Cornerstone Baptist Church stands at 700 S. Converse Street in the heart of Spartanburg, South Carolina. It is known as a church for “people on the grow,” with roots reaching back to 1905 and a ministry built around worship, service, fellowship, discipleship and outreach. The congregation has grown from a small Thompson Chapel assembly into a 1,800-seat worship campus while keeping a simple goal: to know Christ and make Him known.
Sunday Worship on South Converse Street
A Sunday visit begins with Sunday School at 8:30 a.m., followed by worship at 9:30 a.m. Both gatherings take place at 700 S. Converse Street. Cornerstone presents its worship setting as warm and friendly, and the Sunday service is also presented as the Morning Worship Experience.
- Sunday School: 8:30 a.m. on Sundays
- Worship service: 9:30 a.m. on Sundays
- Virtual Bible Study: 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays
The worship gathering can be watched through the church's livestream, and an expanding collection of worship experiences and messages is available in the video archive. The main church phone number is (864) 582-2550. A church parking lot is on the property, and a lot across the street was acquired for parking and playground use. For families, the ministry includes a nursery and Morning Joy, a separate church for children and teens. The Corner Store in the concourse stocks Bibles, study materials, Christian gifts and ministry supplies.
Wednesday Bible Study in a Virtual Setting
Midweek Bible Study takes place virtually at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. The church also organizes cluster groups to strengthen ministry connections and growth, providing another avenue for fellowship and discipleship alongside the weekly study.
From Thompson Chapel to South Converse Street
The congregation began as Thompson Chapel Church, organized as a Congregational Church by Rev. Mack in 1905 in a hall at Wofford and Thompson streets. Rev. Layman Morgan moved it to North Thompson Street in 1909. When Rev. G. H. Nelson began serving in 1911, the church had only about 25 or 30 members. Sunday offerings were sometimes only 25 or 30 cents, and members worked for an entire year to pay an $80 debt. Nelson rebuilt the church in 1912.
Rev. C. P. Parker was elected in 1919 and served for 11 years. A new church was erected on the site's then-current location and completed in 1923. Under Rev. C. E. McLester, who arrived in 1930, the old building was renovated with brick veneer, steam heat and new pews, and the name became Thompson Street Baptist Church. A division in 1939 sent more than half the membership to organize Ebenezer Baptist Church. Rev. M. L. Robinson served from 1939 to 1948, paid the church's indebtedness in full, acquired a parsonage on Wofford Street and paved the church yard.
Rev. B. T. Sears began serving in 1949 and remained nearly 50 years. His ministry brought an interior renovation with a remodeled pulpit and choir loft, 12 screened-in Sunday School rooms, a modern kitchen, pastor's office, choir rooms and basement gas heat. Membership tripled. The Missionary Society was reorganized into circles, the Men's Fellowship was established, and a graded choir system brought together Children's, Junior, Youth, A'Capella, Senior, Women's Gospel and all-male choirs. A church-sponsored community kindergarten and Boy Scout and Girl Scout organizations also became part of Cornerstone's work. Property was acquired behind the church and across the street for parking and a playground, while plans were drawn for a modern church school.
After 67 years on Spartanburg's northwest side, leaders found a former Morningside Baptist Church building at South Converse Street and Collins Avenue. The first worship service in the new location was held the first Sunday in October 1976. Dr. Sears delivered the 11 a.m. message, followed by a 5 p.m. baptismal service and a 6 p.m. evening worship service with music from the Corinth and Zion Hill Baptist Church choirs. Three weeks of dedication services followed in October. The congregation took the name Cornerstone Baptist Church, and Sears continued serving until his death in July 1999.
Dr. Jackson Builds a Wider Ministry
After an 18-month pastoral search and more than 200 résumés, Cornerstone called the Rev. Charles Jerome Junious Jackson III on October 15, 2000. He was installed as pastor on December 3. Twenty new ministries were established under his early leadership, and the church later expanded to more than 50 internal ministries. These include an Intercessory Prayer Ministry, youth and adult dance teams, a Praise Step Team and cluster groups organized to strengthen ministry connections and growth.
Jackson founded the Ministers in Training Program in 2000 and has mentored more than 50 elders, licensed ministers and ministers in training. Under his leadership, membership tripled; the church added three buses, television monitors, large screens and commercial-grade cameras. It also acquired 63 acres on Southport Road and three properties near the main church location.
Jackson was consecrated as Bishop in April 2011, and the City of Spartanburg named October 2011 Charles Jackson Community Day in recognition of his community work. Ground was broken for a larger sanctuary on January 23, 2011, beginning a new phase of the church's South Converse Street campus.
A Teacher and Mentor for Ministry
Bishop Jackson's work as a teacher extends beyond Cornerstone. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology from Richmond Virginia Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Erskine Theological Seminary. He is the author of Outreach Theology: Transitioning the Traditional Church and co-founded Joy and Strength Ministries, Charles Jackson Ministries, LLC, and Calvary Fellowship Ministries to mentor and train pastors and church leaders. His community service includes serving as a chaplain for the City of Spartanburg Police Department and serving on the Habitat for Humanity board.
Choirs and Praise Teams Fill the Sanctuary
Music has been a major part of Cornerstone's life for generations. The historical choir system grew into the Sanctuary Choir, formed by combining the Gospel Choir and Voices of Cornerstone with a Praise and Worship Team and Teen Praise Team. The worship ministry also includes youth and adult dance teams and the Praise Step Team. These groups give the congregation different ways to participate in praise. Bro. Don Parker serves as Minister of Music.
Broadcast Outreach Reaches Beyond the Sanctuary
Cornerstone's outreach has long extended beyond its walls. Under Jackson, the church developed The Joy of the Lord, a television broadcast ministry that aired weekly on two networks. It installed television monitors, large screens and commercial-grade cameras, and incorporated social media into a broader outreach ministry. Sunday worship experiences and messages from the sanctuary can be viewed in the video archive, while the livestream allows viewers to follow the 9:30 a.m. gathering.
Morning Joy, Joy Academy and Mentorship for Girls
The church's nursery ministry was revitalized under Jackson, and Morning Joy gives children and teens a church of their own. Joy Academy adds an after-school and summer program. Co-Pastor Elder Alaine Jackson founded the Daughters of Excellence Mentorship Program for girls ages 3 to 18, training them in etiquette and social skills as well as evangelism and outreach skills.
Alaine Jackson's ministry roles include choir directress, founder of the Youth Praise Dance and Step ministries, Praise and Worship leader, Adjutant Minister, Cluster Leader of Inreach ministries and Intercessory Prayer coordinator. A native of Glen Allen, Virginia, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Elizabeth City State University in 1990. She was ordained as an Elder on October 27, 2013, and elevated to Co-Pastor the following month.
A Campus for Worship, Learning and Shopping
The new 1,800-seat, $5 million worship campus includes a sanctuary, gymnasium and concourse. The gymnasium was dedicated in March 2012, and the sanctuary followed in March 2013. Building a gym for youth and community use was one of Bishop Jackson's long-range objectives. The church also holds a 63-acre property on Southport Road and three additional properties near the main location.
The Corner Store occupies space in the concourse and offers Christian reading, biblical reference materials, Bibles, textbooks, African-American figurines, Christian decor, clergy attire, greeting cards, music recordings and Greek sorority and fraternity gifts. The store is open Monday through Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m. and on Sundays until 1 p.m. It also accepts advance orders for special purchases.
Knowing Christ and Making Him Known
Cornerstone's mission is “to know Christ and to make Him known through worship and service.” Its vision calls for an atmosphere of worship where all people come to know Christ and serve Him through fellowship, discipleship and outreach. The Joy of the Lord broadcast and the Evangelism Ministry's prayer walk are examples of that outward emphasis. Cluster groups, intercessory prayer, children's and youth ministries, the Corner Store, the gym and church leadership development are also organized around the same stated aim of presenting Christ in a warm, friendly environment.
Cornerstone says financial contributions help spread Christ's message of hope and healing “around the corner and around the world.” Contributions can be made through PayPal, Pushpay, text giving to GIVE at 833-878-3783, the church app or by mail to 700 S. Converse Street. The giving options also support the church's work of worship, discipleship and service.
At 700 S. Converse Street, Cornerstone Baptist Church's ministry in Spartanburg remains centered on worship, discipleship, leadership development, musical expression and service to the congregation and the surrounding community.