South Carolina’s children’s ministry receives $1M gift
By Sheila Price, Connie Maxwell
GREENWOOD, S.C. (BP) — Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries in Greenwood, a ministry partner of SCBaptists, received a $1 million gift recently from the family of former long-time staffers Doug and Sally Kauffmann.
The Kauffmann family announced the gift Aug. 9 in support of the “Dreams of Children” campaign, a key initiative aimed at enhancing Connie Maxwell’s ability to serve vulnerable children and families across South Carolina.
“Tonight is a night to remember — a night built on a lifetime of service and love,” Connie Maxwell President Danny Nicholson told a gathering at Connie Maxwell Baptist Church in Greenwood. The generous gift, he said, will support construction of the Howard and Suzanne Kauffmann Auditorium in the new McCall Center, which will play a pivotal role in expanding the ministry’s goal to help children from hard places.
The ministry received a $2.6 million gift earlier this year to build a new facility.
The Kauffmanns served on staff at Connie Maxwell from 1996 to 2016. Doug served as pastor, and Sally, who died June 12, was minister of music and education.
Their daughter, Christina Kauffmann, reflected on her parents’ legacy. “There will always be a light in the darkness if everyone had a community like this one,” she said, underscoring the deep sense of belonging and care her parents cultivated at Connie Maxwell.
Watson Dorn, a close friend, spoke about the Kauffmanns’ dedication to service, particularly their involvement in the Greenwood community. “Doug and Sally exemplified service above self,” Dorn said. “Their impact is immeasurable.”
The event also included the dedication of a stained-glass window titled “Jars of Clay,” which will be installed in the Howard and Suzanne Kauffmann Auditorium. The window, crafted by the same company that created Connie Maxwell Baptist Church’s original stained-glass windows, serves as a symbolic representation of the Kauffmanns’ lasting legacy at Connie Maxwell. Doug Kauffmann, who has long been known for his love of these windows, was deeply touched by the tribute.
“Thank you for honoring Sally and me,” Kauffman said. “This place has always been about healing and hope.”
Tommy Green spends last day in Florida convention offices
By Margaret Colson, Florida Baptist Convention
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP) — Thursday, Aug. 15, Tommy Green left the offices of the Florida Baptist Convention for the last time as the convention’s executive director-treasurer.
Green announced his retirement in April after serving nine years in the role. Last month, the convention’s board of trustees announced Oklahoma pastor Stephen Rummage, who also has Florida ties, would replace Green Aug. 17.
Hispanic Baptist pastors from throughout the Sunshine State came together in a virtual prayer gathering Aug. 15 to express their thankfulness and seek God’s blessings for Green on his final day.
In 2020 as the pandemic was sweeping across the country, Hispanic Florida Baptist pastors first joined in virtual prayer. That first virtual prayer gathering among Hispanic pastors became an intentional prayer movement undergirding the Sunshine State, with Green encouraging and praying with Hispanic Florida Baptist pastors through the years as they prioritized prayer.
When pastors led Hispanic prayer meetings throughout the state in February 2023, Green reminded them, “As you pray, you are a model for what it means to come together and work together in unity and to pray for a fresh move of God upon our lives.”
On Green’s final day in office, Hispanic Florida Baptist pastors once again joined together to prioritize prayer — this time for their friend and leader as he transitions to retirement and to God’s next steps for his life.
