Meet Clay

Clay recently retired as Lead Pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter, SC.  God did amazing things during his 31 years of service:

• Worship attendance grew from 280 to 1,500 while the community declined 2% in population.

• The church relocated to a new 65-acre site.

• The church became multi-site in 2017. A new $6 million facility for the Pocalla Campus was completed in December, 2022.

• Hundreds of people have taken their “next step” toward Jesus.

One demographer said, “A church like Alice Drive isn’t supposed to exist in a place like Sumter, SC.”

Some other things about Clay that might interest you:

• He grew up on a working cattle and citrus operation in Central Florida. He is now the managing parter of Buckhorn Ranch and Groves

• He went to Samford University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Ph.D., 1992).

• He is married to the amazing Gina, who is a counselor in private practice.

• He has three children with ACC ties: Abram (Duke); Hannah (UNC-Chapel Hill); and Sarah (Clemson), and two grandsons: Shep and Truett.

• He is the author of numerous articles and the books Pipes: God’s Spirit Gifts Flowing Through You and Next Step Life.

• He loves talking about church and Kingdom growth!

• He loves helping organizations gain clarity and take next steps.