A Baptist Church at the Heart of Belton
Cedar Grove Baptist Church sits along Highway 20 just east of Belton, South Carolina, in a part of Anderson County where small towns and country roads have long shaped community life. The church has anchored that stretch for generations, and its identity today is shaped less by a single building than by the steady rhythm of ministries that fan out from it: a daycare that opens at 7:00 in the morning, AWANA cars pulling into the Family Life Center by suppertime, youth filling The Hub for Bible study on Wednesday nights, and Grove Gatherings meeting in homes across Belton, Cheddar and Williamston during the week.
Pastor Chad Moore leads a congregation that describes itself with the motto Disciples Who Make Disciples for Generations to Come. Everything at Cedar Grove, from Sunday services to neighborhood outreach, is built around that single aim: helping believers grow in Christ and equipping them to lead others to do the same.
Sunday and Wednesday: The Weekly Rhythm
The clearest window into Cedar Grove's life is its weekly schedule. Life Groups meet on the main campus at 9:30 am, giving every age a place to study Scripture together before the worship service. Morning worship begins at 10:45 am, and the church gathers again at 6:00 pm for a Sunday evening Bible study. Children are welcome to stay in the sanctuary for that evening hour, and a nursery is provided for the youngest among them.
Wednesday nights draw a different crowd and a different energy. AWANA clubs run from 5:45 to 7:45 pm in the Family Life Center during the school year, with a hot supper served before club time. Middle and high school students head to The Hub for Student Ministry, where supper is offered at 6:15 pm during the school year and worship and Bible study follow at 6:30 pm. An adult Bible study meets across the campus at 6:30 pm, so the whole church can be in the Word on the same night.
Children: AWANA, Power Kids and Proverbs 22:6
The Children's Ministry is built on Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. On Sunday mornings, children join the wider church for Life Groups at 9:30 am, and they can remain in the sanctuary or in the nursery during the 6:00 pm Bible study. The flagship Wednesday program is AWANA, a Scripture-memory and game-based club that runs during the school year. Over the summer, the same Wednesday slot becomes Power Kids, meeting at 6:30 pm for lessons, friendship and a light snack.
Throughout the year, the children's team adds special events that pair fellowship with hands-on learning. Vacation Bible School is a recurring highlight, and a Fall Festival is part of the seasonal calendar as well.
Student Ministry at The Hub
Cedar Grove's youth ministry gathers around the same conviction as the children's work: that discipleship, not just programming, is the goal. On Sundays, students join the 9:30 am Life Groups and the 6:00 pm Bible study. On Wednesdays, the focus narrows in The Hub, where a school-year supper at 6:15 pm gives way to worship, large- and small-group Bible study, prayer, and fellowship from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
Derek Bracken oversees Student Ministry and Counseling. Discipleship extends beyond the church walls through regular hangouts, ball games, overnight stays and shared meals that build the kind of community in which students can be honest about their faith.
College and Young Adults: FWRD
The FWRD Ministry is Cedar Grove's college and young-adult gathering, meeting on Fridays at 6:00 pm in The Hub for Bible study and mutual encouragement. The name captures the group's outlook: moving forward in faith together. Quarterly, the ministry plans a night out, whether bowling, skating, or card games, to give the group a relaxed setting for fellowship.
Men and Women: Monday Nights at The Hub
Both the men's and women's ministries meet on Monday evenings at 6:30 pm in The Hub, giving adults a second midweek touchpoint beyond Wednesday.
The Man to Man Ministry is shaped by Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. The group has worked through Kent Hughes' Disciplines of a Godly Man and is committed to discipleship, accountability, and service that reaches into families, the church, and the wider community.
BLOOM is the women's ministry, and its tagline tells its story: Rooted in the Word, blooming in every season. BLOOM walks women through Barbara Hughes' Disciplines of a Godly Woman and seeks to help them let the life of Christ overflow into their words, actions and service. Cedar Grove's women are also connected to the wider work of South Carolina Women's Missionary Union, which links the church to missions across the state and beyond.
Fellowship Friends: Adults Gathering Around the Table
Fellowship Friends is the church's adult fellowship ministry. On the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm, adults gather for a shared meal, conversation, and encouragement, the kind of unhurried time that turns acquaintances into friends and friends into family.
Grove Gatherings: Home Groups Across the Area
Beyond Sunday morning, much of Cedar Grove's discipleship happens in homes. Grove Gatherings are small groups of roughly eight to ten people - couples, singles, any age - that meet in living rooms across the area for six-month stretches of Bible study, fellowship, and accountability. The groups are designed to advance the Great Commission by making the kind of intentional, relational growth possible that a large room cannot.
Those who want to lead or host a group can receive training through Pastor Chad, and anyone looking for a group can sign up at the information center in the church vestibule.
Counseling and the Inasmuch Ministry
Two related ministries at Cedar Grove focus on the harder parts of life. The Inasmuch Ministry, rooted in Matthew 25:40, offers Christ-centered care to individuals and families walking through grief or relational struggles. It provides prayer, support groups, family workshops, and one-on-one guidance to help people find healing and reconciliation.
A counseling ministry is also being developed. Derek Bracken, who oversees both Student Ministry and Counseling, leads that work, and additional counseling services are on the horizon.
Reaching Out: Belton, Honduras and the Local Schools
Cedar Grove takes seriously the call to live on mission. The church's Community work shows up in three places at once.
Locally, Life Groups and Grove Gatherings fan out into neighborhoods in Belton, Cheddar and Williamston, knocking on doors, sharing the Gospel, and providing small gifts or meals. Pastor Chad volunteers with Belton Middle School football and basketball teams through the FCA Character Coach program, teaching weekly character lessons and handing out sports drinks alongside the coaches.
Globally, the Missions Team has traveled to Honduras, most recently in 2025 when 22 Cedar Grove members worked alongside a local church in Puerto Cortés. Members also give to and partner with South Carolina WMU.
Cedar Grove Education and Daycare Center
Sharing the Highway 20 campus, just next door to the church, the Cedar Grove Education and Daycare Center is a weekday ministry in its own right. Open Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, the center uses the ABEKA Christian curriculum to provide a Bible-based, academically strong program for infants through young children.
Director Diana Murphy and Assistant Director Mary Burnley lead a team of classroom teachers who keep the focus on nurturing faith and knowledge in equal measure. The daycare is open year-round, accepts children from outside the church, and maintains a wait list for future enrollment. Families can reach the center at (864) 847-9424 or cgedcc@hotmail.com.
What Cedar Grove Believes
Cedar Grove's Statement of Faith and Beliefs is drawn from the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the confession of the Southern Baptist Convention, linking the church to one of the largest evangelical bodies in the country.
Six core values shape everything the church does. Cedar Grove seeks to be Christ-Centered, keeping Jesus as the foundation and focus of all ministry; Biblically Faithful, treating God's Word as the ultimate authority; Gospel-Driven, letting the Good News of Christ compel every action and transformation; Equipping for Ministry and Mission, preparing believers to serve and disciple others; Prayer-Dependent, relying on prayer as the foundation for all ministry; and marked by Authentic Worship that is heartfelt and God-glorifying.
Getting Connected
Visitors who want to attend a service can plan around the simple Sunday rhythm: Life Groups at 9:30 am, worship at 10:45 am, evening Bible study at 6:00 pm. Children are welcome in the worship service and in the nursery, and dress tends to be Sunday-best without being formal. Midweek programming - AWANA, Student Ministry, adult Bible study, Monday men's and women's groups, Friday FWRD - offers a natural second step into the life of the church.
Giving is available online through the church's Realm giving page, and the church office can be reached at (864) 847-4434 or office@cgbcbelton.org for questions, prayer requests, or next steps. For families looking for weekday care, the Education and Daycare Center is just down the road at 13026 Highway 20.