Baptist Day In South Carolina

A region that once struggled to give $10,000 becomes the only one in South Carolina to consistently hit a $20,000 fundraising goal, and the spark is something you might not expect: a mass choir built on unity. We sit down with Pastor LL Cain, president of the 6th district, to unpack the real story behind Baptist Day and how churches across the state mobilize on the fourth Sunday in July to support the South Carolina Baptist E&M Convention with repairs, resources, and long-term ministry needs. 

We also zoom in on Region 6, a massive footprint of more than 262 churches spread across multiple counties, and talk candidly about what it takes to organize, re-engage congregations after COVID-era setbacks, and keep a clear mission in front of leaders. Pastor Kane shares the vision that formed the Region 6 Mass Choir, how it grew from a simple idea into a movement, and why the choir welcomes believers across denominations to “just sing” for the glory of God. One moment says it all: a chance encounter with a woman singing at a gas station becomes an open door into a choir family. 

From there, we look forward. You’ll hear plans for a marketing group to build local business support, a commitment to giving to HBCUs that are struggling, and the importance of Morris College, owned by the Missionary Baptist churches in South Carolina, as a vital piece of higher education and legacy. We also talk about upcoming music workshops designed to train singers, musicians, and music leaders because the church’s message often lands first through sound and worship. 

If you care about church leadership, faith-based fundraising, South Carolina Baptist history, or the power of music ministry to bring people together, this conversation delivers practical insight and real hope. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find Native Drums and join the conversation.

Transcript

Welcome To Native Drums

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Native Drums. This is Josilia Williams, your host for today. And I have with me a great pastor of the Baptist faith. Amen. It's our president of the 6th district, Pastor LL Kane. Hello, Pastor Kane.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Good afternoon, Josiah. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:24

I'm great. I'm great. It's wonderful to have you here with us. Definitely. And Baptist Day. Today is Baptist Day, and we have been celebrating Baptists all over the state. That's correct. And uh we were here at Savannah Grove Baptist Church on this afternoon, and um a blessed time it was. So,

Why Baptist Day Exists

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Pastor King, tell us about Baptist Day and what it's about.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Uh indeed. Uh for the last 12 years, uh, the the uh president at the time of the uh of the conception of Baptist Day saw a need to find other ways to fund uh our faith, our headquarters, etc., with repairs that would come up and other miscellaneous items that otherwise we did not have funding to take care of. And so he came up with the vision of Baptist Day, establishing six regions in South Carolina that encompasses the Pearmetal State. He placed uh six regional vice presidents that would serve as divorce for his cabinet in his absence and to continue to promote the work of the South Carolina Baptist EM Convention. Thus, having set up the parameters for that, he assigned each regional vice president the responsibility of uh of uh celebrating one day, one day, and that day would be the fourth Sunday in July. The fourth Sunday in July, all of those who are part of the missionary Baptist movement in South Carolina, and of course, members of the Baptist EM Convention will come together in their area and have a special fundraiser to attempt to raise $20,000 to help expedite changes, uh repairs, and other needs uh in regards to the Baptist EM Convention headquarters. And that is how we came into flourishing.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

So um you said it's been uh 12 years that uh this is our first, our third tenured year our our third tenured year.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Uh every four years we elect a president, and every president after I think at the time, the sitting president at that time uh was uh I think it was Dr. E. F. Hampton who initially uh came up. And I need to check that, so don't quote me on that. Of course. But um that's when the idea of having Baptist Day in South Carolina uh came came into significance for our churches in our area.

How Big Region 6 Is

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Yes. So um, as you stated, this comes through the Baptist EM Convention of South Carolina. That's correct. And um how many, oh my goodness, how many churches are in the sixth region?

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Good question. We we've just, it's interesting you asked that question, quite ironic to tell you the truth. We we've just took a poll, we've done a census of churches uh in our area, which makes up uh the following counties: Florence, Darlington, Lee, uh Chesterfield, Marlborough County, and Williamsburg County, and last but not least, Oregon County. So in those counties that I just mentioned, which encompasses six associations, uh we're blessed to have more than 262 churches in our faith.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

Oh my goodness. Now, when it comes to the entire state, when it comes to the End of Convention, have you polled that as well as to how many churches are a part of that?

SPEAKER_00 4:32

Well, our president is is moving into his third year as as sitting president. Uh that that is still in process because he has not only brought uh new ideas and a new vision to the association, to the convention, I'm sorry, but he has also been privileged to uh bring back some churches who at one time were not as active as they should have been. And I think that will that will go back to the onset of COVID-19. And we lost a number of churches during that dreadful time in the history of our church. And so at last count, it's a little over 576. 576. So you can see that the PD makes up a large percentage of that movement.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

And in fact, I'm pleased to announce to the hearers who may be listening that we have been blessed to be the number one uh fundraiser in South Carolina Baptist churches the last two years running.

SPEAKER_02 5:41

Oh my goodness, congratulations.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Yes, yes, indeed.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

Region 6, and we are a part of Region 6. Indeed. The PD and uh Savannah Grove Baptist Church, your church, Bethlehem, Baptist Church, and the many other churches in the PD

The Birth Of Region 6 Choir

SPEAKER_02 5:55

area. So um, as today the president spoke um for the Baptist Day uh worship here at Savannah Grove today and the Sixth Region Choir sang, which has been organized and created under your tenure here during this. So let's just let's talk about that a little bit, how that uh came into fruition and how that how the Lord placed that upon your heart.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

I I tell you, I tell you, Josiah, it has just, it is, and I I must say that I stand on the shoulders of six moderators in the sixth region who has just given me overwhelming support to lead this initiative. Uh when I first was given the responsibility to lead Region 6 by uh Dr. Grimm, there was a bit of apprehension. I didn't know how I could put together a team of individuals that could help me foster the needs of Region 6. And um, believe it or not, I was riding alone in the car with uh my my companion and colleague as I called him, and he's really my armor bearer. He drives me all over the region when I must go out and take care of the business of the convention, Pastor Marshall, Marshall Martin.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

And I was sitting in the car talking to him. I said, man, you know, that there may be a possibility. We can bring all these wonderful choirs and these these uh overwhelming gifted these gifted musicians together and form a region six choir. And that's how it came into flourish. We put out flyers, we brought a team of musicians together, inclusive of you, and um it has just flourished since. And this is the the birth, this is the genesis from that, from that initial time when we came together and said that we would put together a choir. And I am and I not to not to sound sound off of the region and give the region such positive accolades, we are the only region that boasts a choir in Region 6. And there are other regions that want to piggyback of what we're doing and and maybe start one in their own area. So we we're quite fortunate. We're a blessed region, to say the least.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

Yeah, um, I must say the cooperation uh for this choir and the members that have people that have come to join has been really overwhelming. And it's exciting. We had no idea that all these people would come and they're and they continue to come, and

A Choir Open To Everyone

SPEAKER_02 8:40

not only of the Baptist faith, that good of all denominations.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Yes, yes, yes. We we go outside of ecclesiastical ties. We we we take on the adage, whosoever will, let him come. Yes, and we don't hinder any other movement that want to come in and join us and um and just want to sing. That's right. Just sing, sing for the glory of God. That's right. I'll never forget one night my wife and I were at a a Philly station getting some gas. And there was a lady out there, and she was singing uh his eyes is on the sparrow. And she was singing that thing. I said, girl. And so we just uh asked her about you ever thought about joining a mass choir? And she said that I've been trying to find one. Oh now your your your discovery is now over. And we invited her to a rehearsal, and she has been a loyal member of the choir. In fact, she's a member of I think uh the Church of God by faith in Sumter. Okay, I think that's where she's a member at. And uh, but she uh she's um quite and we and we have a diverse group of ecclesiastical individuals from the uh AME Church, the United Methodist Church, Church of God in Christ. Uh we don't describe the church. Oh yeah. And it works.

SPEAKER_02 10:00

It does. It works, you know. It does, it does. It's a beauty, that's the beauty of it. Uh all it just, that's how it is in heaven. That's how it's going to be in heaven.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Oh, exactly. Good point. I didn't think about that. Good point.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

Yes, yes, yes. So um, we're ever so grateful to you for um following the instructions of God because a lot of things come in the car when you're driving.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Oh man, let me tell you. Let me tell you, and this is it, we have gone, we have exceeded my wildest imaginations. I never would have envisioned that that our our movement in the faith would would grow to this magnitude, and it's a joy. It's a joy. In fact, uh

New Funding Plans And HBCUs

SPEAKER_00 10:45

because of uh the popularity of Regent 6 Choir, what we want to do, uh several businesses in the area would would like to monetarily feed into the ministry. And um we're going to add two new entities to the process this year. We're going to have a marketing group, maybe three or four individuals that will go throughout the region and solicit support from the businesses that our people are involved in. As we give to them, I think it is essential that they give back to us. So we're going to have a marketing group to go out and which will help us to increase funding to the convention as well as expand what we give to to the EM convention. We're looking at giving to HBCU schools. Right. So many of our HBCU schools are struggling, and uh we want to open that venue so that we can at least help those schools that that are look like us.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Right, that's how you know. And speaking of HBCU schools, the Baptist EM Convention of South Carolina and Mars College, let's talk about that relationship.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Yes, yes, yes. How could I leave out my arm of that that would be that would be Josiah, our first initiative uh to give give to Morris, whom the the Baptist Church, the Missionary Baptist Church in South Carolina, we own that college. We own it. So it is imperative that we come up with other avenues and other ways to raise funding uh to keep Morris relevant and to keep Maurice in the main screen of higher education. That's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 12:34

Yes, I've read um the history of um the Baptist CNM Convention and Morris College, and it's uh it's a beautiful thing to see how all these pastors and associations got together and um and made sure that our our pastors and teachers that the children were educated, that our young people were educated to be teachers and to be pastors. And so that was the the initiative, the initiative uh initiative of the Baptist C N Convention of South Carolina. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

Oh yes, and and and and we we're growing.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Praise be unto God. We're growing and we we want to we want to carry the message of Region 6, not just in our region, but hopefully the other five regions would would at least glean from the the design that we put together to manage our reason region, and they can do likewise, so that maybe not in the too distant future, all six regions will be able to meet that $20,000 uh uh amount that the president have asked us to

From $9,700 To Beating The Goal

SPEAKER_00 13:55

raise. And that brings up another beautiful story. Uh when I first started, I took over the region, and I attended the first meeting after Baptist Day, we were at the bottom in terms of giving, around $9,700. And we were second to the last in our giving in in region six. And we we knew we had the feeling that the PD area is one of the top supporters of uh of the Baptist E ⁇ M convention, and that just didn't sit well with me. And so we launched a vision to try to find uh an answer to this madness. And so here came the evolution of the Region 6 Mass Choir. And um, and when I never forget when I first mentioned it to you, being a music lover yourself and and and a beautiful singer and writer, etc., uh you gleam with with joy because I think even when we talked about it, you dare to imagine you saw uh you were walking by faith and not by sight, you saw what the outcome would have been. And here it is now, Josiah. And it's just it's a beautiful thing. Yes, it is. And so starting at the bottom, the first year, uh, I'm pleased to announce that for the last two years, we are the only region, the only region in South Carolina that met the gold of $20,000. In fact, we exceeded the gold last year. Last year, I think we had 21, the first year, the second year, which was this past year, we had $22,672. So we we continue to raise the the uh financial bar for our region.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

That's wonderful. That is that that's awesome. God is good, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yes, he is. Yes, he is. And I wish you guys could see the smile on my face when I talk about Region 6, because it is quite a unique experience. I I walked into it at the time with uh a bit of trepidation, but then when I began to place individuals around me to help carry this load, I rest on you all's shoulders. And so I am nothing without the delegates and the churches and all of the individuals who make up the region 16.

SPEAKER_02 16:31

Yes, yes, yes. And and the um the music team, uh they are so easy to work with. You know, everyone is on one accord, and um and it and we look we just um celebrate each other and and what we do, and so and the choir, they're just yeah, they're a joy too. Yeah, they are a joy. So we thank you for allowing us to be of service to Region 6 and um the choir. So I tell you, it's um, like I said, it's great to have you here with us.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

It's my honor. I wouldn't admit I wouldn't have missed this opportunity for nothing. Yes, indeed. Thank you

Workshops And Why Music Matters

SPEAKER_00 17:10

for extending this opportunity so that I may sing the praises of of what we're trying to do in Region Six.

SPEAKER_02 17:18

Yes, in 2027, uh we want our viewers to um listen out for the different um events or or um meetings or what have you may happen because we're looking at planning a workshop.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Yes, yes, music workshop.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

Yes, as we move into uh that April, that fourth weekend of April, uh, which is a standing day for um the Regent Six musical on that Saturday. So um listen out for that, and I'm sure Pastor King will make sure that you that the word gets out.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Oh, by all means, and listen, uh we we we do not uh, as I said earlier, discriminate because of your denominational or your ecclesiastical uh uh style or faith may be. Uh, but if if if you want your music ministry to grow, our music team is ready to put in place uh training workshops, not only for singers and for musical leaders and and choir leaders and musicians and whatnot, but just to enhance the the core of music that is given to our churches. Because if you think about it, the church would would be in a pickle without music, quite frankly. It is music what in many ways ministered to the heart and needs of the congregation at that time. The pastor only is there for a moment to give a word of celebration, but it is the melonious sounds that that radiate from the ham and organ and the and and the um the the what they call that piano, the baby grand piano and all of these other instruments. And the drums and the string instruments, string instruments, and like the Bible says that's a part of inclusivity. That's right. A part of it.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

Because God made music to glorify him.

SPEAKER_00 19:27

Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Uh all right, so like I said, listen out for any of the activities or the events or workshops or conferences that may take place coming out of Region 6.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Indeed.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

With Pastor LL Kane as our uh leader. And we appreciate you too. Thank thank God for you. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

How To Join The Choir

SPEAKER_02 19:50

Now, if anyone wants to be a part of the Region 6 choir, so how do they do that?

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Uh well, uh, of course, they can contact you. Uh and and I I don't know how you guys have that set up in terms of who would be the contact person, but initially, if you're listening, listening, and and you want to join in and be a part of this this great musical venture, uh contact Josiah at the radio station. And uh, of course, that she will give you other individuals that you may contact in the area that you are in that will give you dates and times when the choir will come back together. And we'd love to have you, by the way. We'll love to have you.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

And uh the number to reach me will be 843-678-9393, extension 621.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

And if you forget her number, you can always call me. I don't take on a lot because I'm not a micromanager. I I leave the music to the music people, etc. Uh, I I stay in my in my place. But if for some unknown reason you cannot reach Josiah and some other person of the musical team, you're welcome to call me, 843-618-4443.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

All right, thank you so much. All right, everyone. Thank you ever so much for viewing on today. And uh, we'll be back next week with more Native drums. Have a wonderful evening. Thank you.