Bridging the Gap on Hard Scrabble Road
Rehoboth Baptist Church sits on Hard Scrabble Road in the growing northeast corner of Columbia, South Carolina, where it has been a fixture since February 4, 1990. Long before that, the congregation traced its roots to a small gathering of believers under a bush arbor near Ridgeway, eighteen miles north, in 1879. Today, more than 145 years later, the church lives out a vision it calls "Bridging the Gap": helping people move from Christian immaturity to Christian maturity inside the walls, and carrying Christ from the church into the neighborhoods, schools, and families that surround it.
Three Sunday morning worship services, a seven-day-a-week Child Development Center, and a roster of more than twenty ministries give shape to that vision. The senior pastor is Dr. Ivory Torrey Thigpen, who was called to Rehoboth in October 2008 and lives by the motto "Saved to Serve."
A Name That Means Room to Grow
The name Rehoboth comes from Genesis 26:22, where Isaac declared, "God has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land." Members sometimes spell the name backwards as a reminder: RAHATBAH, the original spelling used by the founders. Trustees Fletcher Taylor, James Taylor, and Mach Simon changed the spelling on December 23, 1915, when the congregation purchased an acre of land from Earl Miles for twenty-five dollars.
The Rehoboth Seal captures the church's two-sided vision. Read one way, the seal is a path of steps leading to the Cross of Christ, showing how the church walks believers toward maturity. Read another way, the Cross stands planted in the middle of the surrounding community, a picture of the congregation's call to take Christ outward. The church's tagline, "Bridging the Gap from Christ to the Community," sums up both halves of the seal.
From the Bush Arbor to the Family Life Center
The congregation began when a small group of courageous believers met under what was then called a "Bush Arbor" near Ridgeway, South Carolina, sometime around 1879. Land for their first building was donated by brothers Simon and Rufus Jones, and the church was named RAHATBAH Baptist.
Rev. Moses Thompson became pastor in 1962 and served until 1989. Late in his tenure, the Ridgeway Mining Company announced an expansion that would consume the land immediately around Rehoboth's building, forcing a relocation. The site on Hard Scrabble Road in northeast Columbia was chosen, the contract for new construction was signed on May 11, 1989, and Rev. Thompson officiated the groundbreaking on May 24, 1989. The new building was finished in time for the congregation to move in on February 4, 1990, just as the name promised.
Pastors Chisolm and Frederick each served brief tenures, and then Rev. Dr. George Gaymon took the pulpit. Under his leadership the church reorganized its auxiliaries and grew to roughly 550 members, prompting the launch of an 8:00 a.m. Sunday worship service in 1998. In 2000 the Trustees broke ground for a Family Life Center, dedicated in November 2001. That building is home to day care, an after-school program, summer day camp, and youth and adult activities. Pastor Gaymon was named Rehoboth's first full-time pastor in 2002, and in April 2013 a cornerstone was laid in honor of Rev. Moses Thompson as Pastor Emeritus.
After Rev. Alvin Sykes, Sr. brought the vision "The Best is Yet to Come" in September 2006, the church again entered a season without a senior pastor until Dr. Ivory Torrey Thigpen answered the call in October 2008.
Pastor Ivory T. Thigpen: Saved to Serve
The youngest of three children born to Ivory and Carolyn Thigpen in Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Thigpen is the great-grandson of Rev. Isaac Betts, founder of Second Baptist Church in Moss Point, Mississippi. He graduated from Jackson State University with a degree in Biology/Pre-Medical and was inducted into the Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society, then entered the doctoral program at Palmer College of Chiropractic. During that training he was called both into ministry and into marriage; his wife, Dr. Martia Creighton Thigpen, is also a chiropractor and the co-owner of Restore Chiropractic & Family Wellness Center in Northeast Columbia. Together they have raised four children.
Dr. Thigpen earned a Master of Divinity from the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta in 2013, where he was inducted into the Theta Phi Honor Society. He has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc., and elected Moderator of the Fairfield County Missionary Baptist and Educational Association, the youngest person ever to hold that role. He also served on the Executive Board of the Baptist E&M Convention of South Carolina.
Outside the church, Dr. Thigpen has served as a board member of the South Carolina Christian Action Council and Christ Teens of Columbia, as a chaplain for the Columbia Police Department, as a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (2016-2024), and as Past Chair of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus. He was named one of "The Top 40 under 40" by Thomas Media in 2015 and certified through Winthrop University for the management of nonprofit organizations. He lives by Jeremiah 29:11 and the motto "Saved to Serve."
Sunday on Hard Scrabble Road
Three Sunday morning services fill the sanctuary at 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:15 a.m., all of them livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube so that members who are traveling, hospitalized, or homebound can worship alongside the in-person congregation. Sunday School meets at 11:00 a.m., and the Youth Online Worship service streams at 12:30 p.m. on the first, second, and third Sundays. Ushers from the Usher Ministry greet worshipers, the Hospitality Ministry distributes welcome packets at the door, and the Audio Visual Ministry handles the broadcast feeds.
First-time guests find a New Members Class offered on Saturdays by registration. Members stay connected through the church's Realm database, which supports prayer requests, ministry sign-ups, and group messaging.
Midweek Bible Study and Prayer
On Wednesdays, two Bible Study sessions anchor the week. The mid-day class meets at 11:30 a.m. in the Church Library and begins with a half hour of praise and thanksgiving before the lesson; prayer requests are lifted up in Jesus' name. The last Wednesday of the month features a pot luck lunch. The evening class gathers at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, and on the fourth Wednesday of the month it becomes a Family Bible Study with dinner served. Intercessory Prayer is offered twice on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The Bible Study Ministry describes its mission as equipping the people of God with the Word of God through study and practiced application.
Music, Praise, and the Arts
Rehoboth takes its music seriously. The Sanctuary Choir sings at both services on the first, second, and third Sundays, as well as at the church anniversary, Spring and Fall Revivals, installations, ordinations, funerals, and other special services called by the pastor. Rehearsals are held on the Thursday before the first, second, and third Sundays at 7:00 p.m.
Alongside the Sanctuary Choir sit the Jubilee Choir, the RBC Praise Team, the Youth Praise Team, the Next Generation Choir, and three praise dance ensembles: the Adult Praise Dance Team, the Youth Praise Dance Team, and the Heavenly Host Praise Dance Team. Together they fill the sanctuary with a blend of traditional hymns, gospel selections, and contemporary arrangements.
A Ministry for Every Generation
Rehoboth's ministry list runs to twenty-five groups, organized around the people they serve.
The Deacons Ministry pledges to prepare itself through daily prayer and scripture study, working alongside the pastor to share Christ with as many people as possible. The Deaconess Ministry assists the Deacons, preparing the communion elements, helping female baptismal candidates, following up with new converts, visiting the sick and bereaved, and counseling young women.
The Men's Ministry encourages men to grow in the knowledge of God and to influence their families and communities for Christ. The Sisterhood Ministry gathers women for two hours a month to lock the world out and focus on God, studying His Word, praying, laughing, and crying together under the banner "Women United for the Cause of Christ."
The Senior Servants Ministry meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Church Library. Its members serve as Christian mentors and role models, lead the church's food drive and clothing assistance projects, spearhead Voters' Registration and Identification Drives, and offer informational forums on health, finance, estate planning, and end-of-life issues. They also sponsor monthly birthday celebrations, luncheons, picnics, and sightseeing trips.
The Pastor's Aide Ministry walks alongside the senior pastor and his family through prayer, planning, encouragement, and financial support, preparing the pulpit on Sundays and welcoming visiting preachers.
Behind the Scenes
Several ministries keep the building itself running. The Hospitality Ministry assembles welcome packets, plans new-member receptions, and stands at the door with a warm and cheerful smile. The Usher Ministry, officers of the church who introduce strangers, serve as doorkeepers, and walk before persons of rank, meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. The Audio Visual Ministry produces the audio and video feeds that reach the sanctuary, the livestream, and the YouTube archive. The Flower and Beautification Ministry maintains seasonal flowers and potted plants around the church and the Family Life Center, decorates for holidays and funerals, and sends flowers to bereaved members. The Health & Wellness Ministry promotes physical health as a companion to spiritual well-being.
Rehoboth Child Development Center
Adjacent to the sanctuary at 4642 Hard Scrabble Road, the Rehoboth Child Development Center opens its doors Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The center serves ages six weeks through 11 years, with programs for Infants (6 weeks to 18 months), Toddlers (18 months to 3 years), Preschool (3 to 5 years), SC First Steps Pre-K (free for those who qualify), and School-Age Children (5 to 11 years). Director Samara Thomas and Assistant Director Rashiekqua Obudena lead a team that integrates a faith-based curriculum with age-appropriate activities designed to support physical, intellectual, and emotional development. The center's phone line is (803) 865-0076.
Outreach and Education
Beyond the campus, the church reaches into the surrounding community through the RBC W.I.S.E. Tutoring Ministry, which offers free academic support in all subject areas through an online format. The Alpha Missionary Society organizes missions outreach, and the RBC Scholarship Ministry supports students pursuing higher education. Members participate in Keep the Midlands Beautiful highway cleanups, Real Men Read and Leaders Read volunteer programs, YMCA and Upward Youth Volunteer Soccer coaching, and a global partnership with Rehoboth Baptist Church of Crossroads, South Africa, a congregation the church helped establish.
Members stay in touch through the Realm online database, give online through Givelify, and keep up with announcements on the church's Facebook page, Twitter feed, YouTube channel, and Flickr gallery. The church also posts procurement opportunities for capital projects, such as the current reinforced entry doors bid, online.
From the bush arbor near Ridgeway in 1879 to the sanctuary on Hard Scrabble Road today, Rehoboth has done what its name says, made room, and continues to invite new families to find a place where they can grow.