SCBMA leadership is preparing for every possible scenario as the pandemic evolves. Part of that effort involves compiling a list of Emergency On-Call Workers who are willing to provide care and services to residents at Bethea or Martha Franks should we find ourselves short of staff.
Help Us
The word “abundant” means “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.”
SCBMA (South Carolina Baptist Ministries of Aging) is a Christian resource dedicated to helping South Carolina’s seniors (55+) Live Abundantly by providing Christian retirement communities and assisted living facilities and connecting seniors and their families with resources to meet their needs where they are.
The underpinnings of SCBMA began in 1954 when Dr. Percy Bethea donated 146 acres in Darlington County to be developed as a retirement home for retired pastors, missionaries, ministry families and lay persons who served the Lord. Bethea Baptist Retirement Community was opened in 1960. In 1985 Ms. Martha Franks, a retired Southern Baptist missionary to China, donated an antebellum estate in midtown Laurens, SC for the same purpose. The property included 50 acres with a small lake and developed into what is now known as Martha Franks Retirement Community.
SCBMA (South Carolina Baptist Ministries of Aging) continues to strive toward helping seniors thrive.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Each spring, gifts received through the annual Mother's Day Offering are used to provide housing assistance in our retirement communities for qualified, retired South Carolina Baptist pastors, missionaries, and their spouses. These funds may also be used to help meet charitable care needs for current residents who have outlived their resources. God has used the generosity of His people to allow these senior adults to remain in our communities and receive the care that they need. Please prayerfully consider continuing this legacy through your gift!
See How You Can help!In 2016, SCBMA launched the Helping Seniors Thrive annual fundraising event with the sole purpose of helping current residents who may need financial assistance with housing each month.
Help Seniors Thrive at BetheaHelp Seniors Thrive at Martha Franks
Our ministry provides professional services for seniors with compassionate care in the name of Jesus Christ, so all we serve may thrive.
As all Americans adjust to this unprecedented season and challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, we want our residents, their families and others to be reassured that we are taking every precaution to keep our communities safe. Our residents and staff members’ health and safety are most important to us, so we are actively following the guidelines recommended by regulatory agencies such as DHEC, CMS, and the CDC, which are monitored daily. Please visit our community websites for specific details.
