Our Story

The roots of Hoffmeyer Road Baptist Church can be traced back to the early 1950's.
 
Why was the church founded? In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the city of Florence was growing and began to expand west in the area now known as West Florence. As families moved into this area, many under-resourced families had no place to worship, and no existing churches were actively trying to reach them.

In response, an electrician by the name of Bill Howard partnered with E.L. Gandy, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Keith, and two widows to form a group known as the "Community Chapel". They began meeting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Keith and witnessed a great response form the community. The chapel welcomed people from various backgrounds, though most attendees were Baptist. Over the course of a few years, this gathering developed into a formal church body. In October of 1953, 13 charter members officially organized "Five Points Baptist Church". Bill Howard accepted the call to be the church's first pastor. The church began to meet in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Hall (B of LE) Hall until a building could be constructed. Rev. Bill Howard was quoted as saying "people thought we wouldn't make it out here, but look what God did."

In early 1955, the church was quickly running out of space in the L of BE hall. That is when construction started on the first church building at the five points location. It was a simple, wood framed building that gave Five Points Baptist Church a place to call home. Also in 1955, Five Points Baptist Church joined the Florence Baptist Association.

Within a year, the church outgrew the simple wood-framed building constructed in late 1955. A church auditorium was desperately needed, but the congregation lacked the financial requirements to hire a construction company to build. Despite that obstacle, Rev. Bill Howard and the congregation took a giant step of faith and began constructing the building themselves. Many men volunteered themselves as laymen to give their time and energy to build the new auditorium. Since building material was expensive, Rev. Bill and the laymen sourced materials from scrap yards and donations. In fact, the stained glass windows you see depicted in the picture of the building were actually taken from a country church being torn down. Rev. Bill and the group of laymen traveled to retrieve the windows and manually placed each window in the new building. When the structure of the building had been completed, the finances were depleted. Therefore, when the structure was completed, the walls remained unpainted, the concrete floor was not covered by carpet, there were no pews or even a door. Nevertheless, the congregation witnessed how God provided and knew he would continue to do so in his timing. 

In late 1957, the founding pastor, Rev. Bill Howard, began to feel the Lord calling him into evangelism and missions. He began helping the church search for a new pastor and guide the transition. Once a pastor accepted the call, Bill founded the "Mission For Christ Crusade" and would go on to be a traveling evangelist and hold many revivals throughout the southeast.

Reverend Furman W. Hatcher accepted the call to become the new pastor of Five Points Baptist Church and officially assumed the role on December 22nd, 1957. He had a strong background in pastoring southern baptist churches and reportedly left every church he ever pastored with a new building, twice the attendance, and a richer spiritual life. He was also known for having a vivid imagination and creative ways to share the gospel and grow the church.

In late 1957, the founding pastor, Rev. Bill Howard, began to feel the Lord calling him into evangelism and missions. He began helping the church search for a new pastor and guide the transition. Once a pastor accepted the call, Bill founded the "Mission For Christ Crusade" and would go on to be a traveling evangelist and hold many revivals throughout the southeast.

One of Rev. Mr. Hatcher’s hobbies is playing the piano. He sometimes plays for church service and other public gatherings. He says that he often plays the piano in his home for his family and for his own entertainment.

He is married to the former Miss Edna Duncan of Greer. They have seven children, three of them married. Mrs. Harold Shiplett, 25, the eldest daughter, lives at Greer; Mrs. Charles Burdette, 24, at Pendleton and John Hatcher, 23, resides in Florida. Four young children reside at the parsonage here off of the old Timmonsville Road. They are David, 10, Charles 8, Grace 7 and Jeanette 5.

Rev. Mr. Hatcher is a native of Anderson. His brother, the Rev. J. P. Hatcher is pastor of the Southside Baptist Church of Florence.

Campus Relocation
In the 1960s, the city of Florence began transforming into the regional economic powerhouse for the Pee Dee that it is today. With Interstate 95 and Interstate 20, Florence’s midpoint location between New York and Miami made the city a popular stop for motorists. As a result, hotels, chain stores, malls, and more began dominating the Florence area.

The Florence Mall began construction and opened in 1965 right in Five Points Baptist Church's backyard. The mall continued to expand and bring in more anchor stores. In 1967, an expansion brought in JCPenny, who was not thrilled about having a church in their front parking lot. Eventually, a deal was made and in 1972, Five Points Baptist Church acquired eight acres of land on Hoffmeyer Road. Ground was broken in 1973, and the new facility was completed and occupied in 1974.

As the church grew in both faith and number in the new location, as well as the continuing development of Florence, it was decided that Five Points Baptist Church would become Hoffmeyer Road Baptist Church.

Reverend Larry Miller became the fifth pastor in 1984 and served until 1998. His leadership laid a strong foundation for the church’s continued growth and effectiveness. During his tenure, he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree.
Under Dr. Miller’s leadership, the church expanded its facilities significantly. A major educational building project began in 1987 and was paid off within three years. In 1990, the original worship center—now used for children’s ministry—was remodeled. Later, a two-story educational building was constructed to accommodate continued growth.
In August 1990, the church received the Eagle Award from the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board, representing the highest level of achievement in Sunday School ministry. During this time, the church grew to the point of holding multiple worship services. Dr. Miller led the congregation in changing its name from Five Points Baptist Church to Hoffmeyer Road Baptist Church and transitioning to an elder-led form of governance.

Expansion Of Our Campus
By the 2000s, Hoffmeyer Road Baptist Church was reaching max capacity each week. The original sanctuary could no longer hold the congregation, choir, and band in the same room. After years of prayer and planning, construction began on April 8, 2007, with less than $100,000. The new sanctuary was completed in December 2008. On the morning of December 7th, 2008, the congregation marched from the old sanctuary to the new worship center. You can watch the archived footage here: 

Reverend Lanier Singleton became the seventh pastor in April 2002 and served until January 2015. Pastor Singleton was known for his deep love for God and his desire to lead the church according to Christ’s mission. His vision emphasized reaching, teaching, winning, and discipling people for Jesus Christ.
One of his greatest contributions was the vision for a new sanctuary where the entire church could gather for unified worship. 

Significant Damage To Our Facilities
2016 had started off great as we welcomed Gregory Batchelor as our new (and current) Pastor. However, in October of 2016, Hurricane Matthew hit South Carolina and left significant damage to the HRBC campus. The former sanctuary (now the Kids Club) and the Pastor's office, choir room, and other offices were damaged heavily. However, the community of Florence and other churches came to HRBC's aid and helped us restore the areas affected. Unfortunately, many important documents, such as the church's early history, were lost. 

Surviving the Pandemic
In 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted church gatherings. In response, HRBC adapted by holding outdoor services in the church parking lot. Attendance remained strong, even requiring two outdoor services, and seven individuals were baptized during this season. Despite the challenges, God continued to work in powerful ways.

In May 2020, the church celebrated a major milestone by paying off the sanctuary building.

Merging with the former Oakdale Baptist Church
In 2022, the Lord provided the opportunity for HRBC to adopt the former Oakdale Baptist Church instead of the church closing it's doors. The original church was down to 9 members at the time. Now on a given Sunday, the church is filled up to max capacity. In 2023, Pastor Trey Allison became the campus pastor and in 2024, Lin Kirkman became the worship leader. 

Expansion of the Hoffmeyer Campus and a third campus
God has continued to bless Hoffmeyer Road Baptist Church with growth and impact. In 2024, the church celebrated 23 baptisms, a 13% increase in Sunday School attendance (averaging 273 people), and welcomed 72 new members.
In 2025, the church experienced an additional 10% growth in worship attendance, averaging 439 people. That year, 53 individuals were baptized, and 92 new members joined the church family.
As a result of the surge of growth, HRBC was struggling to find space to do ministry. The Oakdale campus began renovations to add more classrooms and a new entrance. In 2026, the Hoffmeyer campus began planning for a building expansion for a bigger fellowship hall.