A House of Worship on The Plaza
Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church stands at 5232 The Plaza in east Charlotte, a Spirit-filled congregation that has shaped the spiritual life of the city's African American community for more than a century. The church describes itself as "A Christ Centered Compassionate Community," a tagline matched by its three-part calling: "A Place of Hope, A People of Promise, A Passion for Ministry." Greater Bethel is one of the historic AME congregations that helped root African Methodism in the Charlotte region, and it continues to preach the Gospel, teach the scriptures, fellowship, and serve the whole person in body, mind, and spirit.
From Winnsboro to Charlotte, 1897 to Today
Greater Bethel's story begins in 1897, when the Reverend A. J. Mitchell arrived in Charlotte from Winnsboro, South Carolina, looking for work. He met Samuel T. Moore, also from Winnsboro, and the two African Methodists resolved to start a church of their own denomination. Together with eleven other charter members - Mrs. Samuel T. Moore, Mrs. Charlie Lyles, Mrs. Bessie Cooley, Mrs. Sally Rabb Smith, Dr. and Mrs. Vick, and Mrs. J. L. Eagle - they organized Bethel African Methodist Church, with Reverend Mitchell as its first pastor. The early congregation met at 906 First Street, then moved to the Good Samaritan Hall at South Caldwell and East Boundary; after a fire forced them to a building on Crockett Street, the rebuilt Hall welcomed them back.
By 1901, Brother Samuel T. Moore had loaned the church $550 to buy land at Starr Street and South Boulevard, where a Sunday School building and later a sanctuary rose under the leadership of Presiding Elder J. D. Cowan and the Reverend A. Wilson. Urban renewal in 1969 pushed the church off that site, and for a season Bethel worshipped with the congregations of Gillespie United Methodist Church and Simpson Chapel United Methodist Church on West Trade Street. In 1970, under the leadership of the Reverend Mayo Rich, the church resettled at 201 Grandin Road and adopted the name Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The adjective "Greater," added with the consent of the membership, marked what the congregation saw as God's blessing on its work.
The Grandin Road years shaped Greater Bethel's identity. The Reverend L. S. Penn reactivated the Young Adult Choir, renamed it "The Bethel Spiritualites," and began a tradition of anniversary concerts that became a hallmark. The Reverend Frank M. Reid III launched the "Faith Can Move Mountains" outreach radio broadcast, drawing students from nearby Johnson C. Smith University and growing the roll sharply. Successive pastors - the Reverends Levi Brown Jr., David L. Morrison Sr., and Conrad K. Pridgen - renovated the building, added a Youth Bible Study and a Young Adult Choir, and acquired the Siskron Property on Grandin and Tuckaseegee Roads. In 1997, Bishop Vinton R. Anderson appointed the Reverend Dr. Walter V. Howard Jr. as pastor, and Howard's tenure completed a long-neglected upper level that members came to call "The Upper Room." In 2007, the sale of the Grandin Road property forced another relocation; the Reverend Morris Reddon Jr., formerly of the Baltimore Conference, led the church through a season at Alexander Funeral Home ("The Chapel"), and on Sunday, February 1, 2009, he walked the membership into what Greater Bethel still calls home on The Plaza.
More recent pastors continued the work. The Reverend Dr. Abdue Knox, appointed by Bishop James L. Davis in May 2019, spearheaded major campus improvements, revived several ministries, and began a Children's Church. His working theme, "Love God, Love the People, Do the Work," captured a season of expansion that set the stage for the present pastor.
Pastor Devin D. Paylor Sr.: A New Chapter Begins
On July 17, 2025, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson appointed the Reverend Devin D. Paylor Sr., M.Div., as the pastor of Greater Bethel AME Church. A native of Roxboro, North Carolina, and a third-generation preacher of the Gospel, Reverend Paylor's spiritual formation bridges the Pentecostal and Methodist traditions. He is the proud son of Shelia Paylor and Moses Woods. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations from Saint Augustine's University and earned both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from the Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh. He is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Duke University Divinity School.
Reverend Paylor professed his faith at an early age at Faith Temple United Holy Church of America under his uncle, Elder Clyde H. Winstead, and later united with Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, where the Reverend Larry McDonald, Sr., guided him into preaching. Ordained by Bishop James Levert Davis during the 126th Session of the Western North Carolina Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (Second Episcopal District), he served Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church in Roxboro from 2018 to 2022 and Turners Chapel A.M.E. Church in High Point from 2022 to 2025. A gifted preacher, evangelist, and psalmist, he has also recorded twice with the Instruments of Praise Mass Choir and is a two-time recording artist.
In the wider community, the High Point Chapter of the NAACP honored Reverend Paylor in 2023 for advocacy and service, and in 2025 named him incoming Chair of Religious Affairs. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. He lives in Charlotte with his wife and co-laborer in ministry, the Reverend Shlonda Nottingham-Paylor, and their son, Nicholas.
Sunday Mornings: Church School and Worship
A typical Sunday at Greater Bethel begins with Church School at 8:30 AM, a teaching hour that the church calls "the foremost driving vehicle" of Christian Education. At 10:00 AM the congregation gathers for Worship Service, which the church describes as part of a long gospel-rooted AME tradition featuring Spirit-filled praise and preaching. Both services are held in English and live-streamed on YouTube, with recent broadcasts and special services - such as the 128th Church Anniversary - archived on the church's video page for those who cannot be in person.
Wednesday Bible Study and a Prayer Line Open Day and Night
Midweek formation meets in Bible Study on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, streaming alongside the Sunday schedule. For those who need prayer at any hour, Greater Bethel maintains a prayer line at (704) 940-0775 and a prayer-request form that sends requests directly to the church office. Members of the Intercessory Prayer Ministry carry a steady load of intercession, praying for the pastor and his family, for healing, and for anyone in need of guidance.
Ministries for Every Season of Life
Greater Bethel's ministry roster is built to follow members through every chapter of life. Christian Education oversees the church's teaching and discipleship; the Commission on Membership, Evangelism and Discipleship trains new members, lay leaders, and ministerial staff. Couples find a home in the L.O.V.E Marriage Ministry, which exists to strengthen the bond between husband and wife and their connection to the Lord. Seniors gather under the Young At Heart banner for fellowship, activities, exercise, and the kind of staying-active programming the name suggests. The Equippers quietly handle the behind-the-scenes work that keeps worship running smoothly, while the Christmas Group coordinates holiday-season support for members and neighbors who need it most.
Children and youth are central to the church's life. Church School meets every Sunday morning, and Children's Church - launched under the previous pastor's leadership - gives younger members a place of their own. A Youth Bible Study, instituted by the Reverend Conrad K. Pridgen, continues as a touchpoint for teens, and the long-running Bethel Spiritualites choir tradition shows what Greater Bethel expects of its young adults: serious musicianship in service of the Gospel. The Haynes Schofield Women's Missionary Society carries mission work beyond the church walls through prayer, service, and witness, living out the AME Woman's Missionary Society's call to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ in the world.
The Boards and Auxiliaries that Carry the Work
Greater Bethel is held together by the traditional AME network of Boards and Auxiliaries. The Board of Stewards directs spiritual harmony within the body, comforts the distressed, and helps the pastor and ministerial staff carry out their duties; Vice-Chair Nefertiti Pridgen Brown and Secretary Dr. Vernessa Barnes lead the stewardesses and stewards. The Board of Trustees, with Jacqueline Green serving as Pro Tem, manages the church's real estate and property. Class Leaders, led by President Petrina Jordan, create Christian relationships among members, pray together, meet together, watch over probationers, and report on the sick and shut-in. The Lay Organization, under President Bobbi Hague, instills a love of AME history and traditions. Joyce Barnette and the Stewardess Board prepare the implements and elements of Holy Communion and Baptism and care for the pulpit furnishings. Ushers, led by President David Morrison Jr., open the door to every worshiper and serve as the building's hosts. The Haynes Schofield Women's Missionary Society, with President Angeline Pugh, extends the church's reach into the community.
Online and On the Plaza
Greater Bethel's digital life is as active as its campus life. Sunday services and Wednesday Bible Study live-stream on the church's YouTube channel, and a growing library of past services - anniversary celebrations, Family and Friend's Day, special holy days - is available for catch-up viewing. Members use Realm Connect to manage contact information, interact with ministries, keep up with small groups, and direct giving. The church accepts online donations through Realm, Givelify, PayPal, and Zelle, with the finance office reachable at financeoffice@gbame.org for bank-level giving.
For groups who would like to use the building, Greater Bethel accepts facility requests through the church office. Events use the fellowship hall and adjacent spaces, with a 50 percent deposit at contract signing and a final balance due one week before the event. The church asks users to set up, clean up, return tables and chairs, bag and remove trash, wash dishes, sweep, and report any damage; renters agree to indemnify Greater Bethel AME Church for any physical damage during the event.
Staying Connected to the Church
Greater Bethel AME Church sits at 5232 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28215, where doors open every Sunday morning for Church School at 8:30 and Worship at 10:00. The church office can be reached at (980) 949-6576, the prayer line at (704) 940-0775, and by email at info@gbame.org. Greater Bethel remains what its founders prayed it would become in 1897: a congregation of African Methodists committed to preaching, teaching, fellowship, and service, now in its 129th year under the banner "A Place of Hope, A People of Promise, A Passion for Ministry."