Rev. Dr. S. C. Cureton, former President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Rev. Stewart Cleveland Cureton, long-time pastor of one of the Upstate's oldest and most prominent African-American churches, died Tuesday morning.

Dr. Cureton was a preacher for more than 50 years. For 42 of those years, he was pastor of Reedy River Missionary Baptist Church in Mauldin.

Cureton was also a math teacher for more than 25 years.

He was a past president of the National Baptist Convention USA, the nation's largest organization of African-American churches.

A leader in civil-rights efforts in the Upstate and the region, Cureton worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and its leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As part of his work with the SCLC, Cureton was a key figure in bringing King to Greenville for a speech at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in April 1967.

Cureton was 77 years old.

Source:  http://www.wyff4.com/news/18383472/detail.html #