Providence was formed in the early 1990’s as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). We are committed to serving the body of Christ and to reaching out to the community in Cherokee County and beyond. Here, you’ll find a church that is Biblical, Reformed, Confessional, and Committed to Pastoral Care. We briefly explain these as follows:

Biblical

First and foremost, we believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Because of this, our preaching typically involves working verse-by-verse through the different books of the Bible, in a way that makes plain the Word and applies it to the greatest needs of the people. God’s people need all of God’s counsel so that they may grow in his wisdom. It is this kind of teaching and preaching that God uses to transform us into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Reformed

We are also a Reformed church. This finds its historical basis in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, an important movement that returned the Church to sound biblical ground from the exceedingly unbiblical practices of that day. What this means practically to us as a church today (at least in part), is that we rejoice and find comfort in God’s absolute sovereignty over his creation. Every day, we are able to observe God’s unfolding plan. Through redemption, God exercises his sovereignty by reconciling sinners (that’s us!) to himself through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Confessional

As stated above, we believe the Bible to be God’s Word, and therefore, to be true…but what do we believe the Bible to actually mean? In a world abounding with so many different interpretations, we find this to be an extremely important question, and we answer this question by confessing what we hold to be the true meaning of the Bible. In the mid-1600s, a group of wise pastors and theologians summarized Scripture’s teaching in thirty-three doctrines called the Westminster Confession of Faith. We believe this confession (and it’s associated catechisms) to be a faithful synopsis of the Bible’s teaching; therefore, every elder and deacon at Providence must either state their full agreement with it, or clarify what specific differences he holds. For more information, see the first question of our FAQ.

Committed to Pastoral Care

We believe that pastoral care is an essential element of a church’s well-being. This is not a task limited only to the pastor, but in his Christ’s Church he provides oversight to the flock through elders and deacons. These men are not simply a board of directors, but they serve by walking alongside of you and your family as you seek to honor the Lord and to live for his glory. As noted above, their first responsibility is to ensure that the flock under their care are fed, nourished, and nurtured by the whole counsel of the Word of God. They are then responsible for knowing the sheep and ministering to the particular needs that present themselves. The Apostle Peter gave the following instruction to elders regarding this task: “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” This is what we strive toward in exercising pastoral care.