Dr. Edward D. Brantley, a great spokesman for the Lord, was born and raised in Shelby, North Carolina. He is the fifth child of six children of the late Clarence and Cora Brantley of Shelby. He attended the Shelby City Public School system and then furthered his education at Kings Business College in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He was married to the late Lola M. Adams Brantley, daughter of the late James and Myrtle Adams of Bessemer City, North Carolina and to this union two sons were born; Thomas Lee Brantley and Adam Bernard Brantley and five grandchildren; Aviana Brantley, Malia Goldsmith, Lauryn Brantley, Peyton Brantley and Kameron Cheek.
He was licensed as a minister on October 5, 1980 from his home church, Eskridge Grove Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina and was ordained on April 18, 1982 by the Ebenezer Baptist Association.
To better himself for the Lords work, he attended the Southern Baptist Seminary Extension classes in Shelby, NC; Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute in Hendersonville, North Carolina; Mid-Atlantic Bible College of Rock Hill, South Carolina where he received his AA & BA Degrees in Religion. Then he attended Emanuel Baptist University of Shelby, NC where he received his Masters of Theology and his Doctrine of Ministry Degrees.
On June 5, 1983, Dr. Brantley was elected as pastor of the Haynes Grove Baptist Church in Cliffside, North Carolina, where he served faithfully for 12 years and 4 months. During his time at Haynes Grove he worked hard to build up the people of God and Gods House. While serving in the Gold Hill Baptist Association, he held several positions; Secretary of the Ministers Counsel, Vice President and President of the Ministers Counsel; he served as the Assistant Dean and the Dean of the Gold Hill Learning Institute; he served as 1st Vice Moderator and then as Moderator of the Gold Hill Baptist Association; and totally supporting the Sunday School Convention and the Womens Auxiliary.
On October 5, 1995, Dr. Brantley was elected as the 20th pastor of Lowndes Hill Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina where he has served faithfully. He not only came in preaching the Word of God, but he also came in teaching the Word of God. He held workshops for all ministries of the church, he started a New Membership Class and he revived Prayer Service and Bible Study to include a class for our younger children and youth. He started Childrens Church during the morning services. He started a Tape Ministry and set the Fourth Sunday of each month as Youth Day. He led the Deacons in serving as Worship Leaders during the morning services one month at a time. He started a Deacons Family Ministry Plan, organized the Girl Scouts, the Junior Missionary, the Brotherhood, a Singles Ministry and a Couples Ministry along with much more. He has licensed two into the Gospel Ministry.
Dr. Brantley not only serves the church, but he also became actively involved in the Enoree River Baptist Association. In 1996 he stepped in and filled the vacant position of Assistant Dean of the Enoree River Congress of Education. He went on to serve as the Congress Dean and later as the 1st Vice President. In 2002 he was elected to serve as the 2nd Vice Moderator of the Enoree River Baptist Association. He went on to serve as the 1st Vice Moderator and then as the Moderator. He served as an Instructor and Assistant Dean of the Heavens Avenue Baptist University and Seminary at Antioch in Shelby, NC. He has served as an Instructor at the N. J. Brockman School of Religion held at Martin-Webb Learning Center in Greenville, SC. He has served as a member and secretary of the Cooperative Ministries Committee, the Executive and governing body of Martin-Webb. He has served as Treasure of the Baptist Ministers Fellowship of Greenville and Vicinity. He has also worked and served the Baptist E & M Convention of South Carolina in several positions; the Finance Committee, the Registration Committee and now the Vendors Committee of the Convention.
God has sought out a man after His own heart by calling Dr. Edward D. Brantley. The Lord did not go to the fields to find him as He found Amos; neither did the Lord find him by the shore where John was found. He found this vessel in the same place David was found, in the midst of brethren with physical strength and in the midst of men with greater height. The Lord searched out the heart of a man who would obey His will and as Philippians 4:13 states, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This truly exemplifies the life of our pastor, Dr. Edward D. Brantley.