A Church at the Heart of Gaffney
Buford Street United Methodist Church sits at 120 East Buford Street in Gaffney, South Carolina. The congregation calls itself a family of faith that strives to carry Christ's light into the world around it, and it works alongside outside agencies and ministries that care for people in need. Pastor David E. Nichols calls Buford Street a growing and changing church in the heart of Gaffney that welcomes anyone who chooses to worship with it.
Nichols was born in Union, South Carolina, attended Union High School, Newberry College, and Duke Divinity School. He was ordained an elder in the United Methodist Church in 1978 and served across South Carolina in Orangeburg, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Clemson. He spent six years as the Rock Hill District Superintendent and pastored Bethel in Spartanburg for twelve years before bringing his ministry to Buford Street. He is married to Mary, a teacher at Woodruff High School, and they have three daughters and three grandchildren. He plays guitar and sings in a bluegrass group.
Sunday Morning at Buford Street
Sunday school meets at 9:30 a.m. with classes for every age, from toddlers to seniors. The congregation describes the classes as a place to feast on the Word of God and be nourished for the work God wants to do.
Worship follows at 10:30 a.m., built around two strengths the congregation names again and again: joyful music and practical, thought-provoking preaching. The people who make up the church family come from many different backgrounds, all of them pointed in the same direction - to love God and to love people. There is no dress code, and visitors are welcome to come as they are. Nursery, preschool, and elementary areas are staffed so children are in a safe environment, and parents are notified if a child needs them during the service.
Wednesday Nights: Bells and Suppers
Wednesdays belong to the Hand Bell Choir, which rehearses from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. in the Choir Room. The bell choir is open to anyone who would love the chance to share God's love through bell music, and it helps lead worship at the 10:30 service every few months and on special occasions.
Wednesday nights are also a long-running tradition around the table. Buford Street hosts Wednesday night suppers and Bible study, and members and visitors are urged to bring a covered dish, with the promise that there is always plenty to eat.
LIFT: Student Ministry
The youth ministry is called LIFT, a name that reflects its purpose of lifting up Jesus and reaching out to others. The program is rooted in John 12:32, where Jesus says that when he is lifted up, he will draw all people to himself.
LIFT meets on Sunday afternoons from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Each gathering includes games or activities, a snack, and a Bible study aimed at helping students grow in their faith. The ministry's mission is to make disciples of all nations by loving the Lord God and loving people, and its leaders describe the goal as encouraging, equipping, and sending out the next generation to be the light of the world while coming alongside parents as another voice of faith within the body of Christ. Renee Hill serves as the Children and Youth Minister.
Music Ministry
Music is one of the first things people name about Buford Street, and the program is built to last. Phil Gibbons serves as Music Minister, and David Cato serves as Organ and Choirmaster. Together they lead congregational singing from the organ console, direct the chancel choir, and rehearse the hand bell ringers. Anyone interested in joining the music ministry is invited to contact David Cato through the church office.
Children's Ministry
Children have a place of their own at Buford Street. The church invests in nursery, preschool, and elementary areas so the youngest members of the family can learn in a safe, fun environment while parents take in worship knowing they will be reached if a child needs them. Sunday school for these ages runs at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, and Renee Hill oversees both children's and youth ministry.
United Methodist Men
The men of the church gather under the banner of United Methodist Men, a longstanding lay fellowship of the United Methodist Church. The chapter is part of how the men of Buford Street support the work of the congregation and serve alongside it.
What the Church Believes
The church teaches that God created the world and each person, and sent his son Jesus to die as an atonement for sin. In response to that act of love, the congregation is called to make and grow disciples of all people, guided by the Holy Spirit. Worship, fellowship, and mission all flow from that calling. The congregation's own short creed of love includes singing, laughing, comforting, praying, eating, fellowshipping, giving, helping, challenging, educating, playing, saying thank you, and hugging.
Open Doors
The welcome at Buford Street is stated plainly. Whoever you are, however you are dressed, and whatever burdens you carry, the church invites you to come through its doors to worship, take communion, or ask for help. If no one has yet greeted you in person, consider yourself invited to a service, a Sunday school class, a cantata, a covered-dish meal, a musical, or one of the long-running Wednesday night suppers.
Online giving is available through Givelify, and the church office can be reached at (864) 489-7183 or secretary@bufordstreetumc.us. The pastor can be reached at denichols@umcsc.org. The church sits at 120 East Buford Street, Gaffney, South Carolina 29340, and Sunday mornings begin with Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m.