Two Languages, One Campus on Blythewood Road
Sandy Level Baptist Church sits a quarter mile west of Interstate 77 at Exit 27, on the south side of Blythewood Road in the town of Blythewood, just north of Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina. The location is easy to find for anyone traveling through the Midlands, but the campus still carries the feel of a small-town congregation rooted in its local community.
The most distinctive thing about Sandy Level for a first-time visitor is what happens inside that campus on Sunday morning. The church runs two parallel worship services in two languages, all under one roof. The English-speaking congregation gathers in the Fellowship Hall, while the Spanish-speaking congregation, called Dios Es Amor, meets in what the church refers to as the Old Sanctuary. Both groups share the same Sunday School hour at 9:45 am and then move into their respective worship services at 11:00 am. The arrangement allows two communities to share a building, share a pastoral team, and share a common commitment to Scripture while keeping each worship service intimate and culturally familiar to its members.
The campus itself contains several distinct spaces. Adult Sunday School classes meet in rooms inside Blackmon Hall. The Education Building houses the children's and student ministries, with SL Students meeting upstairs in Room 5 and SL Kids downstairs in Room 1. Kid's Connection takes place in the children's area during the 11:00 worship hour. Tricia's Trunk, the church's community clothing closet, is also located on the campus and opens to the public on selected Saturdays.
A Sunday at Sandy Level
The Sunday rhythm at Sandy Level is simple, and the church has built in a fifteen-minute gap between Sunday School and worship so that families have time to move between rooms and settle in.
From 9:45 to 10:45 am, Sunday School meets for every age. Children gather in SL Kids Sunday School in the Education Building. Students in grades 6 through 12 head upstairs in the Education Building to SL Students. Adults choose from five different classes spread across Blackmon Hall and the conference room in the office hallway. Members of the Dios Es Amor congregation gather for their own Sunday School in the Old Sanctuary.
From 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, the two worship services meet at the same time. The English-language service gathers in the Fellowship Hall, while the Dios Es Amor service meets in the Old Sanctuary. During this same hour, Kid's Connection runs for children from birth through fifth grade, giving parents the option to drop off their kids and worship without distraction.
The connection team at Sandy Level puts it this way: "The best way to connect with us is to walk through the front door - we look forward to welcoming you in person! Most guests begin by joining us for Sunday morning worship." Whether a guest comes for Sunday School, worship, or both, the rhythm is designed to be welcoming for newcomers and easy to follow.
What They Believe: Loving God, Loving Others, Serving the Kingdom
Sandy Level Baptist Church distills its beliefs into three short commitments that flow from two passages of Scripture. The phrase "Loving God. Loving Others. Serving the Kingdom." appears throughout their materials and on their leadership page, and the church points to Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 20:28 as the foundation for everything they do.
From Matthew 22, the church takes the two greatest commandments: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." From Matthew 20, they take the example of Christ himself: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The church's own statement of faith reads: "At Sandy Level Baptist Church, we seek to live out these truths in every area of ministry and daily life. We love God wholeheartedly, love others faithfully, and serve Christ's Kingdom humbly - following the example of Jesus." For those who want a more detailed doctrinal statement, the church points readers to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the confession of faith historically used by Southern Baptist churches. The inclusion of that link is a clear signal of the church's Baptist heritage and its alignment with the broader Southern Baptist family.
The Pastoral Team
The pastoral staff at Sandy Level is small and includes two pastors, a worship leader, and a children's ministry leader, supported by a ministry assistant who keeps the office running. Each member of the team brings a particular background and set of gifts to the ministry.
Eric Winstead serves as Senior Pastor. He has been in ministry since 2001 and also worked as a hospice chaplain, an experience that has shaped his approach to pastoral care. His passion, in his own words, is "teaching God's word and teaching others how to study for themselves." He and his wife Kim married on April 8, 1993, and the couple has two married daughters and three grandchildren. His favorite Bible verse is Matthew 6:33, which he loves because it gives direction and the promise of God's blessing: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Away from the church, Eric enjoys woodworking and chasing a golf ball around a golf course.
Samuel Hernández serves as the Hispanic Pastor and Associate Pastor, leading the Dios Es Amor congregation and providing pastoral care for Spanish-speaking members. Pastor Samuel came to faith at eight years of age in Cuba, where the grace of Christ first shaped his spiritual life. At eighteen, while residing in Puerto Rico, he received what he describes as a clear pastoral calling that established the foundation for his lifelong ministry. He now serves the Blythewood, South Carolina, community with a focus on biblical exposition, spiritual formation, and pastoral leadership marked by integrity and grace. In addition to his local church role, Pastor Samuel is a Certified Christian Counselor with Grace Life International, providing Christ-centered online counseling to individuals and families across the United States and abroad. His ministry seeks to lead believers toward holiness, a mature identity in Christ, and disciplined discipleship grounded in Scripture.
Wanda Thompson leads worship as Worship Leader. She is a longtime member of Sandy Level who directs the choir and leads congregational singing for the Traditional Worship Service. Her deep roots in the church give the worship service a sense of continuity and shared history.
Dorcas Oluwafisoye leads the children's ministry as Children's Ministry Leader. She is a member of Sandy Level, married to Sam, and the mother of four daughters. The family lives in Blythewood. During the week she works for Richland 2 School District at Sandlapper Elementary, and she brings that professional experience with children into her role overseeing SL Kids and Kid's Connection.
Sunday School for Every Age
Sunday School at Sandy Level runs from 9:45 to 10:45 am and offers a class for nearly every stage of life. The church encourages visitors to try different classes and see where they fit best, and the office is happy to answer questions by phone at 803-754-1299.
For adults, the church offers five classes:
Intergenerational is a co-ed class for adults in their twenties through fifties, meeting in Room 101 of Blackmon Hall. The class vision is to learn more about Jesus through topical and Scripture-based teaching in an environment where everybody knows your name and where members pray together in unity and love. The curriculum is "Devoted to Jesus, From First Steps to Fully Surrendered," produced by the makers of The Forge and War Room. Danielle Kahle teaches the class.
Kingdom Seekers is an adult co-ed class meeting in Room 103 of Blackmon Hall. The class focuses on growing in relationship with Christ through a greater understanding of Scripture and its relevance to life today, in an atmosphere of fellowship and unity. The class uses Lifeway's Adult Bible Studies For Life curriculum. Randy Wilson teaches.
Adult Ladies Sunday School meets in Room 106 of Blackmon Hall. The class brings women together around accurate understanding and application of God's Word, working through "Explore the Bible: Genesis 20-50." Janice Phillips teaches.
Adult Men's Class meets in the conference room in the office hallway. The class works through Old Testament books verse by verse. Mark Phillips teaches.
Gleaners is a class for senior women ages 50 and up, meeting in Room 100 of Blackmon Hall. The class uses the Explore the Bible curriculum, with a vision to study God's Word and to grow in the likeness of Christ. Gleaners has a strong outreach component: the class gathers quarterly to plan outreach projects and maintains a hospitality room for members and visitors. Maxine Dennis and Loretta Kersey teach.
For students in grades 6 through 12, SL Students meets in the Education Building Upstairs Room 5. The class uses the Grow Curriculum with the stated vision of making Christ followers of each and every student. Paula Thayer teaches.
For children from birth through fifth grade, SL Kids Sunday School meets in the Education Building Downstairs Room 1. The class uses Lifeway curriculum and aims to teach kids about Jesus on their level in a fun atmosphere. Dorcas Oluwafisoye oversees this class.
SL Kids and Kid's Connection
The children's ministry at Sandy Level runs two weekly programs: SL Kids Sunday School at 9:45 am and Kid's Connection at 11:00 am. Together they cover the entire Sunday morning for families with young children.
SL Kids is the church's ministry to children from kindergarten through fifth grade. Each week, dedicated adults teach children about the Gospel in a way designed to be age-appropriate and engaging. The ministry invests significant effort in safety: all volunteers undergo child protection policy training and background checks to help safeguard the families they serve.
Kid's Connection is a special program for kids that runs during the 11:00 worship hour. Parents drop off children from birth through fifth grade at the start of the service and pick them up afterward. The program's goal is for kids to "connect with God and find belonging with one another as we engage with the Bible." Children meet in the children's area for the duration of worship, allowing parents to focus on the message while their kids learn at their own level.
The structure means a family with elementary-age children can drop the kids off in their Sunday School class at 9:45 am, attend adult Sunday School, transition to the 11:00 worship service, and either keep the children with them in the Fellowship Hall or send them to Kid's Connection for an age-appropriate program. Dorcas Oluwafisoye oversees the entire ministry, and her experience working at Sandlapper Elementary in Richland 2 School District gives her additional insight into how children learn.
SL Students: A Middle and High School Ministry
The student ministry at Sandy Level exists to help sixth through twelfth graders understand what it means to love God, love others, and serve the kingdom. The ministry accomplishes this through small group Bible studies, corporate worship, missions, and time together simply having fun.
The student Sunday School class, SL Students, meets every Sunday at 9:45 am in the Education Building Upstairs Room 5, using the Grow Curriculum with a vision of making Christ followers of each and every student. Paula Thayer leads the class. Beyond the Sunday School hour, the student ministry is woven into the larger life of the church, with students encouraged to participate in the 11:00 worship service and to join in the missions and outreach that define Sandy Level's ministry.
Dios Es Amor: A Spanish-Speaking Congregation Under One Roof
Dios Es Amor is Sandy Level's Spanish-speaking Hispanic congregation, meeting on the same campus and led by Associate Pastor Samuel Hernández. The church describes it as a wonderful ministry committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ, and invites anyone whose "heart language" is Spanish - or whose loved ones speak Spanish - to come and worship.
The congregation meets in the church's historic Old Sanctuary on Sundays. Sunday School for the Spanish-speaking members begins at 9:45 am, with worship following at 11:00 am. The rhythm mirrors the English-language service exactly, just in a different room.
The Hispanic ministry's mission, as described by Pastor Samuel, is to lead believers toward holiness, a mature identity in Christ, and disciplined discipleship grounded in Scripture. Pastor Samuel is bilingual and bicultural, having come to faith in childhood in Cuba, growing up in ministry in Puerto Rico, and now serving the Blythewood community. Beyond his local church role, he is a Certified Christian Counselor with Grace Life International, offering Christ-centered online counseling to individuals and families across the United States and abroad, with a focus on spiritual and emotional care grounded in Scripture.
Inquiries about the Dios Es Amor congregation can be directed to the church office at slbc@sandylevel.org or by calling 803-754-1299.
Tricia's Trunk: A Community Closet in the Heart of Blythewood
Tricia's Trunk is the church's community closet, located right on the Sandy Level campus. The closet provides men, women, kids, and baby clothing along with small household goods, and is open to anyone in the community who needs help providing these items for their family.
The closet opens on selected Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Tricia's Trunk closes during August each year for seasonal clothing rotation, then reopens in the fall. The church accepts donations of clean, smoke-free clothing that is no more than seven years old, and hangers are always welcome. For the donation drop-off location, the church asks donors to call the church office at 803-754-1299.
This outreach is one of the most visible ways Sandy Level connects with its neighbors beyond Sunday morning, and it ties directly into the church's stated mission to serve the local community. The Gleaners Sunday School class for senior women also maintains a hospitality room at the church for members and visitors - one more example of how the congregation's ministries overlap with its outreach.
Our Mission: Called to Love, Equipped to Serve, Sent to Share
Sandy Level's mission statement pulls from Acts 1:8 and frames the church's purpose in three phrases: "Called to Love, Equipped to Serve, Sent to Share the Gospel."
The church explains its calling this way: "We long to be the church that Christ has called us to be. Our mission is to embrace His teachings by living out the Great Commandment and faithfully carrying out the Great Commission. Guided by the mission of Acts 1:8, we seek to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. We pursue this calling by serving faithfully in our local community while building meaningful partnerships across North America and around the world."
In practice, that looks like the Sunday ministries described above - the worship services, the Sunday School classes, the children's and youth programs, the Spanish-language Dios Es Amor congregation - and the weekday outreach of Tricia's Trunk, plus the partnerships the church maintains beyond Blythewood. Both pastors' personal commitments reflect the church's emphasis on Scripture: Eric Winstead's stated passion for "teaching God's word and teaching others how to study for themselves," and Samuel Hernández's commitment to "biblical exposition, spiritual formation, and pastoral leadership marked by integrity and grace."
Finding Sandy Level
Sandy Level Baptist Church is located at 408 Blythewood Road, Blythewood, South Carolina 29016. The campus is a quarter mile west of Interstate 77 at Exit 27, making it easy to reach from anywhere in the greater Columbia area. The mailing address is PO Box 518, Blythewood, SC 29016. The church office can be reached at 803-754-1299 or by email at slbc@sandylevel.org.
The church maintains an active presence on Facebook and Twitter under the name SandyLevelBC, and is also listed on Instagram. Online giving is available through the church's online giving page. Visitors are welcomed warmly, and most first-time guests begin by joining the Sunday morning worship service.