Bible Way Church remains a difference-making asset to the Midlands community
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I have served as Bible Way Church of Atlas Road’s attorney for over 30 years. I have had the privilege of working with Pastor Darrell Jackson and his father, the late Bishop Andrew C. Jackson before him — and I can say unequivocally that improving the community has always been one of their No. 1 goals.
Therefore, I feel compelled to share what I know about Bible Way Church of Atlas Road.
For more than 50 years Bible Way Church of Atlas Road has been a catalyst for growth and positive change in Richland County. In fact, the church has aggressively pursued opportunities to bring businesses and services to the Lower Richland community; it has invested more than $17 million of its own money for property and land acquisitions, as well as the renovation of existing dwellings.
The steady revitalization and redevelopment of the surrounding communities continue to improve the standard of living for homeowners, small businesses and the church itself.
Since 2000, the church has continuously worked to revitalize and redevelop the overall community, and to stimulate economic growth. As a result property values have increased, the church campus has become a safe and secure environment for many civic and community activities, and local contractors and businesses have benefited.
With the establishment of the Midlands Community Development Corporation (MCDC) in 1998, Bible Way created a nonprofit organization designed to open doors to residents of the Lower Richland Community by providing services and resources that were otherwise unavailable to many of them.
Since its inception, the MCDC has provided senior citizens programs, after-school care, summer camps and health care initiatives (which have even provided onsite treatment and testing); in addition it has provided countless community events and services.
Like many nonprofits, the MCDC has not been without it challenges; since the timeframe referenced in The State’s recent article, measures have been put in place at the MCDC to provide more oversight and greater accountability.
It is my hope that Bible Way Church of Atlas Road and the Midlands Community Development Corporation will continue to do good work and provide services that will benefit our residents by:
▪ Increasing property values.
▪ Providing a safe and secure environment for many through civic, community and health and wellness activities.
▪ Working with local contractors and businesses.
And while I am very proud of what they have done in the past, I am even prouder of what they plan to do in the future. I am eagerly awaiting the Reunion, a state-of-the-art senior living community — and The Reunion at Congaree Pointe is an exciting revitalization initiative in affordable housing for older adults in Columbia.
I.S. Leevy Johnson is a native of Columbia and a longtime Columbia lawyer. He was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1970 to 1980, making history as one of the first three African Americans elected to that body since the Reconstruction era.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 4:19 PM.