A Greenville County Original on Highway 25 Bypass
Reedy River Baptist Church sits along the N. Highway 25 Bypass on the north side of Greenville, South Carolina. The congregation describes itself as one of the oldest church organizations in Greenville County, a heritage that shapes how its members see their responsibility to the community around them. Members speak of being "Kingdom focused," aiming both to nurture those already in the pews and to reach neighbors who do not yet have a church home.
The church's mission is summed up in three short phrases that show up across its publications: Praise our Savior. Prepare the Saved. Proclaim the Gospel. Sunday worship, Sunday school, midweek Bible study, children's ministry, a quilting outreach, and a pro-life ministry all flow from those three commitments. Visitors driving up to 871 N. Hwy 25 Bypass during office hours (Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM) will find a staff that is quick to point them toward a Sunday morning Bible study class and a seat in the worship service that follows.
Gathering Around the Word All Week Long
The weekly rhythm at Reedy River is built around four distinct touchpoints for teaching, worship, and fellowship.
Sunday mornings begin with Sunday School at 9:15 AM for every age group. At 10:30 AM the congregation gathers for the main worship service, a gathering that mixes congregational singing with Bob Leverette's worship leadership, organ music from Patricia H. Fisher, and piano from Teresa Wampole.
Sunday evenings add a second worship service at 6:00 PM along with two parallel programs for younger members. Children in Action, or "CIA," meets at 5:45 PM and runs during the Greenville County school year. The youth group also meets at 6:00 PM, at the church, providing middle and high school students with their own time of Bible teaching and fellowship.
Midweek, a worship and Bible study time is held at 11:00 AM on Wednesdays, offering a daytime option for seniors, those with flexible schedules, and anyone who wants a quieter study environment during the week.
Praise, Prepare, Proclaim
The church's three-word mission frames its teaching. Praise refers to the gathered worship of Sunday morning, when the congregation lifts hearts "through song, Scripture, and prayer." Prepare refers to discipleship: the steady growth in faith that takes place through Sunday School, midweek Bible study, and service opportunities. Proclaim captures the outward call: sharing the hope of the Gospel with neighbors, with mothers served through Footprints of Hope, and with children who come through the doors of Trail Blazers summer camp.
Members are encouraged to see every part of life as worship and every conversation as a chance to bear witness to the saving work of Christ.
What We Believe
Reedy River's statement of faith is rooted in historic Baptist convictions. The church holds that all sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are God-breathed, without error, and the final authority for faith and life. There is one true God, creator and sustainer of all things, who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The church confesses that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, born of a virgin, fully God and fully man, who lived a sinless life, died as the substitutionary sacrifice for sin, rose bodily on the third day, ascended to the Father, and now sits at His right hand as the only mediator between God and humanity. The Holy Spirit is honored as the third person of the Trinity, who dwells in every believer, seals them at the moment of faith, and gives spiritual gifts for the building up of the church.
Salvation is described as a gift of grace received through repentance and faith in Christ alone, not earned by human effort. Reedy River also affirms the eternal security of the believer: those truly saved cannot lose their salvation, though fellowship with God is restored through repentance when broken. The church is described as the universal body of believers called to praise, prayer, the Lord's Supper, baptism, and the preaching of Scripture. The statement closes with a confession that Christ will return personally and visibly to judge the living and the dead and to bring the redeemed into His presence forever.
An Old Congregation with a Growing Staff
Pastor Josh Slatten leads Reedy River Baptist Church. A South Carolina native, he grew up in Donalds and graduated from North Greenville University in 2001 with a degree in Christian Studies. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have been married since 2007 and have two children, Jake and Allie. He plays guitar, turkey hunts, and spends much of his free time with his family.
Worship Minister Bob Leverette brings fifty-three years of music ministry experience to his role. His stated goal is to create a worship environment where people can be comforted and touched by the Lord. Patricia H. Fisher serves as organist and Teresa Wampole as pianist, anchoring the congregation's hymn-singing alongside more contemporary selections. Michelle Prince serves as Financial Secretary, keeping the office running and supporting the ministries behind the scenes.
Trail Blazers and the Kids of RRBC
Children's ministry at Reedy River extends well beyond Sunday School. Each summer the church hosts Trail Blazers, a free three-night church camp for children who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade. The evenings run from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM and include dinner, water games, crafts, worship, and small-group conversations designed to help children explore God's love. Parents drop their children off (no parents need to stay), and the church provides meals, snacks, and a safe environment for kids who may be brand new to church.
Registration is required so the church can plan enough meals and materials, and a parent should bring a change of dry clothes, a towel, and a water bottle each night for water activities. Children with allergies or dietary restrictions are accommodated when noted on the registration form.
The camp has become an outreach tool as much as a discipleship program. The church has welcomed first-time families each year, treating Trail Blazers as a door into the wider life of the congregation. Sunday evenings through the school year continue that work for younger children through Children in Action, which meets at 5:45 PM. The youth group, for grades 6 through 12, meets at 6:00 PM and is currently searching for a new Student Minister (Youth Pastor) to lead its ministry of worship, discipleship, and missions.
Standing with Mothers Through Footprints of Hope
Footprints of Hope is Reedy River's pro-life ministry, extending the love of Jesus to expectant mothers through donated supplies, fundraising, education, and prayer. The ministry partners closely with Piedmont Women's Center, a local pregnancy resource center. When a woman visits Piedmont Women's Center for a free pregnancy test, she is also given a snuggly receiving blanket to take home, and many of those blankets are made by the Peacemakers Quilt Ministry at Reedy River.
Each year the church hosts a Church-Wide Baby Shower to benefit Piedmont Women's Baby Bundle Donation Campaigns. Members contribute items from an Amazon wish list or printable PDF registry, drop off flannel fabric for receiving blankets, or simply come for refreshments and prayer over the collected supplies. The flannel drive runs year-round: 100% cotton flannel in one-yard increments is preferred, gender-neutral fabrics welcome, and Hobby Lobby is a frequent stop for bargain hunters. Donations can be dropped off during church office hours.
Members are encouraged to pray regularly for unborn babies, expectant mothers and fathers, the staff and volunteers at Piedmont Women's Center, and the Footprints of Hope team itself.
Quilts, Flannel, and Other Quiet Works
The Peacemakers Quilt Ministry has long been one of the church's quieter gifts to the wider community. In addition to supporting Footprints of Hope with receiving blankets, the quilters keep the Peacemakers project alive by turning fabric, thread, and time into comfort for others.
The church offers several other ongoing groups: a Men's Ministry, a Women's Ministry, a Choir Ministry, a Children's Ministry, the Feed My Sheep Ministry, the Sonshine Fellowship Seniors Group, and the Youth Ministry.
Giving, Newsletters, and Staying Connected
Online giving is available through the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina, with options to set or customize a gift amount, payment type, and gift date. Other ways to give include specific ministry needs such as baby items for Footprints of Hope.
A monthly newsletter has been published continuously for years and is available as a downloadable PDF for each month from January 2024 through the present. Past issues are organized in the newsletter archive and serve as a record of the church's life, sermon series, and seasonal events. Additional posts are added throughout the year, including announcements, encouragement, daily devotions, Bible studies, and event recaps.
The church can be reached by texting the word "info" to (833) 210-4722 for general questions or prayer requests, or by emailing info@rrbaptist.net. Visitors and members alike are invited to come as they are and find a place in the long story of a Greenville congregation that has been gathering along the Reedy River for generations.