At 515 Richland Ave E in Aiken, South Carolina, Friendship Baptist Church is an African Baptist congregation founded in 1866. Its identity is tied to a Gothic brick sanctuary, an early pipe organ, a history recognized by the Aiken County Historical Society, and a wide ministry of worship, music, education, care, and outreach. The church describes itself as a family centered on God’s Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit, seeking the Great Commission through fellowship, spiritual growth, Bible teaching, mission, and benevolence.
Sunday and Wednesday at Richland Avenue
Friendship Baptist Church gathers at 515 Richland Ave E. Sunday School precedes Sunday worship, while Wednesday includes a daytime Bible study, an afternoon prayer service, and an evening Bible study. The schedule makes room for teaching, prayer, and worship across the day.
- Sunday: Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. and worship at 10:15 a.m.
- Wednesday: Bible Study at 11:45 a.m., Prayer Service at 5:45 p.m., and Evening Bible Study at 6:15 p.m.
The church describes worship as centered on God’s Word and shaped by a varied musical tradition. Music ranges from the historic pipe organ and Senior Choir to gospel selections, children’s ensembles, the Male Chorus, praise teams, and instrumentalists. Different music ministries take part on defined Sundays, creating a recognizable musical rhythm across the month.
Children have several places within the church’s formation life. The Nursery provides a caring environment for infants and toddlers. A separate Preschool Class for children ages 4 and 5 serves as a bridge to Children’s Church, which has a preschool group for ages 3 to 5 and an elementary and middle school group for ages 6 to 12. Children’s Church sessions include singing, prayer, Scripture, lessons, activities, and puppetry.
Worship is livestreamed through the church’s YouTube channel, and a Sunday pastoral message is shared on Facebook at 10:00 a.m. Tithes and offerings can be given in person, mailed to PO Box 3124, Aiken, SC 29802, or through Givelify. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Friday by appointment, at (803) 648-9290.
From a Kershaw Street Brush Harbor
The roots of Friendship run back to the years following the Civil War. The earliest written history traces a group of worshippers who gathered in a brush harbor on Kershaw Street, on the southern side of the railroad tracks in Aiken. First Baptist Church took in the group in 1865. The history also records worshippers going to First Baptist after a race riot in Ellenton, South Carolina, that year. Those experiences made the need for a church built by and for the Black community increasingly clear.
Reverend John G. Phillips, an ex-slave, came forward with Reverend Luscious Cuthberth, a white minister, to lead the effort to establish Friendship African Baptist Church. Construction was completed in 1866. A fire of unknown origin destroyed the original building during an annual revival in 1893, and Phillips led the congregation to build again. The new brick church was completed in 1894.
The Gothic Sanctuary and Working Campus
The 1894 building was designed and constructed by S. Otts, identified as a white Christian architect. Its Gothic curves and corners, entrances on every side of the main auditorium, dome, and pointed spire give the sanctuary a distinctive appearance. The interior ceiling was formed in the shape of a cross, a visual expression of the church’s focus on Jesus’ death and salvation.
The pipe organ was purchased around 1920. It is one of 1,302 instruments built by the Hillgreen-Lane Company, which operated from 1898 until 1973, and it is registered with the Historical Organ Society in Richmond, Virginia. Another enduring feature is the glass bookcase built by Reverend Edenberg Graham. In 1923, Graham also built the pews and elevated the choir stand.
The Friendship Campus includes the church, the N. L. Bush Educational Building, built in 1939 and enlarged in 1977, and the former parsonage, now the FBC Administrative Building, built by Reverend Graham in 1920. An Aiken County Historical Society marker recognizes the church’s long local history. Under Pastor Clinton Edwards’s leadership, the membership adopted II Timothy 2:15 as its theme Scripture: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
The Baptist Faith in Eighteen Articles
Friendship Baptist Church summarizes its beliefs in 18 Articles of Faith. The articles cover doctrine, Christian life, the church, and final judgment in a distinctly Baptist framework.
- Scripture and God: The Bible is divinely inspired, with God as its author, salvation as its end, and truth without error. God is one and true, existing as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
- The fall and salvation: Humanity was created in holiness but fell through voluntary transgression. Salvation is wholly of grace through the Son of God, justification is through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, and those saved must be regenerated or born again.
- Repentance, grace, and growth: Repentance and faith are inseparable graces. Election is presented as God’s eternal purpose of grace, sanctification is a progressive work carried on by the Holy Spirit, and perseverance marks genuine belief.
- The church and its ordinances: A visible church is a covenanted congregation of baptized believers associated in the gospel. Its Scriptural officers are bishops or pastors and deacons. Baptism is believer’s immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, while the Lord’s Supper uses bread and wine following self-examination.
- Life and final judgment: The first day of the week is affirmed as the Christian Sabbath, civil government is described as divinely appointed, and the final day is associated with resurrection, judgment, and the separation of the righteous and wicked.
Purpose, Mission, and a Shared Vision
The church’s purpose is to foster and maintain public worship, carry out the Great Commission, promote Christian fellowship and spiritual growth, teach Bible doctrine, and combine the efforts of members in evangelism, mission, education, and benevolence.
Its mission describes Friendship as a redemptive body in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, committed to worship, proclamation, witness, nurture, education, and ministry. The aim is Christian maturity and a demonstration of what God has done, is doing, and promises to do in Jesus Christ.
The vision is stated plainly: “Sharing the Word of God, Transforming Minds, and Changing Lives.”
Pastoral Leadership at Friendship
Reverend Clinton “TC” Edwards Jr., MDiv, has served as pastor since January 1, 2005. Born in Augusta, Georgia, he began his higher education at Morehouse College before completing a Bachelor of Arts at Paine College in 1985. He earned a master’s degree in Adult Education from Georgia Southern University in 1995 and a Master of Divinity from Erskine Theological Seminary in 2000. His ministry included Sunday school and Bible teaching, an interim pastorate at Oak Grove Baptist Church, and the pastorate of White Rock Baptist Church, where he was ordained in 2001. At Friendship, he also serves as the point of contact for Christian Education.
Reverend Jasmyne Johnson serves as Youth Minister, ministering to and teaching the church’s teens and youth. Minister Willar Hightower is the Associate Minister, and Frederick Williams directs music ministry. First Lady Robbin K. Edwards initiated the Women’s Ministry in 2011 and served as its first president. The deacon leadership includes Earnest Saylor as chairman, Frank Wright as vice chairman, Willie Green, Charles Mitchell, William Price, Flip Quiller, Isaac Rucker, and Leonard Harrison as emeritus deacon.
A Month Shaped by Song
Music is one of the clearest expressions of Friendship’s identity. The church’s Music Ministry includes A.B. Miles Voices of Praise, the John Phillips Choir, FBC Pipers, the Male Chorus, Senior Choir, Warriors for Christ Praise Choir, and the FBC Praise Team.
- A.B. Miles Voices of Praise combines young and older singers in gospel music and sings on the second and fourth Sundays, joining the combined choir on fifth Sundays.
- The Senior Choir sings hymns, anthems, and spirituals on the first Sunday of each month and also serves at funerals and revivals.
- The John Phillips Choir was organized in 1975 for children ages 6 to 11 and sings on the fourth Sunday.
- FBC Pipers play recorders in worship on fourth Sundays and also participate in church programs.
- Warriors for Christ Praise Choir encourages young people through singing and participation in church leadership.
- The Friendship Male Chorus leads with song, Scripture, and prayer, while the Ascension Praise Dancers, organized in 2003, praise through dance on fourth Sundays.
Instrumental roles include bass guitar, keyboard, organist, piano, and drums. The Audio and Video Ministry supports discipleship through recording worship services and managing sound for church gatherings.
Children, Teens, and Adults in Formation
Friendship’s work with children begins in the Nursery and continues through Preschool, Children’s Church, Sunday School, choirs, Vacation Bible School, and scouting. The Children’s Church mission is to bring children to Christ and train them to walk and minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. Its work has included Feed the Children and Operation Christmas Child, along with puppetry and Bibles for children. A Children’s Church Handbook encourages Scripture memorization, flag pledges, and the Lord’s Prayer. Sunday School, described as the church’s main teaching arm since 1866, sponsors Easter, Christmas, and Vacation Bible School programs.
Boy Scouts Troop 463 has been active at Friendship since 1960 or earlier. Its activities emphasize outdoor survival skills such as fishing, camping, swimming, and recognizing poisonous reptiles. The Youth Group and Warriors for Christ nurture the religious, educational, social, cultural, and emotional development of young people.
Young Adult Ministry Serving, formed in 2012, serves people ages 21 to 39 through worship, biblical teaching, relationships within the church, service to older adults, outreach at Christ Central, and workshops for Christian living. The Women’s Ministry teaches and encourages women of all ages and stages of life, with older women mentoring the next generation as described in Titus 2:3-5.
The Men’s Ministry and Security Team educate the community, participate in neighborhood litter pickups, assist people experiencing homelessness and others with special needs, and maintain security on church grounds during services. The Van and Transportation Ministry has provided transportation for church members to attend worship services and special events.
Care and Service Throughout Aiken
The Senior Missionary Ministry offers a monthly soup and clothing giveaway to the community. Attendees also hear discussions about the church and God through tracts and speeches. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are provided for senior citizens, church members, friends, and others in the community.
Hospitality greets members and visitors as they arrive and helps new people become familiar with church programs. The ministry also supports bereavement families with meals, prayer, and other acts of care, prepares fruit baskets and flower arrangements at Easter and Christmas, and helps coordinate monthly meals at Christ Central. The Kitchen Ministry prepares food for church anniversaries, the pastor’s appreciation anniversary, funeral repasts, and the Fifth Sunday Family and Friends Fellowship Dinner.
Friendship Community Improvement Corporation works toward affordable housing, community development, access to medical care, job development, and other support for low- to moderate-income families and individuals. In addition to its outreach role, the Men’s Ministry and Security Team have participated in litter pickup on neighborhood streets and assisted homeless visitors.
Since 2012, Friendship and South Aiken Presbyterian Church have jointly mentored sixth- through eighth-grade students at Schofield Middle School. Trained volunteers provide weekly encouragement, support with study habits and homework, help with special projects, and a listening ear. The Eagle Enrichment Program serves young people ages 6 to 13 through academic, social, and spiritual activities. Its curriculum includes math, science, English and language arts, music, art, technology, and career exploration, with tennis, swimming, and golf among its recreational offerings.
Operation Christmas Child, also called the Shoe Box Ministry, has been part of the church’s mission outreach since 2000. The church also supports the Center for African American History, Art and Culture through sales of the West African-style Labuda rag dolls introduced by Anne Matthies Muzi in 2011. The Black History Committee presents educational historical docudramas that combine memorable character portrayals and event reenactments with biblical principles and an evangelistic purpose.
Friendship Baptist Church’s story has moved from a Kershaw Street brush harbor to a landmark sanctuary with an extraordinary pipe organ, but its center remains the same: worship shaped by God’s Word, teaching that carries through every age, music that fills the sanctuary, and service directed toward Aiken. Friendship Baptist Church continues to gather as one family in Christ, seeking to worship, teach, nurture, share, and serve.