Woodruff Baptist Association Music Festival

By Kenzley Currin, Contributing Writer

The Woodruff Baptist Association (WBA) hosted their annual Music Festival on February 16 at Cavins Baptist Church. This festival is a chance for the Woodruff Baptist Association Churches to gather together for worship and fellowship together as a body of believers.

Headed up by Andy Moore, pastor at First Baptist Enoree and Charlie Moore his wife, this festival provided an opportunity for several members and choirs of the WBA to share in leading worship as a community, key word being community. Though it is hosted and held by the WBA, it is still a chance for these churches to reach out to their surrounding neighborhoods.

Starting with several well-known hymns led by Pastor Moore, then transitioning as several church choirs took turns worshipping in their own unique styles. The evening concluded with the Cavins’ preacher of two years, Chuck Pace, surprising even his own congregation with a solo much to everyone’s delight. “They were elated to hear their pastor sing,” shared Tony Crouch, WBA Director of Missions.

To share the service opportunity, the location for the annual event rotates every year. Crouch explains, “We try to rotate the location of the music festival around to give each church that is able to host the opportunity to do so.” Because of space and acoustic needs, some are unable to open their buildings to host, however they are still able to support with their own voices as they fellowship and worship together.

Since this event is so successful, with more than 200 in attendance this year, the WBA would like to throw a second music festival at the end of the summer. Keep an eye out for more information on the WBA’s website, woodruffbaptistassociation.org. Take advantage of this chance to join your neighbors in lifting many voices in praise of the one true God.

The WBA is comprised of 15 churches, including in the Woodruff, Enoree and Cross Anchor area that includes; Antioch, Bellview, Bethany, Cavins, Cedar Grove, Enoree First, New Hope, Northside, Pineview, Selma, Switzer, Unity and Westend. Organized November 8, 1979 at Northside Baptist Church with the purpose to accomplish community outreach together in a way that one church could not do alone. As Crouch puts it, “Church needs to be more than just a building, it needs to be a ministry. We are here to support the ministry of our churches and try to provide for them venues, and opportunities to reach more people. Some of our churches couldn’t do the things that we help them to do by themselves.” In that respect, the more Woodruff churches that link arms with the WBA, the more they can support the community through each church.

Impacting the community is the main focus for Crouch and the association. From backpack ministries and events, to community outreach and foreign mission projects, the association pools the resources of each of its churches to reach and support as much of the community and beyond as possible.

Since the beginning of the 2019/2020 school year, the association has filled more than 2,000 backpacks with food for elementary students to provide these children with meals for the weekend. In addition to these backpacks, volunteers are assisting with reading programs at the Woodruff Elementary School to help children who have fallen behind to improve their reading skills in order to advance to the next grade. “Every child we’ve worked with since we started doing this has passed the next year to his proper grade. We see that as a win,” explains Crouch.

Upcoming events hosted by WBA

• Aprilfest: April 26, 5 – 7 p.m. at McKinney Park for games, activities, and hot dogs provided by the community churches.
• Family Mission Day: On May 2, the WBA churches will select a community service project, either on an individual or grander scale, to help improve the quality of life in Woodruff.
• Great Start events: Community churches come together on a Saturday morning at the end of summer before school starts back at the activities building adjacent to the elementary school to provide book bags, paper, pencils, and other school needs. The WBA churches also attends Youth Football Night at the high school stadium and brings their “block party trailer” with hot dogs, popcorn machine, snow cone machine, bounce house and more.