Exalting Christ on Pearman Dairy Road
Oakwood Baptist Church sits at 304 Pearman Dairy Road in Anderson, South Carolina, its campus set directly across from the Anderson Institute of Technology. The congregation's motto - "Exalting Christ. Preaching the Word." - is the thread that runs through every Sunday and Wednesday service, every adult Bible study, and every children's and youth ministry on the grounds. Oakwood describes itself as a church that worships Christ, studies His Word, and grows together in faith, and the weekly schedule is built around that aim.
A Sunday Built Around the Bible
Sunday at Oakwood begins with a 9:30 AM hour of Bible study. Adults, youth, and children meet in their own classes at the same time, so an entire family can be in Bible study before walking over to the auditorium together. Children's and teen classes also begin at 9:30 AM in dedicated rooms. At 10:30 AM the morning worship service gathers in the auditorium. Services typically last 60 to 75 minutes and feature Christ-centered worship along with a practical, expository message from the pastor.
Sunday does not end at noon. An evening worship service meets at 5:00 PM, giving the congregation a second gathering of preaching and singing the same day. The Sunday rhythm - Bible study, morning worship, evening worship - is the backbone of the church.
Wednesday Nights: Kids, Teens, and the Midweek Service
Wednesday night at 7:00 PM is when Oakwood's family ministries overlap with a congregational gathering. Three things happen at the same hour. Children are checked into Kids 4 Truth in the gymnasium starting at 6:45 PM, where they work through a curriculum designed to ground young hearts in biblical truth. Teens gather at the same hour for their own youth service in the Activity Center, often called the OAC. Adults can attend the Midweek Service, a third gathering for preaching, prayer, and encouragement in the middle of the week.
This intentional overlap means parents who drop children at the gym and teens at the Activity Center can step into the Midweek Service themselves without juggling schedules.
A Wide Range of Adult Sunday School Classes
The 9:30 AM Sunday school hour is the doorway into much of the church's life. Oakwood fields a sizable slate of adult classes, each meeting in its own room across the main building, the white building, and other campus spaces:
- Adult Bible Study with Doug Gross in the Auditorium
- Men's Bible Study with Mark Gafford in the White Building, Room 209
- Ladies' Bible Study with Jennifer Daugherty and Stephanie Zelenko in the Main Building, Room 253
- Homebuilders led by Pastor Jones in the Cafeteria
- Firm Foundations with Jamie Hedgepath and Rob Oswald in the White Building, Room 207
- College & Career with Ezra Greene and Nathan Farmer in the White Building, Room 200
- Cornerstone with Laary Cushman and David Romero in the White Building, Room 210
- Berean with John Shank and Will Cord in the Main Building, Room 261
- Victory with Jim Traynor and Larry Cook in the Main Building Fellowship Hall
- Golden Rule, a senior-adult class, with Joanna Croker and Evelyn Freeman in the Main Building conference room
- Youth Bible Study with Cory Bernheisel in the Activity Center (OAC)
For a first-time visitor, this list is itself an indication of the church's character: nearly every life stage and demographic has a class of its own.
Children, Youth, and Preschool
Children's ministry is anchored by Mark Morgan, the children's pastor. The Oakwood Kids ministry provides safe, age-appropriate classes during every service, and on Wednesday nights those same children feed into Kids 4 Truth, a discipleship program that meets in the gymnasium at 7:00 PM with sign-ups and parent drop-off beginning at 6:45 PM.
Teens have a parallel track. Cory Bernheisel serves as executive pastor and youth pastor, with Thomas Ruggles assisting him as assistant youth pastor. Teens meet for their own Bible study during the 9:30 AM Sunday school hour, gather for a dedicated teen service on Wednesday nights, and take part in regular outings - the "Fast Food on the 5th" events send the youth group to a local restaurant after Sunday evening services, for instance, and the ministry organizes an annual South Africa missions trip for older teens. Junior camp is another regular part of the teen ministry calendar.
Wendy Cole serves as preschool director, and Doug Gross serves as school administrator, giving the church a structured weekday early-education presence alongside its weekend ministries. A ladies' meeting and women's conference trips round out the women's ministry, and a men's and boys' campout is part of the men's ministry rhythm.
A Doctrinal Anchor in Scripture
Oakwood's statement of faith is unusually thorough and is published in full. At its center is a high view of Scripture: the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are described as the verbally and plenarily inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God, the final authority for faith and life.
From that foundation the church teaches the Trinity - one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and spells out the distinct work of each person of the Godhead. Oakwood affirms the total depravity of man, salvation as the gift of God received by personal faith in Christ and His substitutionary death, and the eternal security of the believer. The church practices two ordinances: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper.
The statement of faith teaches the autonomy of the local church, with pastors and deacons as its biblically defined officers. It holds to a six-literal-day creation, the personality of Satan, and a premillennial, pre-tribulation view of Christ's return, with a bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost. On moral questions the statement affirms that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, that all forms of sexual activity outside that union are sinful, that human life begins at conception, and that abortion constitutes the taking of unborn human life. A section on missions frames the Great Commission as a call to take the gospel to all nations rather than wait for the nations to come.
Missions, Outreach, and Giving
Oakwood takes the Great Commission seriously in practice. The teen ministry runs an annual South Africa missions trip, and recurring church-wide events include SOS outreach days and an annual ladies' meeting and conference. Giving is structured around the biblical tithe and is supported through Realm, an online platform that allows one-time or recurring gifts to General, Missions, Outreach, Student Ministries, Teen Camp, or the Scholarship Fund. Oakwood's stewardship section affirms that every Christian is obligated to support the local church financially and to give sacrificially to the spread of the gospel and the relief of those in need.
Worship, Music, and Media
Mark Martin leads the music ministry as music pastor. The church describes its worship as Christ-centered and the preaching as practical and challenging. A blended style fits a congregation that embraces everyone from casual to more traditionally dressed attenders and that deliberately tells first-time guests, "Come as you are."
For those who cannot attend in person, Oakwood livestreams its services each week, with a dedicated YouTube channel (@OakwoodStreaming) and a Live page on the church's online home. Sermon archives are organized by preacher - Michael Jones, Cory Bernheisel, Doug Gross, and Thomas Ruggles all preach regularly - and by series, and a podcast carries the same messages to listening platforms. Jones has been senior pastor since 2016, Bernheisel since 2019, Gross since 2017, and Ruggles since 2024.
Leadership, Governance, and Local Church Autonomy
Michael Jones serves as senior pastor, with Cory Bernheisel as executive and youth pastor, Mark Martin as music pastor, Mark Morgan as children's pastor, Thomas Ruggles as assistant youth pastor, Wendy Cole as preschool director, Doug Gross as school administrator, and David Romero as facilities manager. The church operates with pastors and deacons as its two biblically defined officers, and the statement of faith affirms that the local church is free of external authority or control - a hallmark of congregational Baptist polity. Members who relocate are asked, in the church covenant, to unite with another Bible-believing church as soon as possible and to carry the covenant's spirit with them.
Visiting Oakwood
First-time guests can expect a warm greeting, engaging worship, and a Bible-saturated message. There is no dress code; the church has said visitors will see everything from casual to more traditional attire. Services run about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Children are welcomed into the Oakwood Kids ministry during every service, and the church has summarized its identity this way: "Every member a minister." For a town with the Anderson Institute of Technology just across the street, Oakwood presents itself as a steady, Bible-teaching congregation where the central things stay central.