More than 100 local church elders gathered at South Atlantic Conference Campground in Orangeburg, S.C., for the first phase of evangelism training under a new initiative designed to expand outreach efforts across three southeastern states.
The initiative, known as Operation Advancement, aims to equip and empower local church leaders to conduct evangelistic meetings in 2026. The effort was developed by Calvin Preston, South Atlantic president; Allen Baldwin, ministerial vice president; and Frank Harrell, personal ministries director, as part of a broader strategy to increase lay involvement in public evangelism.
Conference leaders said the training reflects both progress and challenge. In 2025, 85 South Atlantic pastors baptized more than 1,500 individuals across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. However, with an estimated 27 million residents in the Conference territory, leaders emphasized that pastors alone cannot meet the evangelistic demand.
“The laity must be mobilized,” said organizers, underscoring the need to train elders and church leaders to conduct meetings in their local congregations.
Among the featured presenters was Jesse Wilson, D.Min., who serves as the director of Bradford, Cleveland, Brooks Leadership Center at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Ala. He provided instruction on the role and responsibilities of an evangelist, including sermon development and effective communication strategies for public meetings.
Ivan Williams, vice president for strategy and leadership for the North American Division, also addressed the attendees. Williams shared guidance on selecting relevant preaching topics and aligning evangelistic efforts with broader Church mission objectives.
Tahia Merrill-Good, president of the Bible Instructors Guild, provided instruction on giving Bible studies, and explained the role of the Bible worker in supporting evangelistic efforts.
Participants received practical resources to assist with planning and conducting meetings, including materials for sermon preparation and community engagement.
Organizers described the two-day session as the beginning of an ongoing training process intended to prepare churches for coordinated evangelistic campaigns in 2026. Additional phases of Operation Advancement are planned to further strengthen leadership capacity, and expand the Conference’s outreach impact.
South Atlantic | April 2026
Comments are closed.