Andy Moore was thrilled when Cedar Creek Baptist Church called him as their next senior pastor in October 2024, even though it was “extremely unexpected, and I wasn’t looking to move.” The Augusta native and son of a Baptist minister had served churches in Kentucky and South Carolina and, for a season, even worked as a law enforcement deputy. Then God set the town of Blythewood on the hearts of Moore and his wife Charley in the most unique way.
“My older brother was considering relocating to the Blythewood area, so I researched local churches for him to attend. I came across Cedar Creek and noticed the economic growth and manufacturing that was happening nearby,” Moore recalls. The couple also had previous knowledge of the area because four of their five children had attended nearby Columbia International University. “Then through little steps I became introduced to the pulpit committee, and it quickly became clear that God was bringing us together with the church. It was exactly the right fit for what God was already doing there.”
Moore credits the spiritual health and growth of Cedar Creek’s congregation to former long-time pastor, Jay Thompson, and then, most recently, the interim leadership of Jerry Sosebee. His church members are “some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in ministry. They are incredibly generous, welcoming, and loving.” The members are willing to roll up their sleeves and serve, and have a palpable excitement for what God has in store for the church’s future.
“I am just thrilled to be here. It is a joy to talk about the things the Lord is doing,” he says.
Moore began a unique sermon series on the first Sunday of 2025, calling it “the most shocking thing I’ve ever done in ministry.” His friends who are pastors and have heard about it agree. What’s so shocking about preaching on the topic of prayer? It’s that God led Moore to preach on the subject every Sunday for the entire year.
“The first Sunday of January I was convinced the Lord led us in this direction, and He confirmed it over and over. Not knowing exactly what to do – I hadn’t developed a year’s worth of sermons – I just committed to the task of praying as a church,” Moore said.
As a result, Cedar Creek members have been challenged to learn about prayer and then put their faith into action. According to Moore, “if we’re truly going to see our friends and neighbors come to Christ and be saved out of darkness, we can do more than pray after we’ve prayed, but we can’t do more than pray until we’ve prayed.” This focus on prayer has positioned the church to be more effective in their ministries and outreach.
In the past year, Cedar Creek has started a children’s choir, prayer ministry, and mid-week Bible study. The church hosted its first evangelism conference and started “Farm to Table,” a men’s ministry that meets offsite to discuss issues relevant to men. Cedar Creek has also called a new youth pastor and formed a ministry advancement team to identify how to reach families with children, while strengthening existing ministries like their senior adult and women’s ministries.
Noting all of the ways that God is at work through Cedar Creek today, Moore maintains that “if I want to see God move in powerful way in our life, marriage, church, or community, it’s never going to happen if we don’t learn to pray the way the Bible says we should pray. We are seeing God move in amazing ways and, honestly, I think the best is yet to come.”
Cedar Creek is physically positioned for growth and ministry within the community, and the church is experiencing some of its largest attendance numbers to date. Citing the growing number of people moving to South Carolina, Moore recognizes that God is bringing the nations to their community and says he plans to lead the church to local and international missions. Cedar Creek members will learn about their new church mission, vision, and values through three consecutive Discovery Dinners on Wednesday evenings in late October.
“I’m just a simple guy who loves the Church and believes that it is God’s plan for His kingdom on earth. Families are our future, and I want Cedar Creek to be a place where every member of the family is welcomed to belong, equipped to serve, then discipled in order to advance the Kingdom,” Moore says.