Tucked along South Main Street in the small town of Campobello, South Carolina, First Baptist Church of Campobello has stood as a steady witness since 1880. Now more than a century and a generation past its organizing, the congregation still gathers each Sunday morning to sing, pray, and preach in the same community where its first members set down roots. The church's 146th Homecoming celebration, complete with a guest pastor and a meal around the table, is the kind of tradition that marks a long, continuous presence in a town the size of Campobello, and it sits alongside an annual Fall Festival, an Operating Christmas Child shoe box packing party, and a candlelight Christmas Eve service that fills the Family Life Center behind the sanctuary.
Sunday Mornings: Sunday School and Worship
Sunday School begins at 9:30 AM, followed by Morning Worship at 10:30 AM. The morning gathers adults in classes for study and then brings the whole church together for a service that includes a choir anthem, congregational singing, prayer, scripture reading, and a sermon. Worship is offered in English, and the same hymn-centered, expository style that has marked Southern Baptist churches for generations is what visitors will find here.
Children have their own track on Sunday morning. HIS Crew Sunday School meets at 9:30 AM, and at 10:30 AM children through the fifth grade are invited into Children's Worship, where the same passage the adults hear is taught at a level suited to them. The church describes Children's Ministry as focused on "solid, energetic, intentional Bible teaching, along with fun and engaging fellowship," and every precaution is taken to provide a safe environment so parents can worship with a clear mind.
Wednesday Nights Around the Tables
Midweek programming begins at 6:30 PM and runs in three streams. Adults gather for Bible Study at 6:30 PM, students in grades 6 through 12 meet for CREW / Youth Ministry at the same hour, and the choir rehearses at 7:30 PM. The Wednesday schedule is built so that families can arrive together and then split off into their own groups, with the choir practice running after the students have been dismissed.
The midweek rhythm gives the congregation a second touchpoint each week for scripture and prayer, and the choir program keeps a steady supply of music for Sunday mornings as well as seasonal services like the Christmas Eve candlelight gathering.
HIS Crew Children's Ministry
HIS Crew is the children's ministry arm of the church, and the name stands for a place where children learn that God loves them and sent His Son, Jesus, as Savior for all who trust in Him. The CREW Zone welcomes children through the fifth grade for energetic Bible teaching, fellowship, and fun. In addition to Sunday morning Sunday School and Children's Worship, HIS Crew meets on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM for a program tailored to kids. The children's ministry is led by Suzanne Rogers, who has spent most of her life in children's ministry alongside her husband, Pastor Gary. Annual highlights include Children's Ministry Day, when the children sing during morning worship, and the Christmas HIS Crew Children's Program, which is presented during the 10:30 AM worship service on the first Sunday of December.
Campobello Students (Youth Ministry)
Campobello Students is the youth ministry of First Baptist Campobello, gathering students to help them "relentlessly pursue after Jesus." Students meet for Sunday School at 9:30 AM and again on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM for teaching and fellowship in the infallible Word of God. The ministry's stated mission is to take the Gospel outside the youth room and into the local community and schools, and that missional posture shapes much of the student calendar. Kyle Havican joined the staff as Minister of Youth in February 2026 and is studying Christian Studies at North Greenville University; he and his fiancée, Kyleigh, both serve the students together.
Student life extends beyond the weekly schedule. The ministry takes students to SummerSalt, the South Carolina Baptist camp at week 5 each summer. Movie nights on the church campus, a progressive Christmas dinner, the BIG C youth rally with food and coffee trucks, and an annual youth mission trip round out the year. The student Instagram feed, @campobello_students, keeps families in the loop on what's coming up.
G.L.O.W. Women's Ministry
GLOW stands for God-Loving-Obeying-Women, and the women's ministry exists to help women connect, grow, and shine for Christ. Through fellowship, prayer, Bible study, and service, the group encourages women to deepen their faith, strengthen their relationships, and live out God's calling in every season of life. GLOW meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM, and the meetings are intentionally relaxed: come as you are, ready for a good Word, food, and fellowship. The group welcomes women at any stage, whether they are new to faith, returning after time away, or looking for deeper friendships within the church.
The Brotherhood Men's Ministry
The Brotherhood is First Baptist Campobello's ministry for men, built around the conviction that men are stronger together when they walk together. The goal is to equip men to be strong spiritual leaders at home, faithful servants in the church, and positive influences in their community, and the group welcomes men whether they are new to faith, looking to reconnect with God, or seeking to grow deeper in their walk with Christ. From June through October the Brotherhood meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM for a Backyard Bible Study, hosted by Jimmy Littlefield and featuring speakers like Tom Plemmons. Each gathering includes a guest speaker, snacks, and fellowship; men are invited to bring an outdoor chair and a Bible.
Golden Hearts: Senior Adults
Golden Hearts is the church's ministry for older adults, and it centers on the Golden Hearts Luncheon, held on the third Thursday of each month at 11:30 AM. The luncheons are hosted at the church and serve as a regular fellowship time for the church's senior adults, with food and conversation around the table. The group also gathers with other senior adults from the wider North Spartan Baptist Association for quarterly fellowship luncheons hosted at area churches.
Family Life Center and the Annual Calendar
The Family Life Center, located behind the main church building, is the gathering place for many of the larger fellowship events. The annual Fall Festival is held there, complete with food, games, and prizes, and the Christmas Dinner is hosted in the same space. The candle-light Christmas Eve service, the shoe box packing party for Operation Christmas Child, and the soup and caroling night are all part of the wider calendar the church walks through each year.
Each October the church gathers for its Homecoming service, an annual milestone that brings former members and longtime friends back to South Main Street for a guest preacher and a shared meal. The Homecoming and the town's own Christmas parade, in which the church enters a float, both signal how deeply First Baptist Campobello is woven into the rhythms of the town.
What the Church Believes
The church's vision is captured in three phrases: Loving God, Loving Others, and Serving for the Glory of God. The phrases come from Jesus' words in Matthew 22:37-39, where the two greatest commandments are to love God with heart, soul, and mind and to love one's neighbor as oneself. The church teaches that loving God is worked out individually in time spent in scripture and prayer and collectively in gathered worship on Sunday, and that loving others is worked out as members of the church family encourage, pray for, support, and teach one another. Serving flows from Jesus' example as one who came to serve, and the church seeks to bring glory to God by serving others in the Campobello community and beyond.
The church belongs to the Southern Baptist family through its connection to the North Spartan Baptist Association, and that means the doctrinal commitments typical of a confessional Southern Baptist church, including the authority of scripture, the centrality of the gospel, and the believer's baptism by immersion, are part of how the congregation understands itself.
Preaching and Teaching
Sermons are organized into extended series that walk through books of the Bible and central doctrines of the faith. Recent and current series have included Christmas at Campobello, The Hope of Repentance, The Fruit of the Spirit, Answering God's Call, The Healthy Church, The Lord is My Shepherd, Believe, The God of Elijah, Disciple, Nativity, Identity: Who I Am In Christ, Renovation, and The Ten Commandments. Each week's message is recorded and made available online, with audio recordings stretching back through several years of ministry.
Pastoral Staff
Pastor Gary Rogers has been in full-time ministry for forty years. He and his wife, Suzanne, have two grown daughters and six grandchildren, and he enjoys playing mandolin and guitar in his spare time with New River Bluegrass. Suzanne Rogers serves as Director of Children's Ministry and has been involved in children's ministry for most of her forty-plus years as a pastor's wife. Kyle Havican joined the staff as Minister of Youth in February 2026 and is completing a Christian Studies degree at North Greenville University. Kelly Henson has served as the church's Ministry Assistant since 2006, coordinating the office and helping to care for the people of First Baptist Campobello and the surrounding community.
Giving and Staying Connected
Online giving is available through the church's giving portal, where members and friends can set up recurring gifts by bank draft or by debit or credit card. The church also keeps in touch through a monthly newsletter, a Vimeo channel where recent sermons are posted, and a Facebook page that carries news and announcements. Visitors who want to know more are welcome to come by on a Sunday morning at 10:30 AM, when the doors are open and a chair is waiting.