The Blalocks - Chris, Dorothy, Thomas and Hope

The Pinecrest Baptist Church Pastor Search Committee is pleased to introduce Rev. Chris Blalock who will preach in view of a call as pastor on Sunday, January 18, 2026.

Chris is a native of Charleston, having grown up at Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of Charleston. He came to faith as a child and was baptized in 1996. As a teenager he began searching to know Christ in a deeper way and understood that the Christian life was more than a one-time decision.

Chris attended North Greenville University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies (Missiology and Christian Studies) in December 2006. He then served as Director of Collegiate Ministries with First Baptist Church of Charleston from January 2007 to May 2008 while he was in the process of applying for the Journeyman program with the International Mission Board.

Chris served as a Journeyman with the International Mission Board (IMB), a two-year opportunity for recent college graduates, from May 2008 to August 2010. Chris was assigned to work with North Africa and Middle East (NAME) peoples in a variety of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. After completing service as a Journeyman, Chris attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina where he received a Master of Divinity degree in 2014. He and his wife, Dorothy, were married in May 2012.

Dorothy Blalock is also a graduate of North Greenville University with a BA in Intercultural Studies. She developed a deep commitment to the Lord in high school (First Baptist Church School) when she began studying scripture and journaling, a discipline that continues as an adult. She and Chris share a deep commitment to ministry wherever God leads them. In their places of service, Dorothy has started several girls Bible studies, handled social media and web design, and organized and staffed children’s ministry.

During seminary, Chris served as Student Pastor of The Passage Church, Wendell, NC (September 2010 – August 2014) where he started and grew their student ministry. In 2014 the church commissioned the Blalock family to move to Charleston to pursue a call to church planting. First Baptist Church of Charleston then brought Chris on staff to work with students until commissioned to plant Uptown Church in January 2016.

Chris and Dorothy planted Uptown Church through collaboration with the START Network of the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC), the SCBC church planting network; the North American Mission Board (NAMB); and the Charleston Baptist Association (CBA); and their sending churches: The Passage Church and First Baptist Church of Charleston. Chris served with Uptown from January 2016 to August 2021. He also served as Director of Baptist Collegiate Ministries of Charleston from January 2019 to August 2021. Their son, Thomas, was born in October 2017 and their daughter, Hope, in October, 2020.

Chris and Dorothy were appointed as missionaries in July 2021 by the IMB to serve with NAME peoples. Chris was the NAME Mobilization Strategist and helped churches establish connections with missionary teams serving NAME peoples. They loved living and serving in Paris but during their time there, it became apparent that their son had some developmental challenges for which there was little support.

Chris and Dorothy sought the Lord’s guidance for their next steps and returned from France in December 2023 for Chris to become the Connections Pastor at First Baptist Church, Rincon, Georgia. In this role Chris oversees all groups (Sunday School, Missional Communities, Ally Groups) as well as ministry teams. He is responsible for discipleship and leadership development at the church.

Family needs have prompted the Blalocks to seek an opportunity to serve once again in Charleston. Their son, Tommy, has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD. They also recently learned that Dorothy’s mother, who lost her husband in June 2016, will undergo a difficult back surgery in 2026 and require a significant amount of care. With no other family that is able to care for her, Dorothy and Chris have been praying and seeking God’s will about the best way to care for her and serve His purpose. They feel strongly that relationships, lessons, and connections built through church planting, missionary service with the IMB, and in their current position have prepared their family for whatever God has planned for their next steps.

OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR CHRIS PREACH Chris has several sermons posted on YouTube with FBC Rincon. Links to them are:
• “Defined By Compassion, A Savior Who Comes Close” from Mark 7:31-27. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeEdsXpQMxc
• “Invisible Pharisees: A Disagreement About the Heart” from Mark 3:1-6. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bi7ZxtvkEo
• “All Authority Not Some Authority” from Matthew 28:16-20. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz9kkKVMMdQ