needs at Loring Mill, and the Significance LIFE Group offers a Sunday-morning class specifically for special-needs adults.
Kids Ministry from Nursery through Fifth Grade
Alice Drive Kids Ministries describes its mission as helping as many kids as possible take their next step toward Jesus Christ. Programming is available for children from birth through fifth grade at Loring Mill and Pocalla, and for children birth through second grade at Bishopville on Sunday mornings, with Wednesday-night Midweek for third through fifth graders there.
Sunday mornings offer a nursery for babies and toddlers, preschool classes for ages three and four, and elementary LIFE Groups for kindergarten through fifth grade. The curriculum is the Orange Curriculum, which walks preschoolers through the Bible at their level and gives elementary children a mix of small-group connection, large-group worship, games, and Bible teaching. The 4th and 5th grade Preteen Experience offers deeper Bible story lessons, discussion, and worship designed for older elementary students.
Wednesday-night Midweek is offered for kids ages three through fifth grade at Loring Mill and Pocalla, with the Pocalla and Loring Mill programs combined on the Loring Mill campus. Theme nights through the year include Backward Day, Sports Day, Character Day, PJ Day, and a Summer Blast. AWANA is available for kindergarten through fifth grade at Loring Mill during Midweek for $15 per child.
Student Ministry from Middle School through High School
Alice Drive Student Ministry exists to help as many students as possible take their next step toward Jesus Christ. The motto Know Jesus, Know Community, Grow Character, Go Share is repeated across student pages. Sunday LIFE Groups for middle school and high school students meet at 9:45 AM at both Loring Mill (in the Venue) and Pocalla (in rooms 122 and 126). At Bishopville, students gather at Chappell Park.
Wednesday nights at Loring Mill combine the Pocalla and Loring Mill student ministries. Middle school meets from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. High school meets from 6:45 to 8:00 PM, with an optional After Hours time from 8:00 to 9:00 PM led by students for community and games. On the first Wednesday of each month, the students go out together to eat.
Student ministry also extends into local schools through a network of Bible studies. Sumter High has a Monday morning study at Starbucks on McCrays Mill Road. Home school boys meet Mondays at noon in the Venue at Loring Mill. Thomas Sumter Academy meets during Tuesday lunch. Wilson Hall has Thursday morning studies for both girls and boys. A Sunday afternoon home school girls study rounds out the week. Summer mission trips, retreats, and student-led Bible studies at Bishopville expand the ministry beyond the church campus.
Kingdom Kids Preschool
Kingdom Kids Preschool is a weekday program operated by the church at the Loring Mill Campus for children ages four months (by September 1) through four years. The preschool shares the church's belief that even the youngest children benefit from biblically based teaching in a loving environment. Programs include a three-day option (Mon/Wed/Fri) for nursery through 3K and a five-day program (Mon through Fri) for 4K classrooms, with new Tots, 2K, and 3K classrooms added for 2026-2027. School hours run from 9:00 AM to noon, and tuition is $200 per month for the three-day program and $250 per month for the five-day program, with separate registration and materials fees. The preschool observes the same holidays as Sumter County public schools.
LIFE Groups for Every Stage of Life
Belonging is described as an essential next step at Alice Drive, and LIFE Groups are the primary way the church cultivates that belonging. Dozens of groups meet on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, weekdays, and online across all three campuses. Groups are organized by age, life stage, and topic.
Men's groups include Brotherhood for senior men, Camo for men of all ages, The Forge for men at Pocalla studying the spiritual disciplines, Stand Firm and Act Like Men (a study of the book by Joby Martin), Run Over by the Grace Train, and the monthly Alice Drive Men gathering on the third Saturday at 7:30 AM in McManus Hall with breakfast, teaching, and small-group discussion. A motorcyclists' group called B3lieve (Bible, Bikes, and Brothers) meets off campus for bi-weekly Bible study and group rides.
Women's groups include Joshua, Amazing Grace, Think on It, Breathe, Journal With Jesus, Precept: Daniel, Christians Encouraging Others (CEO's), and Christians in Action (a Jen Wilkin study on 1, 2, and 3 John). Flourish is a year-long curriculum-based mentoring journey connecting women in mentee-mentor pairs, with mentor and mentee applications available through the church. MOMS Sumter (formerly MOPS) meets twice a month on the Loring Mill campus from 9:00 to 11:30 AM for speakers, small groups, crafts, and food. Stitches of Love, a quilting ministry that makes baby quilts for crisis pregnancy centers and Shaw Air Force Base families and comfort caps for cancer patients, gathers on the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the Cabin. Thimble Thursday adds a weekly informal sewing time.
Young adults have several dedicated groups, including Young Married Parents studying Ephesians, the Hilliard/Courtney LIFE Group for young married couples, the Basketball LIFE Group in Bishopville, Ultimate Frisbee at Patriot Park, and a Young Adults Book Study. GriefShare meets at Pocalla on Tuesday evenings for thirteen weeks of grief support. Take Five is a caregiver support group meeting every other Wednesday. Significance is a LIFE Group designed for individuals with special needs. Family LIFE Group includes childcare and discussion of weekly sermons, marriage, and parenting.
Midweek at Alice Drive
Wednesday evenings gather the whole church family at the Loring Mill Campus and at Chappell Park in Bishopville from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. At Loring Mill, the Pocalla and Loring Mill congregations combine for the evening, with Adult LIFE Groups, Kids Midweek for ages three through fifth grade (including the AWANA program and the 4th-5th grade Preteen Experience), and Student Midweek for middle and high school. Childcare is available on Wednesday nights for children two and younger for volunteers and LIFE Group participants. Bishopville offers Family Night with a meal on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, prayer, and Bible study, and Kids and Student Midweek for older children and students in sixth through twelfth grade.
Missions and Local Outreach
Alice Drive lives out the Go Share value through a wide network of local and global mission partnerships. The HELPS Ministry builds wheelchair ramps for neighbors who are unable to build them on their own. Operation Christmas Child sends shoeboxes packed by the church family around the world. Pack the Pantry twice a year re-stocks Sumter United Ministries' food supplies, with Bishopville donations supporting Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church's food pantry.
The church partners with Alice Drive Elementary, Bates Middle School, and Willow Drive Elementary to provide care packages for children who arrive at school without access to food. Crosswell Children's Home is served through birthday sponsorships and Second Sunday Suppers that provide a traditional Sunday meal. Durant Children's Center, a child advocacy center, receives volunteer labor and supplies. The Sumter Pregnancy Center receives diaper drives and Baby Bottle Boomerang support. Adopt-A-Family partners with the Disabilities and Special Needs Board each Christmas. The annual Special Needs Banquet on the second Tuesday of December honors individuals with special needs and their caregivers with a Christmas meal, music, and fellowship.
Globally, the church has sent short-term mission teams to Honduras, New York City, Botswana (where Scott and Tonya Shipes were commissioned as missionaries in 2010), Spain, and Camp Rock in Valdosta, Georgia. Vision for missions is rooted in Acts 1:8, with a Seeking, Sharing, Serving, and Sending strategy.
Alice Drive Sports
Alice Drive Sports is a family-friendly sports ministry designed to help kids have fun, build confidence, and experience community in a Christ-centered environment. The first program launched was a youth fall soccer league for children ages two through fifth grade at the Loring Mill Campus. The league is designed to provide a fun, encouraging, and Christ-centered environment where kids develop skills, build friendships, and learn teamwork.
Giving and Stewardship
Tithes and offerings are collected at each service. Online giving is available through the church's Realm platform, by texting ADBC to 73256, or through the Realm Connect mobile app. The church also accepts non-cash gifts including stocks and securities, donor-advised fund gifts, IRA qualified charitable distributions, gifts of real estate or business interests, legacy gifts through wills and trusts, and cryptocurrency donations through Engiven.
Online Campus and Resources
Live and recorded video reaches beyond South Carolina. The church's online ministry reports views from across the United States and from ten countries on four continents. Services are livestreamed on Sunday mornings, sermons are archived online, sermon notes are available in the YouVersion Bible app, and prayer requests can be submitted confidentially through an online form. RightNow Media is available to the church family as a free library of more than twenty thousand videos for kids, students, singles, parents, and married couples.
Getting Connected
For those new to Alice Drive, the church recommends a clear path. Starting Point is a class held at the Loring Mill Campus and other campuses on a regular basis that introduces the mission, vision, beliefs, and values of the church and is the required step toward church membership. Baptism Sunday happens on the second Sunday of each month for those ready to take that step. LIFE Groups are the next step for community. Serving on one of the church's many teams (First Impressions, Worship, Tech, Kids, Students, Online) is the next step for those who want to use their gifts. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and the Communications team is reachable at communications@adbc.org or by phone at 803-905-5200.