WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — In most respects it was a typical first Sunday at Brookland Baptist Church. The minister delivered a raucous sermon, communion was distributed and the choir closed the service with the gospel classic “Order My Steps,” which admonishes Christians that “Satan is busy, God is real.”

But when the benediction was completed, the rush of congregants to the front pew signaled that this Sunday was unique: The honored guest was former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., and everyone wanted a photo.

“He was with President Obama and you know what that means, he has a head start in my book,” said Barbara Cain Seabrook, a 58-year-old member of Brookland Baptist. “I think he has the community at heart.”

Nearly every Democrat in South Carolina agrees that Mr. Biden is the early pacesetter in the state’s critically important primary, buoyed by his longstanding relationships with elected officials here and support from black voters, who make up almost 60 percent of the Democratic electorate.