DI pastor of 20 years to give final 'island' sermon on Nov. 19
When Daniel Island resident Don Flowers began his career in ministry, he never imagined working as a pastor at a local church.
Twelve years later, in 1997, after serving as Minister of Youth and Activities at First Baptist in Greenville, South Carolina and Minister of Youth and Children at First Baptist in Lenoir, North Carolina, Flowers found himself in a surprising, yet welcomed situation. He was invited to be the first pastor of Providence Baptist Church, a new church forming to serve the Daniel Island community and surrounding areas.
“For the first three years we were here, we rented space from the Adventist Church over on Savannah Highway,” said Flowers “Providence was the first church on Daniel Island… Our first Sunday was Easter 2000. On that Sunday, there wasn’t anything between us and the interstate.”
The church is located at the corner of Seven Farms Drive and Daniel Island Drive. From his 20 years of service as pastor at Providence Baptist, Flowers has a plethora of experiences and memories that he holds near and dear to his heart.
“To be here and to watch the island grow has been fascinating,” he said. “It has been wonderful to watch our children grow up. When you’re at a place for 20 years, you have children that you baptize that you also do their weddings. That has been a real blessing to me.”
Flowers added that seeing the congregation come together with the surrounding community through hard times throughout the years has been one of the most rewarding parts of his job.
“Right after we got here, there was a horrible murder at Cainhoy Elementary School,” he explained. “Our church has an abundance of counselors and psychiatrists and we flooded that school for them to help with teachers and students and the aftermath of that…After 9/11, we had a special service here just for people to be around and comfort others…It’s been being able to walk with people in the dark places of their lives.”
One past service in particular stood out in Flowers’ mind.
“I remember one service we had here, it was a funeral of a young man who had died at 31-years-old,” he said. “He was a resident here on Daniel Island but was not a member of the church. The sanctuary was packed with people standing two or three-deep around the walls. It’s the way this congregation was able to minister to the larger Daniel Island community. Those are the things that I will remember.”
On Sunday, Nov. 19, Flowers’ time as a pastor at Providence Baptist will come to an end, as he prepares to begin his next journey as pastor at Fort Williams United Baptist Church in Fort Williams, Nova Scotia, located in Canada.
“We were just looking for a new adventure,” he said. “What could be a better adventure than Nova Scotia in the middle of winter? It’s also a wonderful church in Fort Williams that we’re excited about being a part of…I start there on Jan. 2 and my first Sunday there will be Jan. 7.”
Although excited, he emphasized that the years he spent with Providence will never be forgotten.
“This has been a wonderful journey,” said Flowers. “I have appreciated being a part of this community and watching it grow up. We will leave here with lots of memories and friends. I wish the best for this church and this community.”
His last sermon on Daniel Island, to be held this Sunday at 10:30 a.m., will be titled, “The last word is the first word.”
“It’s going to be about God and Jesus and I don’t mean that flippantly,” said Flowers. “I hope that is what the services for 20 years have been about.”