Trusting in God's Word, to Live God's Way, for God's Glory
Park Baptist Church sits on East Main Street in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in the same brick-and-mortar setting that has anchored this congregation for generations. The church identifies itself with a single line that runs across the top of its literature: "Trusting in God's Word, to Live God's Way, for God's Glory." That motto captures the congregation's twofold identity, as a body committed to the Bible as its authority and as a community whose life together is shaped by the gospel. Park Baptist describes itself as an elder-led, congregational, and Reformed Baptist church. Sunday morning attendance typically runs between 350 and 400 people, drawing young families, college students, widows, and empty-nesters together under one roof.
What visitors notice first is the mix of generations. The membership is intentionally multigenerational, a fact the staff considers essential to a healthy church. Children move from Sunday School classrooms into the sanctuary for portions of the service, where they sit with their parents before being dismissed for age-appropriate teaching. College students from nearby Winthrop University fill pews and small groups. Retirees anchor the prayer ministries and teach in the children's programs. The dress on a given Sunday leans business-casual, though jeans and suits appear side by side without comment.
A Weekly Rhythm Built Around the Word
The congregation's weekly schedule reflects a deep conviction that gathered worship is essential to the Christian life. Sunday School begins at 9:15 AM, with classes for every age from nursery through adult electives. At 10:30 AM, the church gathers for Morning Worship in the sanctuary, with the service also carried into the gymnasium for overflow seating. The worship is a blend of old and new. Doctrinally rich sixteenth-century hymns sit alongside twenty-first-century choruses, and the leadership team takes care to choose music the congregation can actually sing. Special songs by the choir and various members are woven in as moments of reflection.
The morning service is robust and liturgical in tone. A deacon or pastor leads the congregation in prayer, the Word is read aloud, and the sermon is generally expositional, walking through the point of a particular biblical passage. Sermons usually run 35 to 40 minutes and alternate between Old and New Testament series. Every sermon is driven by the gospel, the Bible's main message of God saving sinners through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On the second and fourth Sundays of each month, the church gathers again at 6:00 PM for Evening Worship. The evening service is more informal, often described by members as having a family atmosphere. Congregational singing opens the service, followed by announcements and meditation on the Word. Sometimes the sermon continues a book of the Bible from the morning service, sometimes it is a topical series, and sometimes the evening includes panel discussions, testimonies, or extended times of prayer. Children have their own programming during this hour: a nursery for birth through two-year-olds and three levels of Children's Choir, a preschool choir for ages three to five, a kindergarten through first grade choir, and a second through fifth grade choir.
Midweek, the church meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM for a time of corporate prayer where members lift up the physical and spiritual needs of the church family, followed by a roughly twenty-minute message from the Bible. Children from birth through high school meet in graded classes at the same hour. Several families gather earlier, at 5:00 PM in the Christian Activities Building, for a shared dinner before the service, and all are welcome to join them.
What Visitors Can Expect
The church has thought carefully about first-time guests. Sunday morning attendance typically includes a healthy mix of ages and stages. People are friendly, and members are intentional about making sure visitors feel welcomed. The dress code is informal: business-casual is the norm, but jeans and suits are equally at home. The sanctuary is filled with congregational singing, prayer, Scripture reading, expository preaching, and a sustained attention to the gospel at the center of it all.
Children's programming runs throughout the morning. Parents with children younger than two can use the nursery. Children ages two and three remain in their Sunday School classroom during the second hour. Children ages four and up join their parents in the main service and are dismissed after the singing for age-appropriate teaching. A nursery is also available during the Sunday evening service for birth through two-year-olds.
Giving is available in three ways: online through the church's giving portal, by mail to the church address, and in person during the Sunday morning service. Members and visitors are welcome to give as they are led. Prayer requests can be submitted online.
A Confessional Church: The Statement of Faith
Park Baptist anchors its identity in a detailed confessional statement that follows the historic Baptist tradition. The Statement of Faith is organized into twenty articles, beginning with the Scriptures and moving through God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), man, salvation, God's purpose of grace, the church, baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Day, last things, evangelism and missions, education, stewardship, cooperation, the Christian and social order, peace and war, religious liberty, and the family.
The church confesses that the Bible, written by men divinely inspired, is God's revelation of Himself and is totally true and trustworthy. It confesses one triune God who is Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler. The statement affirms that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, who lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death on the cross, rose bodily from the grave, ascended to the right hand of God, and will return personally and visibly in glory. The Holy Spirit is confessed as fully divine, the One who inspired Scripture, convicts of sin, regenerates the sinner, baptizes every believer into the body of Christ, and seals believers unto final redemption.
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The church affirms regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification as the broad scope of salvation, and rejects any view that leaves room for salvation apart from personal faith in Christ. The church practices believer's baptism by immersion and observes the Lord's Supper as a symbolic memorial of Christ's death. The church is described in the statement as "an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel." The office of pastor, elder, and overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
Pastoral Leadership and Residency Programs
Park Baptist is shepherded by a team of pastors, elders, and ministry leaders. Dr. Dave Kiehn has served as Lead Pastor since July 2012. He holds a B.A. in Intellectual History from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Divinity, and a Ph.D. in North American Missiology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of more than ten books. He and his wife, Ellen, have three children: Elizabeth, John David, and Olivia.
Rev. Daniel Huddleston serves as Associate Pastor and as an elder. He served as a lay elder for a year before joining the staff in 2022. Daniel holds a B.A. in Religion from Liberty University and is completing a Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jen, have three daughters.
Rev. John Whiteaker ("Whit") is the Associate Pastor of College and Youth Ministry and an elder. He joined the staff in 2018 and became an elder in 2023. Whit is a Rock Hill native. He and his wife, Jamie, have two sons, Levi and Ezra. Jason Brown and Simeon Indupalli and Jeff VeStrand serve as lay elders, alongside the pastoral team that constitutes the elder board.
Among key staff, Jennie Shellenberger directs the Children's Ministry, having served in the role as a volunteer for many years before joining the staff in 2018. Janice Indupalli, who has served in worship ministry since 2016 on piano and violin, leads the church's musical worship as Musical Worship Director. Patrick Baird serves as the College Pastoral Assistant and is a graduate of Winthrop University pursuing a Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Carrie Blankenship has served as Church Administrator since February 2016. Stephanie Forrester supports the Lead Pastor as his administrative assistant.
Park Baptist operates two formal residency programs designed to train the next generation of ministry leaders. The Pastoral Residency is structured as a "lecture and lab" program, combining reading, writing, and discussion with hands-on ministry under supervision in pastoral leadership, shepherding, preaching, counseling, and evangelism. The Women's Ministry Residency offers comprehensive training in biblical teaching, counseling, leadership, evangelism, worship, and ecclesiology, with residents working closely with elders and ministry staff. The church also points prospective pastors serving in underserved communities to the Thomas Broom Memorial Scholarship, which supports those called to pastoral ministry.
Children's Ministry from Cradle to Senior Year
The Children's Ministry at Park Baptist is built on the conviction that parents are the primary disciple-makers and that the church comes alongside them. The staff emphasizes "in-depth Christ-centered Bible study, comprehensive Biblical theology and expressive, theologically rich music" so that patterns of godliness are planted early.
On Sunday mornings, children use a curriculum called The Gospel Project, which walks through the Bible chronologically over a three-year cycle, with the emphasis on God's plan of redemption through Jesus Christ in every book. Classes are available for children ages two through twelfth grade, with a nursery for those younger than two. Children ages three to five are dismissed from the main service before the sermon for Children's Church, where they work through a curriculum called Big Questions and Answers, exploring questions such as "What is God like?" and "How can we be saved?" and "Why do God's people go to church?"
On Sunday evenings, the choirs take center stage. The Preschool Choir (ages three to five) uses simple songs and movements to engage children in praise. The Younger Kids Choir (kindergarten and first grade) teaches children more about who God is through hands-on lessons, activities, and music, with the children singing in the church several times a year. The Older Kids Choir (second through fifth grade) teaches students how to find their way around a hymnal, memorize a hymn each month, prepare music for worship, and develop their voice as "God-crafted" instruments of praise.
Wednesday nights continue the formation. The Preschool Class (ages three to five) hides God's word in young hearts through Scripture memory, Bible songs, and visual, hands-on teaching. The Elementary grades (kindergarten through fifth) build a firm foundation of biblical doctrine, broken into K/1st, 2nd/3rd, and 4th/5th classes. The Middle School class (sixth through eighth) develops students who love the Word, can navigate it, and know how to use the Bible in everyday life. The High School class (ninth through twelfth) is in-depth, designed to challenge teens with the Word and what it means to be a follower of Christ.
College Ministry in a College Town
Rock Hill is home to Winthrop University, and Park Baptist has invested deeply in college ministry. Through weekly Bible studies, worship gatherings, fellowship events, mentorship, service, and leadership opportunities, the College Ministry seeks to walk with students through a formative season of life. The church is intentional about helping students grow spiritually, connect with other believers, and live out their faith on campus and beyond. The College Pastoral Assistant, Patrick Baird, a Winthrop graduate himself, is one of the people who walks alongside students in this ministry.
Men's, Women's, and Senior Saints Ministries
The Men's Ministry is rooted in Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Through Scripture study, prayer, fellowship, and accountability, the ministry seeks to forge men into faithful followers of Christ who lead, serve, and grow in their faith at home, in the church, and in their communities.
The Women's Ministry exists to encourage, equip, and empower women to grow in their relationship with Christ and with one another. Bible studies, prayer groups, fellowship events, and outreach opportunities help women deepen their knowledge of God's Word and apply it to everyday life.
The Senior Saints Ministry provides space for the church's older members to gather for fellowship, encouragement, and spiritual growth. Through events that focus on connection and Bible engagement, the ministry offers a warm community where seniors continue serving the Lord in every season of life.
Park Christian Counseling
Park Christian Counseling is a ministry of Park Baptist Church that offers biblical, Scripture-based counsel to individuals, couples, and families. The counseling team works from the conviction that the Bible contains all the necessary information for life and godliness, and that God's people are best helped by other Christians who understand the reality of the spiritual battle.
Counseling services address depression, anger, bitterness, jealousy, worry, fear, anxiety, addiction, parental guidance, child and teen guidance, marriage, abuse, and grief. Training is also offered in how to read the Bible, discipleship, theology, evangelism, apologetics, and Scripture memorization. The counseling team takes seriously Paul's instruction to "admonish" and "instruct" one another (Romans 15:14, Colossians 1:28) and seeks to encourage God's people to seek spiritual and lasting help rather than relying on the principles of the world.
Sermons, the Pastor's Writings, and Teaching
Sermons and Bible teaching are central to the life of Park Baptist. The church's preaching is expositional, working through books of the Bible, with a regular cadence that alternates between Old and New Testament series. Each sermon is gospel-driven, and the church provides ongoing teaching through the Pastor's writings, where Pastor Dave Kiehn posts lengthy, devotional expositions of texts he is preaching through. Recent series have walked verse by verse through the Farewell Discourse in John 13 through 17, with sermon posts on texts such as "The Last Invitation," "Thirteen Observations from the Upper Room," "The Love of the Savior," "The Promise of Presence," "Not My Plan," "Abiding in the Vine, Living as Friends," "The World Hates Us," "The Spirit Convicts," and "Resurrection Joy." A separate post addresses the timely question, "Should Christians Use AI?" with ten questions designed to help believers think through the technology wisely.
Sunday morning and evening messages are made available online through the church's YouTube channel. Pastors also share teaching through an Apple Podcasts feed.
A Church for the Gospel and for the Nations
Park Baptist grounds its mission in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The church frames its work as "Fulfilling the Great Commandment and Commission," loving the Lord with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-30) and going into all the world to make disciples, baptizing and teaching (Matthew 28:18-20). The Statement of Faith describes evangelism and missions as the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and every church.
That conviction is visible in the church's commitment to training future pastors and ministry leaders through its residency programs, in the way it shepherds its college students, and in the way it sends its people into their workplaces, neighborhoods, and families with the gospel.
Engaging the World from East Main Street
Park Baptist sits in the heart of Rock Hill, and its address on East Main Street places it within walking distance of downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Members live throughout the area and gather each week from a wide radius. The church takes seriously its calling to be a presence in the city. Members are encouraged to view their workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods as mission fields and to seek out opportunities to share the gospel, serve their neighbors, and live distinctively in a watching world.
The church's social media presence is robust, with active feeds on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and audio teaching available through Apple Podcasts. Visitors can connect with the church online through these channels, subscribe to the Pastor's writings, and explore the church's ministries before stepping through the doors.
A Family-Shaped Community
At the heart of Park Baptist's identity is a longing to be a community shaped by the love of Christ and visible to the surrounding world. Members speak of one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, and the congregation invests heavily in relationships across generational lines. Young families open their homes to widows. Retired members share meals with college students. Older believers disciple younger ones. The pastoral team teaches that the local church is the family of God, a place where people are known, loved, and carried.
It is, in the end, a congregation that wants to be remembered not for its programs or its reputation, but for the simplicity of the faith it confesses and the love it extends to one another and to its neighbors. From its expository pulpit to its nurseries, from its college ministry to its counseling rooms, from its worship services to its pastoral residencies, Park Baptist exists to make much of Jesus Christ and to invite others to do the same.