CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) -- As President Joe Biden's time in the White House draws to a close, he stopped in South Carolina on Sunday to thank the people who got him there. Biden spent much of his final full day in office in the Lowcountry, signaling his appreciation for the state that helped propel him to the presidency after he won its Democratic primary in 2020 thanks to U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn's endorsement. The president, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and other members of the First Family touched down at Joint Base Charleston shortly after 10 a.m. After disembarking Air Force One, Biden hugged Clyburn, his longtime friend and ally. Later that morning, Biden and the First Family traveled to Royal Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston, where congregants eagerly awaited their arrival. "It's good to see him again, and we are just elated that he came back to say thank you," said Jacqueline Russell. The church holds special meaning for the president. He attended a worship service there in 2020 while seeking the Democratic nomination. "I prayed with you here in February 2020 when I was running for president, and on my final full day as president, of all the places I wanted to be, was back here with you," he told the crowd. Biden struck a hopeful tone as he spoke about the integrity of the office of President, about faith and friendship, and of his presidential record. We know the struggle to redeeming the soul of this nation is difficult and ongoing,” he said. “We must hold on to hope. We must stay engaged. We must always keep the faith in a better day to come.” Biden closed with a message of gratitude for the state widely credited with saving his candidacy after losses in New Hampshire, Iowa, and Nevada. Biden saw a rocky campaign for president during the early 2020 primaries until he reached South Carolina, where with Rep. Clyburn’s help, saw his first major victory. "I owe you big," he said. "As they say where I come from: you're the guys that brought me to the dance. Thank you, thank you, thank you." 6 dramatic moments that shaped Biden’s presidency Biden's farewell tour continued with a stop at the International African American Museum in downtown Charleston. The museum sits at Gadsden's Wharf, a place where more than 200,000 enslaved Africans were brought into the country from 1670 to 1808. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the museum under cloudy skies, waving and taking pictures as they waited to see the president. Among them was Claire Law, a Daniel Island resident, who held a colorful sign reading “Thank you Pres. Biden.” “It is an honor to be here to celebrate the life of service — 52 years of service — of President Joe Biden,” Law said ahead of the president's scheduled remarks. Many local and state officials were seated in the audience, including former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley and multiple Democratic state senators and representatives. South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain also sat among the crowd. Other attendees included White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Defense Secretary, and former South Carolina state Sen. Marlon Kimpson, who left his legislative post early for a role in Biden's administration. As Biden took a private tour of the museum, the voices of a combined community choir filled the exterior of the museum as attendees sang along. The afternoon program began with IAAM President and CEO Dr. Tonya Matthews recounting a trip she took last December to Angola with Biden, a charter member of the museum. She then introduced well-known Charleston Reverand and IAAM Board Member Joseph Darby, who called the event to prayer, thanking God for the day and the opportunity to recognize Biden's humanitarian efforts. “Make us strong advocates, make us drum majors for justice so that we can work to see all of God’s children are blessed, safe and secure. So that we can see that America indeed moves forward and really becomes the nation that we claim to be. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice, not for some, but for all,” Darby prayed. “Amen.” The First Lady took the stage next, clapping to the rhythm of worship songs as she walked toward the podium. She recounted how South Carolina, particularly the Lowcountry, has always been a place of respite for the Bidens. “In 2015, when we lost our son Beau to cancer, Joe and I brought our family to the Lowcountry to find peace,” Dr. Biden recalled. “You helped us heal when we had reached life’s lowest lows. And it’s also here in 2020 where you gave us wings. After healing us, you believed in Joe’s conviction and courage to heal our nation.” She finished her remarks with a resounding "We love you, South Carolina," drawing loud applause from the crowd. Clyburn introduced the president at Sunday's second event and thanked those in attendance for bringing the former vice president to the White House. On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the congressman remembered a 1966 press conference where Dr. King said, “Of all the forms of inequalities, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane," tying it to Biden's legacy on affordable healthcare. Clyburn praised Biden for his work to bring down the cost of healthcare for Americans, highlighting a portion of the administration's Inflation Reduction Act that capped the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 per month. “Joe looks beyond our zip codes and addresses our needs,” Clyburn exclaimed. He then welcomed his friend “Joe” onto the stage as the choir sang “Every Praise” behind them. As a thank you for Biden's lifelong service, Clyburn then presented Biden with a handwoven sweetgrass rice fanner that held engravings in the middle of Carolina Maplewood. Sweetgrass baskets are crafted by people from the Gullah Geechee culture, and the wood in this particular fanner was reclaimed from an 1800s maple tree. “These two things are now blended into this powerful symbol of resilience and that word that you share with me so often: hope,” Clyburn said to Biden. Chants of “We love Joe” erupted across the audience as Biden started his remarks. Biden said he wanted to spend his last full day in office with the people of South Carolina because the prayers of South Carolinians have made such a difference in his presidency. “We must know the good, the bad and the truth about who we are, that’s what great nations do,” Biden said. “And we are a great nation.” He recognized the significance of speaking the night before MLK Day and the influence Dr. King had on him while growing up in a world that slowly desegregated and throughout his time in public service. “I’ve tried to be a link between our history and our future, between our dreams and the possibilities,” he said. “I had the honor of serving with the first Black president, the first woman vice president.” Biden closed out the last expected speech of his presidency by exclaiming, “I love you all, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. My family owes you; we owe you, the nation owes you... God bless America.”   As the sun set, Biden and the First Lady departed on Air Force One en route to Washington D.C., where they will spend their final night in the White House before attending a send-off ceremony following Monday’s inaugural ceremony.