It was Pack the Pew for Sunday afternoon/evening services at Mt. Zion AME Church on Coolers Dairy Road February 22, 2026. Members and guests wore their favorite team attire. It appeared the teams most represented were the Pittsburg Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. Some church members were even dressed as referees.
The service was high energy from the start with an opening of “I Praise the Lord”. The Black National Anthem was recited followed by the Invocation. The Scripture read was Ecclesiastes Chapter 4: 9-12. Following the reading of the Scripture an interpretive dance was performed. Following the dance was a saxophone tribute.
During the “3rd Quarter” of the service, Mt. Zion AME presented the inaugural Christian and Community Award. This award was given to an individual who has committed and given themselves to the community spiritually and with their presence, time, and energy. The first recipient of this award is Coach Adam Kinloch.
Mrs. Anna B. Matthews praised Coach Kinloch for all his efforts to be a good role model and mentor to the young men on the CCHS football team in his time as head coach from 2023-2025 for three seasons. Mrs. Bright proceeded to read an article title “The Real Coach Adam Kinloch as Seen Through the Eyes of Coach Keivy Rowes”. In this article Mr. Rowes outlined all the challenges Coach Kinloch faced during his time at CCHS and the difficult and strenuous efforts he put into meeting these challenges head on with the focus always being on his players. Ms. Uirica Bodison, Principal at CCHS, also spoke about Coach Kinloch praising all his efforts for not only the football team, but CCHS as a whole. The message both ladies gave was success is not measured by the scoreboard. It is measured by the impact Kinloch has on his players and the community. They expressed the best is yet to come for Kinloch and to keep moving forward.
Speaking with Coach Kinloch, he is grateful for the time he had at Colleton County and the impact he had. He expressed his gratitude for those in the community who supported him on and off the field. “[The support] means a lot. It showed the community understands and they wanted the same things I wanted. God put me in a place to do something, and I did it. I feel like the team is in a better position and better mindsets. It’s a blessing that people understood the fight it took…through those three years, but I wouldn’t take it away for anything.”
Coach Kinloch also took the time to wish the new head coach at CCHS all the best with parting advice “you’re going to have to love on these kids hard.”
As for the future, Kinloch will still be involved in football with plans to stay in South Carolina and to open to opportunities in the future.
