A Reformed Congregation on Fernwood-Glendale Road
Providence Presbyterian Church stands on Fernwood-Glendale Road on the east side of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The congregation belongs to the Presbyterian Church in America and to its regional body, Calvary Presbytery, and it identifies with the historic Reformed tradition. The church's own description, historically Reformed and purposefully striving to glorify God and serve His people, captures the twin commitments that shape its life. Each Lord's Day at 10:30 AM the church gathers for worship that follows what the congregation describes as the scriptural patterns of the Reformed tradition, seeking what Providence calls a rich experience of the historic Christian faith.
Half a Century in Spartanburg
Providence traces its origins to 1973, the year the Presbyterian Church in America itself was founded as a denomination faithful to the Scripture, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission. Two years later, in 1975, a small PCA Bible study began meeting at the Spartanburg YMCA under the care of Calvary Presbytery. In January 1976 the group began holding Sunday worship services in a leased house at 1814 East Main Street, and in August 1977 Providence was formally organized as a Particular Church with Grady Love as its organizing pastor. The congregation purchased its current Fernwood-Glendale Road property in 1978, broke ground on a first sanctuary in 1980, and completed a larger sanctuary and classroom wing in 1990. A neighboring house was purchased in 1984 to serve as the parsonage.
Three Pastors in Nearly Fifty Years
Providence has been served by only three pastors in its history. Rev. Grady Love, the organizing pastor, led the church from 1977 until 1986 and went to be with the Lord on April 30, 2024, at the age of 83. Rev. Dr. Dan Coleman was installed as the second pastor in 1988 and shepherded Providence for thirty-seven years before retiring in December 2025. On August 4, 2026, Rev. Kevin Morris was installed as the third pastor of the congregation.
Meet the Pastor: Rev. Kevin Morris
A native of the Jacksonville, Florida area, Rev. Kevin Morris has been involved in full-time and bivocational church ministry since 2011 and has served in the Presbyterian Church in America since 2017. He holds a B.S. in Theological Studies from Moody Bible Institute and a Master of Arts in Religion from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Before coming to Providence he was involved in church planting and is the founder of a Bible reading project called Better Bible Reading, which maintains an accompanying YouTube channel. He and his wife Haley have two children. His stated interests include Old Testament studies, biblical theology, the Puritans (with a particular love for John Owen), and theme parks.
Worship in the Reformed Tradition
Providence worships once each Sunday, at 10:30 AM, in a service shaped by the historic Christian faith and the patterns of Reformed liturgy. The teaching ministry is committed to expositional preaching: the session's stated conviction is to feed the flock by making its way through books of the Bible, verse by verse. Most of the sermons in the archive are part of expositional series, with occasional stand-alone sermons throughout the year. Recordings of the sermons, along with lectures from the adult discipleship classes, are available through SermonAudio, and the services are webcast live on SermonAudio for those unable to attend in person.
The Westminster Standards and the Reformed Faith
Providence holds to the historic creeds of the early church and to the confessions of the Reformation. The church's stated doctrinal pillars are Sola Scriptura, the sovereignty of God, and salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. All of the church's officers subscribe to the Westminster Standards as a faithful summary of scriptural teaching, including the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, alongside the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Providence sums up its aim with the opening of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
Governed by Elders and Deacons
Providence follows the Presbyterian form of church government laid out in the New Testament. The session, made up of the pastor and the ruling elders, provides spiritual oversight with special care for the ministry of the word and discipleship. The diaconate exercises care for the body in sympathy and service. The current session is moderated by Pastor Kevin Morris, with Kevin Love as clerk, and includes ruling elders Chipley Bennett and Michael Miller. The diaconate is chaired by Jesse White, with Dave Bignell as secretary, Al Bianco as treasurer, and Kyle MacNaughton as a member.
A Heart for Spartanburg and the World
Providence understands its beliefs as a foundation for life and service rather than as abstract ideas, and it supports a range of mission works in obedience to the Great Commission. Locally, the church partners with the Carolina Pregnancy Center. Internationally, the congregation supports Christian Freedom International, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a number of families and individuals on the mission field: the Aschmanns in Ecuador, the Brooks in Liberia, Rev. and Mrs. Jack Campbell with Reformed Ministries International, Miss Ruth Coleman in Honduras, Rev. and Mrs. Will Faires with English Language Institute ministry, Rev. and Mrs. Jay Matsinger with Greater Europe Mission, the Smallings in Latin America, and Dr. and Mrs. Tom Wright in West Africa.
Becoming a Member
Providence frames membership as a covenant commitment, a public declaration of faith and an intentional step into a community of Christians. The process begins with an informal meeting with the elders to share one's story of faith, followed by a New Members class that explores what it means to be a Christian and the doctrinal distinctives of the church's Reformed and Presbyterian identity. Members come to Providence by confession of faith, by reaffirmation of faith, or by letter of transfer from another church.