(Published January 25‚ 2004)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Al Sharpton preached from the pulpit Sunday, telling black voters that their message would make it all the way to the Democratic convention because he would not drop out of the race.

"What if you vote for one of those guys, and then they pull out after South Carolina. You've wasted your vote," he said to loud applause during morning services at Rehoboth Baptist Church. "Know that I am going on all the way to the end no matter what."

Sharpton, a black minister from New York, has been touring South Carolina preaching from Baptist church to Baptist church. A new poll released Sunday showed Sharpton had the support of about 15 percent of those who planned to participate in the state's primary.

He hopes to make enough of a splash in the state's first-in-the-South Democratic primary to gain some momentum and capture enough delegates to attend his party's national convention. As many as half the voters in South Carolina on Feb. 3 are expected to be black since minorities make up about a third of the state's population.

With a fiery voice and a singing sermon, Sharpton enlivened a packed sanctuary on the outskirts of Columbia as they got on their feet and clapped their hands. He told them the fact that he hasn't held an office doesn't matter.

"No senator got us the right to vote. No senator brought us from the back of the bus," he boomed. "The one that helped us was a black man, that never held an office, named Martin Luther King."

The pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church urged his congregation to vote and put a preacher in the White House. The church took an offering for Sharpton's campaign.

"We thank you for being a man of God," said the Rev. George Gaymon. "We thank you for standing up for us."

Sharpton told the congregation that no matter what happened during the primaries, he would take their voice to the Democratic Party.

"With me not only can you win, you can't lose," he said.

The message worked.

Keith Ray, 36, agreed with Sharpton and decided during the service to vote for him. Ray previously planned to support Wesley Clark then switched to John Edwards.

"Regardless of the outcome, somebody needs to voice my concerns," Ray said after settling on Sharpton.

Pensicola Banks, 52, left church Sunday still undecided on which candidate she would support, although she did give money to Sharpton's campaign during the service.

"I like Al. I think he is a good morale builder for the black people. He doesn't mind saying what is on his mind," she said.

But Banks also has thought about voting for Clark because her husband was in the service and Clark presented her daughter with an award in Germany.

She said she loved Sharpton's message and made notes to share his words with her family.

Otis Outing of Brooklyn, N.Y., has followed Sharpton's political career and said he will vote for the reverend because he addresses issues that affect Outing.

"He raises the consciousness of black Americans," he said.