North Side Baptist excited about new worship center

June 6, 2005

By SHAVONNE POTTS
Index-Journal staff writer

It was only the groundbreaking, but the congregation of North Side Baptist already was excited about its new worship center.
Several hundred members of the Greenwood church sat under the blazing sun to break ground for a new 1,200-seat facility.
“What we’re trying to do as a church is transform people, express the character of Christ and engage in the mission of Christ,” Senior Pastor Jeff Lethco said.
Lethco said the new facility is just a tool to reach the community.
The building, he said, belongs to God and it will be for the community.
“This isn’t really for us, it’s not about what we want,” Lethco said.
The church was growing, said Ken Petrus, minister of administration, and had outgrown the current facilities. Currently, the church has three Sunday worship services.
“This will allow us the opportunities to worship together. It will also afford us the ability to have other worship services,” Petrus said.
Petrus said the new worship center also will allow the church to reach many different people in the community.
“I can hardly wait. We’ve been building toward this for a long time with a lot of false starts,” church member Wesley Middleton said.
The Greenwood resident said he thinks everybody is excited about the worship center.
“We are really looking forward to it,” Middleton said of he and his wife.
Ninety Six resident and church member Lori Werts said she thinks it’s great the church is growing and expanding. “This is such a growing church. I’m proud to be a member of this church,” she said.
Don Jamison, of Greenwood, is also looking forward to the new facility.
“For this large congregation it will bring us closer together.
The worship center will have a place where people can go for more information about ministry opportunities, a book store and coffee shop — a place where people could fellowship, Petrus said.
Construction on the more than $5 million facility begins next week and is expected to be completed by fall 2006.

Shavonne Potts covers general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. She can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3306, or: spotts@indexjournal.com.

Greenwood family ready
for mission in Philippines

June 6, 2005

By KENNY MAPLE
Index-Journal intern

A Greenwood family is following the call of Christ as it prepares to embark on its latest mission in the Philippines.
Medical Family Physician Allan Gilmer will take his wife, Ginger, and two children, Emily and Will, to serve as medical missionaries at a clinic in Manila, Philippines. They will leave the last week of July, but there is no set date for when they will return.
“We plan to stay as long as we can,” Allan said.
The family will work at a Medical Missions Clinic that was started eight years ago by Calvary Chapel of Greenwood and two doctors from the Montgomery Center, where Allan works.
Even though the Gilmers have attended South Main Street Baptist Church for three years, Calvary Chapel has adopted the mission family. They will be following the direct leadership of Calvary.
“The Chapel, eight years ago, began the mission agency to send one of the doctors that was there. Well, he came home and, so, we are taking his place,” Ginger said.
Larry Holmes is the doctor who just returned from the Philippines. He and his family had worked there since 1996. They were located at the same clinic where the Gilmers will be going.
“I just thought it was neat how we met with them. For the past eight years, I have been working over there while he was training,” Holmes said. “When I decided to come back was when he was ready to go over.”
Holmes still plans to visit and help out when he can. He is still involved and has gotten to know the Gilmers since he and his family returned last June.
“They are just good people with big hearts,” Holmes said. “He is giving up a lot to go over there. To do that with a joyful heart is a pretty big testimony.”
Pastor David Evans, of Calvary Chapel, grew up with Holmes but has only known the Gilmers for a few weeks. He said the church set up the organization and will continue to send people as long as they are willing to go.
“Manila is a huge city, and the poverty area is enormous,” Evans said. “The clinic actually will treat people on a daily basis, as well as training others.”
“The purpose of the clinic is threefold,” Allan said. It’s meant to do a lot of things, but first it’s meant to share the love of Christ in a meaningful way through medical care; second is to provide primary health care; and third is to train non-medical missionaries in basic medical care.”
The children will also work at the clinic.
“When we are not in school, we usually help out by counting pills,” Emily said.
Emily, 10, and Will, 8, will attend a school for missionary children called Faith Academy.
Ginger will work primarily in the pharmacy and labs. While she works in education in Greenwood, she has done other missionary work in the past. The family spent the fall in the Philippines and has spent nine weeks in Kenya.
Ginger went to the Philippines when she was in college, and Allan has taken short trips to Afghanistan and Peru.
Allan listed the problems in the Philippines as terrorists, political factions and Islamic factions vying for more power. But he thinks mission work is what they are called to do. Holmes said there are some in the Philippines who don’t want missionaries there, but “we never saw any problems.”
“There will always be that threat, but you have to put your trust in the Lord,” Holmes said.
“As far as safety goes, there are dangers everywhere,” Allan said. “There are dangers in America. We believe this is where God has called us, and you do what God has called. If danger comes, you deal with it at that time.”

Kenny Maple covers general assignments in the Lakelands. He can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3313, or: intern@indexjournal.com

Clyde Akers Sr.

HODGES — William Clyde Akers Sr., 75, of 606 Johns Creek Road, husband of Ruby Virginia Stanley Akers, died Saturday, June 4, 2005 at his home.
Born in Bluefield, W.Va., he was a son of the late Fred and Hallie Hypes Akers. He was owner and operator of Akers Tile Co. He was an Army Korean conflict veteran, a member of New Salem Methodist Church in Bluefield and attended Greenwood Wesleyan Church where he was a member of the Men’s Senior Sunday School Class. He was also a Mason and a Shriner.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, William Clyde Akers Jr. of Ninety Six and Jeffrey Lynn Akers of Hodges; a daughter, Belinda A. Manley of Hodges; a sister, Delores Beaston of Bluefield; a brother, Clifton Akers of Hodges; five grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at Harley Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. James Weigman and Mr. Mac McClellan. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Marcus Manley, William Clyde Akers III, Brent Akers, Ernie Auston, Kenneth Davenport, Norman Anderson and James Stone.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Greenwood Wesleyan Church, 210 Bypass 225 S., Greenwood, SC 29646.
The family is at the home.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Linda Batson

Louise “Linda” Batson, 64, of 1107 Central Ave., died Saturday, June 4, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of the late Houston Paul and Rena Agnes Hart Batson. She was a former employee of Denny’s Restaurant in Greenwood and was of the Methodist faith.
Survivors include a sister, Dorothy Jean Batson Hughes of Greenwood.
Graveside services are 3:30 p.m. today at Ninety Six Mill Cemetery, conducted by the Rev. Dwayne Willis.
Visitation is at the cemetery after the service.
The family is at the home of a nephew, Russell Hughes, 109 Gantt Road.
Blyth Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com

Helen M. Butler

Mary Helen Madden Butler, 79, of 215 Abbey Lane, widow of Silas E. “Chain” Butler, died Saturday, June 4, 2005 at Hospice House of Greenwood.
Born in Pickens County, she was a daughter of the late Willie and Hazel Ford Madden. She was retired from Greenwood Mills Durst Plant and did volunteer work at Self Regional Medical Center. She was a member of Abney Memorial Baptist Church, the T.E.L. Sunday School Class of the church and the Red Hat Society.
Survivors include a daughter, Beverly “Cookie” Gary of Greenwood; three sons, Ronnie, Jack and Steve Butler, all of Greenwood; two brothers, Bobby J. Madden of Greenwood and James Madden of Orlando, Fla.; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Services are 11 a.m. Tuesday at Harley Funeral Home, conducted by the Revs. Stanley Sprouse and Reuel Westbrook. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Christopher and Patrick Gary, Jarrett Butler, Chip McKenzie, Patrick Craven and David Lawton. Visitation is 7-9 tonight at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of her daughter, 109 Patrick Road.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of the Piedmont, c/o Hospice House Fund, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

David Lewis

LOWNDESVILLE — William David Lewis, 61, died Friday, June 3, 2005.
Born in Lowndesville, he was a son of Paul L. Lewis and Jennie Lewis Latham. He was a member of Symra Methodist Church in Lowndesville.
Survivors include two sons, Billy Lewis and Chris Lewis; three grandchildren; and a sister, Faye L. Sorrow.
Services are 3 p.m. Tuesday at Symra Methodist Church, conducted by Pastors Virgil Manning and Jones Brewer.
Visitation is 1-3 Tuesday at the church.
Calhoun Falls Funeral Home is in charge.

Rosetta Robinson

HODGES — Rosetta Wilson Robinson, 76, of 816 Nations Road, died Sunday, June 5, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals.

Bill Rush

GREER — William Austin “Bill” Rush, 74, of 504 Devenger Road, husband of Cynthia Matthews Rush, died Saturday, June 4, 2005 at St. Francis Family Hospital in Greenville.
Born in Greenwood County, he was a son of the late Clayton Eugene and Veona Parkman Rush. A graduate of Greenwood High School and Clemson College, he was a Navy veteran of the Korean War. He retired from Michelin Tire Corp., Greenville Plant. A member of Edwards Road Baptist Church, Greenville and the Cliatt Alewine Bible Class of the church, he was also a member of Greenwood Masonic Lodge No. 91 A.F.M. and the Clemson IPTAY Club.
Survivors include his wife of the home; a daughter, Debbie R. Cathcart of Greenville; two sons, William Craig Rush of Atlanta and Jerald M. Rush of Cary, N.C.; and six grandchildren.
Services are 11 a.m. Tuesday at Edwards Road Baptist Church, Greenville, conducted by the Rev. Aaron Rayburn and Dr. Earl Crumpler. The body will be placed in the church at 10. Burial is 3 p.m. Tuesday in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Visitation is 7-8:30 tonight at Blyth Funeral Home and 10-11 a.m. Tuesday in the church social hall.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to Edwards Road Baptist Church Building Fund, 1050 Edwards Road, Greenville, SC 29615.
Blyth Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com

Lowry T. Young

ABBEVILLE — Lowry T. Young, 80, of 1210 Hwy 20, Abbeville, husband of Margaret F. Newell Young, died Saturday, June 4, 2005 at Abbeville County Memorial Hospital. He was born in Abbeville County to the late Grady C. and Dora Temple Young.
Mr. Young was a member of Upper Long Cane Presbyterian Church where he served on the property committee for many years, also a member of the Long Canites, Senior Group. He served in the United States Air Force during WWII in the 15th Air Force Division. Mr. Young retired from Abbeville Milliken Plant after 40 years of service.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Dot Ferguson.
Surviving Mr. Young is his wife of 60 years of the home; three daughters, Patsy Manly and her husband Mike of Abbeville, Anita Porterfield and her husband Don of Pearisburg, VA and Laura Deutch and her husband Ariel of Nashville, TN; four grandchildren, Carol Hall, Michael Manly, Chrissy Porterfield, and Mattis Deutch; four great-grandchildren, Josh Hall, Olivia, Elizabeth, and Seth Manly; two step-grandchildren, Ric Porterfield and Paula Smallwood; and one step-great-grandchild, Anderson Smallwood.
The family will receive friends from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM (TONIGHT), Monday, June 6, 2005 at Harris Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 11:00 AM Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at Upper Long Cane Presbyterian Church. Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
The family is at the residence.
Memorial Contributions in Memory of Mr. Young may be sent to the Upper Long Cane Church – Building Fund, 194 Hwy. 20 Abbeville SC 29620.
Online condolences may be sent to the Young family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com
HARRIS FUNERAL HOME, of Abbeville is assisting the Young family.
PAID OBITUARY

Rivals to team up again

EHS’ Amey, GHS’ Davis to play on North All-Star soccer team

June 6, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

After four years of practice, Greenwood High School’s Tyler Davis and Emerald’s Brian Amey have grown accustomed to being rivals on the soccer field.
Davis and Amey will continue their rivalry next season when the college freshmen play soccer at competing schools. But before Davis heads to Lander University and Amey to Erskine College, they have one last opportunity to experience something they haven’t enjoyed in some time: being teammates.
The pair haven’t always been on opposite sides of the field. For three seasons, Davis and Amey were on the same Greenwood Toros club team, and two years ago the duo joined forces again on a Greenville Futbol club team.
Saturday, Davis and Amey will be teammates once more when they suit up for the North All-Star soccer team and take part in the North-South All-Star Classic.
“It’s kind of fitting,” Amey said.
“We started our soccer career together and now we’re ending our high school career together.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing alongside Tyler, and this will be just one last time before we both go to college.”
The two will join the rest of the North squad Thursday in Charleston for check in. Friday is practice day for the all-star squads. The boys North-South game set for 2 p.m. Saturday at the College of Charleston Soccer Stadium located at the Patriots’ Point Athletic Complex in Mount Pleasant.
“This just brings back past memories,” said Davis, of playing as a youngster alongside Amey.
One such memory goes back almost a decade when the two first joined the Toros Under-8 team, which went undefeated.
Amey said he still has the newspaper clipping featuring the team, while Davis said he still has a game ball.
The all-star nods for Amey and Davis put the appropriate end to a pair of memorable high school careers.
Amey was one of four Emerald soccer players named to the Class AA all-state team and helped lead the Vikings back to the AA state championship game. However, unlike last season when Emerald won its first soccer title, the team fell to Bishop England.
“The season for me was bittersweet,” Amey said. “We (Emerald) lost in the state championship but I get to go to the North-South game. I had a great season, but as a team we fell short.”
Davis currently plays on the Carolina Elite Soccer Academy Premier Under-18 club team that will compete in the U.S. Regionals later this month.
Davis was the leading scorer on the Eagles’ Region I-AAAA championship team, which won 18 straight games, including two over Emerald.
“From a team standpoint, we had an outstanding year,” said Davis, who was named to the All-Region I-AAAA team.. “You can’t go wrong with 18-2, and winning the first region championship since ’94 or ’95.
“I think this (all-star selection) closes one door and opens another. It’s a great opportunity and a great honor.” Davis is the first Greenwood soccer player to make the North squad in more than four years.
“I’m glad I get the opportunity to represent my school,” he said. “I am proud of it. I can say that I played in the North-South game, and I guess not too many kids can say that. It’s going to be fun, and I’m looking forward to it.”
While Davis gets to make his own mark at the all-star classic, Amey might find it difficult to follow in the footsteps of last year’s Emerald all-stars A.C. Cogburn and Brock Scott.
Cogburn led the North team to its 10th win in 16 tries with two goals in a 4-1 win.
“I know I have some big shoes to step in with Brock and A.C., and I think it puts a little pressure on me to represent Emerald well after the great showing they had down there,” Amey said. “I just want to go and play my game and hopefully, it all will work itself out.”

Ron Cox covers prep sports for The Index-Journal. He can be reached at: ronc@indexjournal.com

What would world be like were it not for the U. S.?

June 6, 2005

Juno. Sword. Omaha. Gold. Utah. These names were indelibly etched on the brains of every American 61 years ago. They were the beaches of Normandy where the United States and its allies began the largest seaborne invasion in history. Troops by the thousands, from the U. S., Canada, England and France, stormed ashore in France on that June 6, 1944, to mark the beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler and his Nazi thugs.
It is known by all as D-Day. Planning for it had been going on since early in World War II and all was ready for a June 5 invasion set by Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower. Heavy seas forced him to put off the invasion for a day, though.
During the night, almost 3,000 ships carrying 176,000 allied troops and landing craft crossed the English Channel. Minesweepers cleared the way. Paratroopers were dropped behind the lines to take railroad tracks and bridges.

AT FIRST LIGHT, SHIPS began heavy shelling. At 6:30 a.m. troops went ashore.
Most older South Carolinians remember. Those who were there know too well the stakes. So do those who waited at home, wondering.
Because of history books, younger Americans know about D-Day, of course. There is no way for them to know, though, the mood of the times or the conditions generated by the necessity of sacrifice by all Americans. They cannot relate to the event or what D-Day really meant.
Maybe, if more were able to understand the moment of the moment there’d be a greater grasp in general of the conflicts in the world today.

THERE HAVE BEEN MOTION pictures, at theaters and on television, that deal with WWII and present some idea of the nature of the struggle. The Longest Day and D-Day, the Sixth of June are two, for example, that give us a glimpse of that day so long ago. Not until the relatively recent Saving Private Ryan, though, did we get a picture of the bloody, brutal and stark reality of how bad it was for those under the withering German fire. Because of that movie, all of us can appreciate the horror of that June day in 1944.
Considering the anti-military and anti-American films from Hollywood these days, it’s surprising Saving Private Ryan was ever made, Maybe it was meant as the ultimate anti-war movie. It did something else, though ….. or should have. It left little doubt about what life would be like had we not stepped up to the task. We’d all likely be slaves to fascists or communists.
At a time when anti-America attitudes persist, you have to wonder. What would the whole world be like without the American military? It’s too disturbing to contemplate.