October 2, 2026
MARIETTA, Ga. — Milford Baptist Church celebrated Pastor Clarence Howard’s 20th anniversary as pastor of the church on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Howard was born in Easley, S.C., grew up in the family-friendly environment of Pickens County, and attended nearby Clemson University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. Following his studies at Clemson, he received his theological training at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree.
Howard said that he was taught to have a great work ethic by Pastor Garland Sentell of Pickens, S.C., who went to the local hospital at seven o’clock in the morning and visited every patient every day. The Milford pastor’s appreciation and utilization of alliteration in his sermons was inspired by Dean M. Weaver, pastor of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Anderson, S.C. Alliteration can be effective because it is relatively easy to remember and can be used to create a mood or for emphasis.
After serving churches in Virginia and South Carolina, Howard was called to become the pastor of Milford Baptist Church in October 2005. The members of the church believe that he was divinely appointed to become their pastor, and he has responded with 20 years of selfless and surrendered service.
Chad Williams, former deacon chairman, commented, “When it comes to Brother Clarence, it’s not just that our church wanted him; it was that our church family and our community needed him. Were it not for his passion for feeding our souls and meeting the physical needs of our community, there is no telling where we would be, but it would not be in the direction that our Lord Jesus Christ would have designed for us as His followers. From a secular point of view, one might say he seemed to be in the right place at the right time for our church, but spiritually we know that Jesus placed him in the right place at the right time for the sake of our church and God’s plan for our community.”
As Howard reflected upon his two decades of ministry at Milford, he expressed his extreme joy in seeing the commitment of the people in his congregation. A great percentage of Milford’s membership is engaged in some kind of ministry. Howard’s love of alliteration has prompted him to divide his 20 years into three phases: the survival stage, the stability stage, and the soaring stage.
He explained, “Accepting the call to become the pastor of this church was complicated, because in the beginning, the church seemed to be splitting, the community was going through a transition, and the church had been in a continual debt for 50 years and the financial crisis was deeply concerning. There were times when we had to decide which bill to pay and which vendors would need to wait for their invoice to be honored. We were fighting for survival.”
After about five years, the church was able to move from a survival mode to the second phase in Howard’s pastorate – the stability mode. In his sermon on the day of his anniversary, he declared, “In those years the debts were paid, bringing closure to a mortgage that had burdened the church for 50 years. With that weight lifted, stability returned, and ministry began to flourish again, the financial strain eased, and God’s blessings became evident throughout the congregation. New programs were launched. Strategic partnerships were formed, expanding both our reach and our impact.”
“As these developments unfolded,” Howard stated, “a new culture began to emerge – one that is diverse, color-blind, and culturally open. We are not perfect yet, but by God’s grace, we are moving in the right direction.”
Milford Baptist Church is exemplary in its passion to connect with its community. Through the years, they have had or are planning to have Grief Share, Celebrate Recovery, Divorce Care, Parents of Prodigals, and Grandparents as Parents ministries. Howard’s education in social work and his personal fervor to serve the downcast and outcast has equipped him to write his own curriculum for various target groups who need Christian guidance and support.
The church has a Family Preservation Unit for single mothers and their children. These two units provide temporary housing to these families until permanent dwellings can be found for them. Under Howard’s leadership, the church now provides more than 350 boxes of food each week for the needy. As partners with Goodwill, they provide vouchers for those who need clothes. They have showers for those who are homeless.
Rose Diggs, who serves as director of Community Ministries at Milford, also has a nonprofit called Down7/Up 8. Partnering together each year, 350 children receive back-to-school supplies and 400 children are helped at Christmas. Once a year, there is a Boys to Men/Princess for a Day program where motivation and inspiration are provided to all students. At the end of the day, each child is provided a “superhero” costume, and all teenagers are provided either a suit or a prom dress at no cost.
Howard exclaimed, “Now, we have gone from the survival stage and the stability stage into the soaring stage. There is a coming completion. The job is not done yet. Milford has been here a long time and done some great things. But the story is still being written.”
The church will soon be introduced to recommendations to renovate the property, add relevant programs, and call a connections pastor who will work in the areas of discipleship, evangelism, and assimilation.
Pat Morgan, who has taught a lady’s Sunday School class in the church for about 30 years, testified, “In my opinion Jesus would be very pleased with our pastor, because he faithfully preaches from the Word of God. And perhaps even more importantly, he consistently lives what he preaches.”
Howard responded to the church honoring him by saying, “I can honestly tell you that there has not been one day that I’ve not been excited to come to work. Not one Sunday where I didn’t walk into this pulpit thrilled to deliver a message. Not one day when I did not want to be here.”
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