A Rescue Mission on South Aiken Boulevard
\nMillbrook Baptist Church sits at 223 South Aiken Boulevard SE in Aiken, South Carolina, at what Senior Pastor Dr. Stephen Cannon calls the busiest intersection in Aiken County. Roughly 28,000 cars pass the campus every day, and three schools sit within walking distance. With nearly 35,000 people within five miles who do not yet know life in Christ, the church frames its calling plainly: to be a church on a rescue mission with God in Aiken, impacting the world with the Gospel.
\nThe church organizes everything around four movements: gathering with the body of Christ, giving to the work of Christ, growing into the image of Christ, and going with the message of Christ.
\nWhat Millbrook Believes
\nMillbrook adheres to the 2000 revision of "The Baptist Faith and Message" adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention as its confession of faith. Eight core values spell out how the congregation tries to live it out: absolute truth (the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God); continual prayer as a first priority rather than a last resort; consistent excellence in everything done for the Lord; growing relationships that take next steps with Christ and with one another; impacting lostness by sharing the Gospel locally, nationally, and globally; intentional unity as evidence of the power of Christ to a watching world; and obedient giving of time, talents, and treasures.
\nSundays at Millbrook
\nSunday mornings follow a two-part rhythm. Connect Groups meet at 9:00 AM throughout the campus, with age-appropriate Bible study for every stage from nursery through adult. At 10:30 AM the congregation gathers for the Worship Gathering in the Worship Center, while children in 5K through third grade head to Kids Worship in Kid Central, the building just behind the Worship Center.
\nConnect Groups are organized by life stage. Preschool and Lil Kids cover six weeks through 4K, Big Kids spans 5K through third grade, and Preteens in fourth and fifth grade meet above the Gym. Students in grades 6 through 12 meet at the Mill. Among adults, a long-running women's class called Deeply Rooted Women meets in Kid City, and visitors are welcome to sample any class until they find a fit.
\nFor those unable to attend in person, the Worship Gathering is livestreamed on Sundays at 10:20 AM. Sermon notes are posted through the YouVersion Bible app, and prayer requests can be submitted online.
\nWednesday Nights for the Whole Family
\nFrom 6:00 to 7:15 PM the campus comes alive again with Family Night Ministries. Adults gather in Kid City for Experiencing God in Everyday Life, a teaching led by Pastor Stephen and Julie Cannon followed by small group discussion. Women meet in room EC 206 for The Thoughts We Think, a study of Ephesians focused on identity in Christ and the full armor of God. Men gather in EC 201 for BetterMan, working through a biblical definition of manhood, marriage, fatherhood, and leadership. The Worship Choir and Orchestra rehearse in the Choir Room and Worship Center at the same hour.
\nChildren through third grade meet in Kid Central for Kids Midweek, with doors opening at 5:45 PM. Preteens meet above the Gym, and students in grades 6 through 12 gather at the Mill for Awaken Midweek, which starts at 5:00 PM with hangout time and food before the service. Nursery is available for children six weeks to two years.
\nChildren, Preteens, and Students
\nChildren's ministry stretches from six-week-old babies through high school seniors, divided into three distinct worlds on campus. Preschool and Big Kids occupy classrooms inside Kid Central. Every classroom is continually monitored, the curriculum is Bible-based and activity-focused, and the nursery partners with parents from pregnancy through adoption and beyond. Marsha Hall serves as Kid and Preteen Director, with Abbi Puckett overseeing preschool and kids ministry.
\nPreteens in fourth and fifth grade have their own world above the Gym on Sundays and in Kid City on Wednesdays. The Student Ministry owns the Mill, a separate space where middle and high schoolers start in large group and then break into smaller graded groups by gender and grade. Rhett Nelson serves as Student Pastor, and Josh Moss oversees the broader Family Ministry.
\nAdults in Every Season
\nMillbrook organizes its adult ministry around life stage. The College ministry walks alongside students navigating early adulthood, while Singles ministry serves unmarried adults. Men meet on Wednesday nights for BetterMan and gather for occasional events and service projects, with Jason Hall as the staff contact.
\nWomen's ministry, led by Katherine Granillo, gathers women from college age through 55 and older around three commitments: deepening spiritually, building relationships, and impacting the community. Alongside the Sunday morning Deeply Rooted Women class and the Wednesday night Ephesians study, women work through books like Come to Me, a study for those worn out by the weight of caring for others.
\nFor older adults, the Adult 55+ ministry pairs spiritual growth with fellowship, travel, and service. Sunshine Ladies meets every Monday morning at 9:00 AM in the Atrium to write encouragement cards and visit hospitals, nursing homes, and homebound members. The Whittlers gather for breakfast, a Bible lesson, and handyman projects such as handicap ramps and home repairs. The ministry also organizes day trips and an annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon.
\nWorship Choir and Orchestra
\nMusic at Millbrook centers on a blended worship style led by Worship Pastor Bill Howard. The Worship Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:15 PM in the Choir Room, and an orchestra of experienced instrumentalists leads on Sunday mornings during the Worship Gathering. Diane Atkinson serves as worship assistant.
\nThe Child Development Center
\nMillbrook's reach extends beyond Sunday and Wednesday into the workweek through the Child Development Center. Three programs operate on the same campus: Mother's Day Out for the youngest children, directed by Ann Moseley; a Pre-Kindergarten program directed by Chrissy Hope; and Weekday Childcare under Crystal Almond as Weekday Director and Raquel Jackson as Child Care Director. The CDC has its own health and safety procedures and welcomes registrations year-round.
\nPrayer for 35,000 Neighbors
\nPrayer is treated as foundational rather than supplemental. The Prayer Ministry team includes an Individual Prayer Team that prays daily, a Worship Center Prayer Team that meets every other month, and Prayer Warriors who gather monthly. The team undergirds the staff, leadership teams, and ministry areas, and quarterly prayer outreach projects anchor seasons like Easter, VBS, Student Impact, and Christmas.
\nMembers are also pointed to Bless Every Home, an online prayer tool that sends a daily email with five neighbors to pray for. Millbrook adopted the tool as a way to cover the neighborhoods around its campus, where roughly 35,000 people are still disconnected from life in Christ. The Bless Every Home platform is available on the web, iOS, and Android.
\nMissions Near and Far
\nMissions work is woven through named partnerships. Good News Club is a child-focused after-school outreach. Operation Christmas Child mobilizes the congregation around the Samaritan's Purse shoebox ministry each fall. SEND, LA supports church planting and missions work in Los Angeles. Each year the church also sends teams to Guatemala. Julie Cannon serves as Missions Mobilizer and First Impressions Director, and a volunteer Missions Team coordinates the calendar of involvement.
\nGriefShare and the Prodigal Ministry
\nFor those walking through specific hard seasons, Millbrook hosts GriefShare, a 13-week grief support program that meets Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the church Library. Sessions are self-contained, so newcomers can join any week. A Surviving the Holidays luncheon and a one-day Memorial Service help families navigate grief through the year.
\nThe Prodigal Ministry, facilitated by Jim Staton, meets Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the Library for parents enduring the pain of a wayward child. The series anchors participants in the biblical truth about free will and parental healing.
\nDiscover Millbrook and Membership
\nVisitors who want to take a next step can attend Discover Millbrook, a class held during the 9:00 AM Connect Group hour that walks through the church's mission, core values, and discipleship pathway. Those who have not yet been baptized by immersion are encouraged to take that step, since baptism by immersion is part of becoming a member. New members are paired with a class leader and offered a spot in a Connect Group, and they can access the church directory, giving history, and calendar through the ShelbyNext member portal and mobile app.
\nThe Pastor and the Building
\nDr. Stephen Cannon accepted Christ at age twelve while attending a church camp, and he grew up attending First Baptist Spartanburg in South Carolina. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from North Greenville University and a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Theological Seminary. He and his wife Julie have been married for more than twenty-two years and have three children, Natalie, Tyler, and Ruthie. The family moved to Aiken in 2020 in response to what they describe as a clear calling, and they believe God has big plans for both Millbrook and the surrounding community.
\nOutside the church, Cannon serves as Chairman of the SC Baptist Executive Board and as President of the SC Baptist 2024 Pastor's Conference. He also chairs the Board of Directors of Parson's Pantry, a ministry that since 2005 has distributed more than one million dollars to assist needy pastors, widows of pastors, and married ministerial students.
\nThe Millbrook campus includes the Worship Center, Kid Central, Kid City, the Atrium, a Library, a Chapel, the Mill, and rooms designated EC 201 and EC 206 for adult Bible studies. Online giving is available through ShelbyNext Giving, and sermon series, sermon notes, prayer requests, and a year-round Bible reading plan round out the resources available to members and visitors.