The Courier

Rudy Gray, Editor and President

The first issue of The Baptist Courier 152 years ago (The Working Christian, at that time) appeared on July 1, 1869. During those years, The Courier has had four locations: Yorkville (modern York), 1869; Charleston, 1870; Columbia, 1871–1878; and Greenville, 1878 to the present.

Today, 28,000 subscribers receive The Courier. However, through our four online platforms: e-editions, Facebook, Twitter, and an extensive website, The Courier averages more than 46,000 digital impressions per month. Print circulation (times an average of 2.5 readers per household) yields an estimated readership of 77,500, which, when combined with digital impressions, lends a total monthly audience surpassing 122,000.

The present-day Courier is a multi-faceted communication ministry. Former editor John Roberts, in the 100th-anniversary edition of The Courier in 1969, stated that the publication has “remained flexible, adapting its contents to the particular needs of the day.”

Today, more than ever, The Courier seeks to reach as many people as possible through every Godgiven means. Our communication ministry includes: • The Courier — Our monthly, full-color, feature-oriented magazine with the accompanying e-edition (an exact digital copy of the print version). • The Courierwebsite — An easily accessible and readable site that is continually being updated with the latest news and features. • Courier Publishing — Our book publishing ministry began with a soft launch in 2013. We have now published over 100 quality Christian books. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is our statement of faith. Our former managing editor, Butch Blume, is serving as the Director of Courier Publishing. • Courier Tours — After discovering that our charter authorizes us to conduct tours for religious and educational purposes, we relaunched this ministry in 2019 with a trip to The Ark and Creation Museum in Kentucky. COVID-19 caused us to cease tours in 2020. We recently completed our second tour of The Ark and Creation Museum and will be making a trip in October to the Amish Country, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and a tour of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. Other trips are being planned for 2022, including a journey to the Holy Land. Our managing editor, Todd Deaton, is serving as the Director of Courier Tours.

• Courier Video — Our entrance into video podcasting and online reporting. Our goal is to have a monthly 30-minute program later this year, with the goal of a weekly online program in 2022. We are utilizing Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter for this ministry.

Financially, The Courier has developed seven streams of revenue that allow us to operate a balanced budget each year:

• Cooperative Program allocation • Subscriptions • Advertising • Courier Publishing • Courier Tours • Friends of The Courier (our faithful donors) • Interest earned on investments

This year we launched the Bill and Shirley Adams Internship Program. Sydney Fowler, a top communication major at Anderson University, was our first intern this summer.

Prayer Request

Please pray for us — the oldest ministry partner of the South Carolina Baptist Convention — as we endeavor to move forward to glorify God in our mission of informing, inspiring, and serving South Carolina Baptists.