The Reverend Dr. Benjamin D. Snoddy, '69, will be the guest speaker for Claflin University's Virtual Baccalaureate Service at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 23. You can watch the service on Claflin's
YouTube channel or
Facebook page. Baccalaureate is an interfaith service to honor Claflin University's graduating class.
Rev. Dr. Benjamin D. Snoddy is a native of Wellford, S.C., located in Spartanburg County. At the age of 13, he accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and has surrendered to God's call to preach the Gospel since 1965. He was ordained in 1967 by the Spartanburg County Baptist Association at the request of New Trinity Baptist Church of Wellford, S.C.
He is a graduate of Claflin University and the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center of Atlanta, Ga. He has completed doctoral studies at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. He has also completed four quarters of Clinical Pastoral Education in the hospital and correctional settings respectively and one year of Advanced Pastoral Psychotherapy at the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center. Rev. Dr. Snoddy received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Morris College in Sumter, S.C,. in 1992 and from Benedict College of Columbia, S.C., following his Commencement Address to the Graduating Class of May 2014.
Rev. Dr. Snoddy served as a pastor of the Bushy Pond Baptist Church of Norway, S.C. and the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Blackville, S.C. In addition, he has served as a Clinical Chaplain of the SC Department of Corrections for four years. From 1995-2000, Rev. Dr. Snoddy served as president of the SC Baptist Congress of Christian Education. In May 2013, he completed a five-year tenure as the 15th President of the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina.
Currently, Rev. Dr. Snoddy serves an assistant dean of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, which is an affiliate of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center of Atlanta, Ga., where he serves as chair of the Membership and Nominating Committee and secretary of the Board. He is also a member and chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees of Benedict College of Columbia, S.C. He is emeritus moderator of the Spartanburg County Baptist Association after serving 20 years as moderator. He continues to serve the Association faithfully as the preident-dean of the Spartanburg County Baptist Congress of Christian Education in 2016. Furthermore, Rev. Dr. Snoddy serves as the senior pastor of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of Spartanburg where he has served for the past 44 years.
Rev. Dr. Snoddy was inducted by his alma mater into the Claflin University's Hall of Fame in November 2003. After serving as chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Spartanburg Technical College (now known as Spartanburg Community College) for seven years of a 12-year tenure, the Board of Commissioners named the college's boardroom on the main campus the "Dr. Benjamin D. Snoddy Boardroom." On November 25, 2005, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Governor Mark Sanford. In 2015, Rev. Dr. Snoddy was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award of the Boy Scouts of America and the Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award. The Chapel and Family Life Complex of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church was named the Dr. Benjamin D. Snoddy Chapel and Family Life Complex in June 2012 in honor and recognition of his meritorious service.
Rev. Dr. Snoddy is married to the former Sheila L. Harvin of Pinewood, S.C. He is the father of two adult daughters and is the grandfather of one granddaughter.