A Matter of Faith | Rev. Brett Blackman, Cannon's Creek-Prosperity
At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a pastor? How did this calling come about?
Growing up in a creative, artistic family, I naturally gravitated toward being a professional illustrator or designer. I loved drawing and design from a young age and was rarely seen without a sketchbook in hand. During those years, the natural direction for me seemed to be art college. Beginning in my teenage years, my Christian faith grew to be a very important aspect of my life (particularly shown in a deep desire for the Bible and for spending time with God in prayer). Not long after entering art college (the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio) I got involved in a Christian group on my campus, and many of us also attended the same church together on Sundays. Soon after that, the pastor of a nearby church invited my roommates and me to study the Bible with him on Saturday mornings. As we learned more and more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, as well as the Bible’s central role in our Christian lives, our conversations often spilled over into theological discussions about the deep intellectual heritage of the Church throughout history (thinkers such as Augustine, Calvin, C. S. Lewis, Bonhoeffer, A. W. Tozer, and others), as well as appreciating the great hymns of the faith. It was particularly over these next three years that I began to feel the call to Christian ministry, out of love for Christ and others. The leadership of my church (as well as my family) observed and affirmed this direction in me as I began leading Bible studies and taking on other ministry responsibilities. After graduating from art college, I felt that it would be beneficial to gain some “real world” experience, so I entered the professional design world for a time, believing that if this call to ministry was from God it would grow more and more over time. This indeed proved to be the case. Several years later, I got married and we began starting a family while I worked as an intern-architect and attended seminary part-time. In 2013 I graduated from Erskine Theological Seminary (Due West, SC), where I received my M.Div. and Th.M. degrees, and was installed as Pastor of Cannon’s Creek-Prosperity Church the following year. It’s a great joy to be a part of our church, growing and serving together.
Tell me about Cannon’s Creek – Prosperity and what is special about it?
The central aspects of our church, around which everything else revolves, is worshiping the Lord wholeheartedly, growing in our understanding and love for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and reflecting His grace and truth to those in our church and community. Our church is often described as having a warm, caring atmosphere where relationships are fostered and valued. We are a multi-generational church which values a spectrum of age groups coming together to sing, pray, and foster relationships—from elderly to the young.
Our Sunday morning service is centered on heartfelt worship to the Lord, hearing His Word of grace and truth to us in Jesus Christ, and responding in faith and obedience. The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word as it’s preached, bringing people to Himself. During the sermon Children’s Church is also provided, where young ones can hear, understand, and grow in the gospel on their level. Along with corporate worship, we also believe in the centrality of Christ in all of life: living-out our faith throughout the week and seeking to glorify God with our lives. We place a high value on the Word of God and prayer. During the week we have men’s, women’s, and youth Bible studies, which are a rich time of growing in our understanding and love for God’s Word, seeing its truth worked out in our lives, and growing in our relationships with one another. The Bible is one unified epic account, from beginning to end, of God graciously redeeming His people through a Savior—Jesus Christ. Everything points to Him. We also have a mid-week prayer meeting where we gather to sing and seek the Lord together for His Kingdom.
Regarding what we believe, as part of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination, our theology is rooted in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the “five solas” of the Protestant Reformation. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and, because of that, its truth continually speaks to the heart of our daily lives. We also value the historic Christian creeds and confessions, and I enjoy talking about how these important spiritual truths relate to our lives today.
Cannon’s Creek–Prosperity celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. Can you tell me about the history of Cannon’s Creek?
This year was a very significant anniversary for us—being in Newberry County for 250 years. We’re very grateful for God’s sustaining hand throughout our history, which predates our nation’s founding and continued on through the Civil War, World Wars, and other significant milestones. To give a brief account (this I give credit to my predecessor of 38 years, Rev. Gary Pierstorff for his research), our church is a merger between two churches from adjacent towns. Beginning in 1767, the first settlers from Rev. John Renwick’s church arrived from County Antrim, Ireland, and settled here in Newberry between King’s Creek and Cannon’s Creek. A few years later, in 1772, the Cannon’s Creek ARP congregation was established. The Prosperity ARP congregation was later established in 1802. These two churches eventually merged in 1959 to become the Cannon’s Creek-Prosperity church of today.
With our 250th anniversary as the celebratory backdrop of our “Homecoming Sunday” last October, our guest minister Dr. Leslie Holmes—a native of Ireland (and preaching in a kilt, no less!)—reminded us of God’s faithful provision in the life of our church throughout all those many years. But along with that call to “remember,” he also exhorted us to not rest on the milestones and legacy of the past, but to seek the Lord for our future as well. Quoting Hebrews 10:25, he stressed the vital importance of gathering together for weekly worship—and the blessing of God as His people pray together, sing together, hear God’s Word together, and encourage (and be encouraged by) one another in the Lord. The point was that God builds His kingdom through believers who are committed to Him and to one another. It was a joyous occasion!
For me, having such a long history was also a poignant reminder that in regard to God working in peoples’ lives (whether collectively or individually), God values the process of development in His people just as much as the destination or result. The Bible is filled with examples of God choosing the long (and often challenging and messy) journey of faith and refinement rather than the short road or the quick result. I’m currently preaching through the book of Exodus on Sunday morning, and we talk a lot about how this relates to our lives.
What type of outreach is Cannon’s Creek involved with?
On a local level, throughout the years we’ve been involved in a number of outreach projects such as the Angel Tree ministry, LifeBridge in downtown Newberry, and ministering to local senior-care facilities like White Oak Manner and the Newberry County Council on Aging. We also have seasonal outreach events such as our annual Easter Egg Hunt, Vacation Bible School, Fall Festival (including a “Trunk or Treat”), and Christmas events. In addition to structured events, outreach also happens organically as a result of God’s continuing work in peoples’ lives—people who love Christ, living out their faith naturally and authentically in their own circles and relationships. On a global level, we regularly invite missionaries to speak about the work that God is doing through His people around the world, and how we can support and pray for them. We also are involved with the Gideons International, a Christian organization dedicated to making the Word of God available to everyone and, together with the local church, reaching souls for Christ. With that said, we’re continually looking for ways to expand our outreach ministry. More is certainly in store!
What is the most important thing for people to know about Cannon’s Creek-Prosperity?
We weren’t meant to go it alone. The Christian life isn’t for “lone rangers,” but it’s a journey that’s meant to be lived-out in community—walking together and following our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, in His grace and power. We are sinners redeemed by God’s amazing grace, looking to Christ in dependency and faith, and seeking to reflect Him to the world around us. We believe that the motivation to obey God isn’t in order to earn God’s favor (which the Bible says is impossible), but in joyful response to His grace— given to those who come to Him in repentance and faith. As we follow Christ, God also faithfully works in hearts and lives as His Word is preached. God’s Word is life-giving and crucial for the growth of our spiritual lives. Always relevant, true, living, and transformative in its power, God’s Word meets us at our point of need as we seek Him.
Being a pastor can be a heavy job sometimes. When you’re not at work, what do you do to emotionally lighten your load?
It’s a great privilege to minister to those in (and outside of) our congregation, from the young to the elderly (whether in homes, hospitals, or nursing homes), encouraging them, praying with them, and speaking God’s Word into their lives. Though deeply meaningful, it can also be exhausting at times. This is simply the nature of ministry, in which most of it happens “behind the scenes,” outside of Sunday morning, amid the messiness of daily life. And yet, something I’ve also found to be true, over and over again, is that God meets us in those moments with His grace and power, as we look to Him in faith. Having said that, when I’m able I enjoy reading, writing, hiking, spending time with family and friends, and drawing with my children around the kitchen table. Because of my art background, I love talking with them about the handiwork and beauty of God in His creation. Whether in nature or other aspects such as the beauty of mathematics, science, music, poetry, or art, they all declare God’s glory and the “works of His hands” day after day (Psalm 19:1-2).
Is there anything you’d like to add?
For those looking for a church family that seeks to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus Christ, walking and serving together in community with His people, we warmly invite you to join us Sunday mornings at 10 am. People often assume that our church is in Prosperity because it’s in our name—but we’re actually in Newberry (just outside the city limit). We’re located at 14417 C R Koon Hwy, Newberry. For more information, please visit our website: www.ccparpchurch.com. If you have any questions our email address is: info@ccparpchurch.com. We would love to meet you!
