Christ said, as recorded in Matthew 19:14, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." 
      This declaration serves as the unwritten philosophy of Connie Maxwell Children’s Home in Greenwood, South Carolina, as its staff works daily to minister to these ‘little children’ in Christ’s name. Through long-term residential care, emergency shelter care, family preservation efforts, and Christian counseling, this statewide ministry has worked with thousands of boys and girls during its 114-year history. 
      Connie Maxwell opened its doors on May 22, 1892, after Dr. J.C. Maxwell and his wife, Sarah, offered in 1891 their 470-acre farm, their home, and a sizeable amount of money for this new ministry. Dr. and Mrs. Maxwell had lost their only surviving daughter, seven-year old Connie, to scarlet fever and were looking for a proper way to memorialize their beloved child. The only stipulations to their gifts were that the ministry be placed in their hometown of Greenwood and that it be named for their daughter Connie. Thus, Connie Maxwell Orphanage (later renamed Connie Maxwell Children’s Home) was established by South Carolina Baptists, and a century of Christian counseling, compassion, and residential care was begun. 
      The Home today is considered a ‘low maintenance’ facility, meaning that children must be willing to come and accept help for their needs and to try to assist in restructuring and reshaping their lives. These children are not severely handicapped, physically or emotionally, and do not have severe behavior or addictive habits. They all come with needs, of course, and with some emotional scars and feelings of rejection, but they do not require intense psychiatric assistance or high-level rehabilitative treatment. They are school age, 6 to 18, and are from diverse backgrounds and home conditions. The Home does not deny admittance because of race, religion, ethnicity, or creed but does advise all those who make application that Christian values are taught and expected. Approximately 135 children are in residential care at any given time with another 300 or so helped annually through counseling and referral. Today, the Home has more than 1,000 acres of land, 17 homes for the children, a church and chapel, a gym, swimming pool, tennis courts, campground, a horse and cattle farm, office and support buildings, and five satellite locations throughout the state in addition to the main campus and headquarters in Greenwood. Dr. Ben Davis serves as President and CEO. 
      In the early years of the orphanage, counseling was not a recognized method of working with the children, although all of the staff certainly used it. Christian examples, manners, discipline, responsibility, and love were shown in the homes and implemented as the basis of ministering to the children in care. By the early 1960’s, however, administrators recognized the need for trained Christian counselors to work with the ever-increasing problems children coming to the Home had. 
      Social workers with counseling degrees were then hired to begin the difficult task of redirecting the bitterness and rebelliousness of the children of that era. Fortunately, the leaders of Connie Maxwell at that time also recognized the need to blend counseling with Christian values and sought to combine the two disciplines into a unique Christian counseling effort. Over the years since, Christian counseling has been the chosen method of ministering to the children at this childcare facility. 
      Many of the children who come to Connie Maxwell, unfortunately, have never had the opportunity to attend church or receive Christian teaching. These children usually come from situations of abandonment, abuse, or neglect. They are not orphans in the truest sense of the word but are, as some childcare advocates refer to them, ‘orphans of the living.’ Both of their parents are not deceased necessarily, but, because some of these birth parents can’t or won’t take care of their children, their lack of nurturing and love often are as if they were dead. 
      The Connie Maxwell church and its pastor are a vital part of the Christian training and counseling that the Home’s children receive. Each child is lovingly ministered to by the church staff and is helped to understand how Christian salvation and a new lifestyle based on this acceptance can assist in making a difference in their lives. Children are taken to church and encouraged, but never forced, to listen, learn, and make the important decision to follow Christ. As a part of this early training at the Home, the pastor serves as a counselor to help the children with spiritual, moral, and ethical issues they face. 
      Connie Maxwell uses family-style homes as residences for the children. They live in gender- and age-range specific houses with eight children and one or two houseparents. These houseparents daily teach and counsel their children just as good parents do in their own homes. And, as most families, these houseparents do not have special training or advanced counseling degrees but have the innate ability from God to care for children. 
      Their lay counseling comes in the form of advice, encouragement, nurturing, teaching, and example. They, as all parents should, show these children love while also teaching them discipline, responsibility, and Christian values. It is affirming and rewarding to see lifelong bonds develop between the Connie Maxwell children and their houseparents, just as should occur in their own biological families. 
      Connie Maxwell also employs trained, degreed, professional Christian counselors who work with the children as they together confront the more difficult and severe problems. These counselors meet with their designated children on a consistent basis, at least weekly but more often if situations demand, to help them with their emotional and ‘soul care’ needs. 
      The children are not ‘bad’ kids; they simply come from bad home situations. As homes break apart all over our country, the children tend to fall through the cracks, and places like Connie Maxwell serve as the safety nets to catch them and provide for them. 
      The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:7 that we are to train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. That training is not a suggestion or an encouragement, I believe, but is a mandate and a direction from God for all of us. It is an on-going responsibility, no matter what age we are or what stage of life we are in. As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, friends, co-workers, and fellow churchgoers, we all have a responsibility to offer the right example and give of our time and efforts in this necessary child training. 
      Because so many parents are not following this positive instruction and direction from God, chaotic problems are occurring all around us. There certainly would be fewer episodes of drug addiction, street gangs, crime, terrorism, pornography, permissiveness, and abused, abandoned, and neglected children if all parents took seriously this important admonition to ‘train up’ their children. 
      Because many don’t, however, God always provides an answer. In Psalm 27:10, the Bible says, When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. These words certainly offer comfort to those who have been forsaken and forgotten by earthly parents. One way I think God provides this comfort is through ministries to children such as Connie Maxwell’s. These are ministries where children can find a family, can find love and acceptance, and can find God’s comfort through the Christian counseling and training provided. 
      Connie Maxwell and similar faith-based ministries believe that Christian counseling is not just an option but is the most effective way to help heal the hurt and find a solution to the problems many children face today. 
      Obviously, it would be better if there were no longer a need to operate Connie Maxwell Children’s Home. It would be wonderful if every child in our state lived in a loving, caring Christian home. This ideal occurrence might eliminate the need for Connie Maxwell to continue operating. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Children are abused, abandoned, and neglected more today than ever before. Families are breaking apart at rapid rates. Fathers are abandoning their offspring in alarming numbers. Every 20 seconds in our country, an illegitimate child is born. Every day, four American children die from child abuse and close to 50 more die from gunshots and poverty-related issues. More than 100,000 American children are homeless every day. As these statistics show, there is a definite need for Connie Maxwell and the ministry it offers to hurting children and families. 
      South Carolinians can be proud of the partnership efforts that many state churches and individuals offer in financially assisting this Christ-centered ministry. For more than 114-years, Christians have joined with the staff at Connie Maxwell to provide shelter, clothing, food, medical, and educational needs for thousands of children. In addition, boys and girls have found love, encouragement, stability, and responsible directives that enable them to break the cycle and make a difference in their lives. Connie Maxwell also has introduced these young people to a Heavenly Father who will never abandon them as an earthly father might have done. 
      We are blessed to partner with churches and individuals in our state and to have God’s leadership and guidance in this necessary ministry for boys and girls. Please keep our children and staff in your prayers. 
      For questions or further information, contact: Dr. Ben Davis, President/CEO, at Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, PO Box 1178, Greenwood, SC 29648, telephone (864) 942-1400, e-mail bendavis@conniemaxwell.com. The website address is www.conniemaxwell.com.