A Downtown Charleston Congregation with a Verse-by-Verse Mission
Citadel Square Church gathers each Sunday morning at 328 Meeting Street, just steps from Marion Square in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina. The congregation's self-described mission is to make disciples "verse by verse and life on life" - a phrase that captures both its commitment to expository Bible teaching and its emphasis on personal relationships within the body. Founded in 1854, Citadel Square is one of the older congregations in the city, and the building's location near the former Citadel parade grounds gave the church its name.
The church describes itself as a verse-by-verse Bible-teaching congregation that gathers in historic downtown Charleston, with community groups scattered throughout the Charleston area. It is an elder-led body committed to life-on-life discipleship, raising up the next generation, and reaching its surrounding neighborhoods and the nations with the gospel.
From 1854 to Today: The Story of Citadel Square
Citadel Square Church has had a gospel-planting and church-revitalizing streak from the beginning. The church was planted in 1854 when a dozen members from First Baptist Charleston united with Morris Street Baptist Church to start a new gospel work in the Upper Peninsula. The name "Citadel Square" came from the church's proximity to the parade grounds of the Citadel Military College, now known as Marion Square.
The vision did not stop at one congregation. Citadel Square played an integral role in planting other churches in the Charleston area throughout its history. In the summer of 2016, Centerpoint Church, a younger church plant, began sharing space and partnering in mission with Citadel Square. As both congregations sought to define the future, leaders from each agreed that becoming one church would strengthen the work of the gospel. On August 27, 2017, Centerpoint joined Citadel Square, opening a new chapter in the church's history.
Since that merger, the church has continued to emphasize expository preaching, community groups across the Lowcountry, and a generational mix of ministries from preschoolers to senior adults.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
The church gathers for worship at 9 and 11 am each Sunday. Each service runs about an hour and twenty minutes and includes scripture readings, congregational worship music led by the Worship Team, and a verse-by-verse message from the Bible. The Lord's Supper is typically observed on the second Sunday of each month.
Sermons are preached by several pastors on the staff, with most series working through a single book of the Bible over many weeks. Recent and ongoing preaching series include First Thessalonians ("Enduring Hope in Unstable Times"), A Study in the Psalms, 2 Peter ("Faith, False Teaching, and the Future"), Song of Solomon, Theophany: God with Us, Habakkuk, Philippians, and a four-part expository walk through the Gospel of Luke ("Jesus: Savior of the World"). The audio of every sermon is available as a podcast, and services are livestreamed online.
Planning a Visit
For those coming from out of town or making a first-time visit, the church has parking on Calhoun Street and Henrietta Street. Parking is free in the church lots on Sunday mornings, and downtown street parking is also free on Sundays. Additional parking is available in The Gaillard Center garage at 33 Alexander Street, with three hours of free parking - visitors can scan a barcode on their bulletin as they exit. A walking map from the Gaillard Center to the church is available.
Children are welcome. At the 9 am service, classes are available for children from nursery through fifth grade. At the 11 am service, classes are offered for children in Kindergarten and under. Families with children enter through the door in the Calhoun Street parking lot to reach the Kids area. Free coffee is served in the lobby, and a Welcome Team serves on a monthly rotation to greet those stepping through the doors.
What Citadel Square Believes
Citadel Square's Statement of Faith is built on the Abstract of Principles, originally adopted in 1858 by the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and revised for the church in 2021. The confession covers the Scriptures, God, the Trinity, Providence, Election, the Fall of Man, the Mediator (Jesus Christ), Regeneration, Repentance, Faith, Justification, Sanctification, the Perseverance of the Saints, the Church, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Day, Liberty of Conscience, the Resurrection, and final Judgment.
Baptism is taught as an ordinance of the Lord Jesus for every believer, carried out by immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and as a prerequisite to church membership. The Lord's Supper is observed as a commemorative ordinance, not a sacrifice, with the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine.
In addition to its own confession, the church affirms several supporting statements: the Nashville Statement, the Danvers Statement, the Lausanne Covenant, and the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
Kids Ministry: Birth Through Fifth Grade
Citadel Square Kids partners with parents for family discipleship and seeks to share the love of Jesus with the next generation. Children are taught using The Gospel Project for Kids, a chronological curriculum that walks through the storyline of Scripture.
The ministry takes security seriously. Check-in is at the Kids Check-In Desk on the first floor, where parents receive a code-matched tag. At check-out, only one parent or guardian may enter the Kids Area, and a text message is sent if a child needs assistance. Every volunteer is personally screened, professionally background checked, and must have attended for several months before serving. The space has only one monitored entrance, and volunteers are never alone with children, especially in bathrooms. A Safety Guide is available for download.
Families interested in baptism for a child, or adults interested in being baptized, follow a four-step process: completing a Baptism Form, meeting with a pastor to share their story and answer questions about faith and repentance, receiving instructions for Baptism Sunday, and being baptized.
Students: Sixth Through Twelfth Grade
The Student Ministry exists to train and equip students to become disciples who make disciples. Its vision is to be a group that loves, serves, and cares for the church and one another out of love for Christ. Four core values shape the work: Christ-Centered, Ownership, Sacrificial Community, and Conviction.
On Sunday mornings at 9 am, middle school students (sixth through eighth grade) meet on the third floor for Bible study and small groups during the church service. High school students are encouraged to worship with the congregation, serve on teams, and attend equipping classes. Every other week, the whole student ministry gathers for Rooted, a Sunday evening gathering from 5 to 7 pm in the Student Room on the third floor of the Education Wing. Rooted includes time to hang out, eat together, sing, and apply the gospel in small groups in age-appropriate ways. Parents may stay in Room 115 while students meet.
The ministry stays in touch through a parent email, an Instagram account, and a Facebook page.
Young Adults and College: Ages 18 to 30
Young adults and college students meet in the chapel on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7 pm for the Young Adult Gathering. The evening includes fellowship, worship, and Bible teaching. For those wanting a smaller setting, Discipleship Groups are available throughout the greater Charleston area.
The Young Adult ministry uses the chapel (Room 100), which is accessed through the Calhoun Street entrance - look for the flags. The ministry also gathers for an annual fall retreat on Hilton Head Island, a weekend away for building relationships and stepping back from daily distractions.
Men's and Women's Roundtables
Two seasonal table-based ministries anchor the church's ministry to adults. Men's Roundtable meets from 6:30 to 7:45 am on Thursday mornings for a continental-style breakfast, a brief Bible lesson, and discussion with other men before work. Women's Roundtable meets Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8 pm. Both run as ten-week commitments, with each participant seated at the same table each week to foster real relationships rather than surface-level conversation.
Community Groups Across the Lowcountry
Community groups are the primary vehicle for life-on-life ministry outside Sunday services. Groups of roughly twelve to fourteen people meet in homes throughout the greater Charleston area, including downtown Charleston, James Island, Johns Island, Mount Pleasant, the North Area (Cane Bay, Coosaw Preserve, Park Circle), and West Ashley. Meeting schedules vary based on each group's rhythm.
Those new to community groups are encouraged to attend Starting Point, a short introduction to Citadel Square that meets once a month after the service, or to join a new group launch in their part of town.
Local Mission in the City
Citadel Square organizes several ongoing local mission efforts. Hope to Home is a furniture-resource ministry through which teams deliver furniture to families and individuals who have just moved from homelessness into an apartment or home. The Neighborhood Street Sweep gathers volunteers in the downtown Garden District for an organized trash pickup with neighbors. The Eastside Second Friday Lunch Outreach serves lunches in the community on the second Friday of each month.
Through the staff, Brandon Hammond serves as Local Missions Director and partners in this work with Cru City.
Serve Teams and Congregational Life
Members and regular attenders serve through several teams. The Production Team operates audio, video, and slides during the Sunday morning service, with arrival times between 7:30 and 8:30 am. The Safety Team helps maintain a secure environment during services. The Prayer Team prays with people at the close of each service. The Welcome Team, Parking Team, and Coffee Team serve on monthly rotations and arrive about forty-five minutes before the service. The Kids Ministry Team serves monthly on a semester basis, with team members arriving thirty minutes before the service begins.
The Worship Team leads congregational singing each Sunday and includes vocalists and instrumentalists.
Membership and Next Steps
For those wanting to formalize their connection to the church, Citadel Square offers a Membership Class that meets during the 9 am service and lasts about ninety minutes. The class introduces participants to church leaders, dives deeper into what membership means at Citadel Square, and provides an open Q&A. Before attending, prospective members are encouraged to complete Membership Essentials, a set of videos and readings that explain the church's doctrine and what is expected of members.
The church frames next steps along five growth areas: Devotional Disciplines (growing through the Word and prayer), Relational Responsibility (belonging to a spiritual family), Intentional Development (leading oneself and others), Everyday Mission (reaching neighbors and nations), and Sacrificial Service (giving time, talent, and resources).
Leadership
Citadel Square is elder-led. The staff includes Steve Heron (Lead Pastor), AJ Rankin (Executive Pastor), Steve Lindenmeyer (Shepherding Pastor), Jon Merkling (Operations Pastor), Jared Johnson (Worship Pastor), Jonathan Suggs (Young Adult Pastor), Ben Miller (Student Pastor), Brandon Hammond (Local Missions Director), Jessica Early (Kids Ministry Director), Kenny Gibson (Production Director), and Meredyth Merkling (Women's Ministry Director). The Elder Team includes the Lead Pastor, Executive Pastor, and Shepherding Pastor, along with non-staff elders Dean O'Bryan and Martin Kirby.
Three residents - Olivia Casey, Collin Glatz, and Wyche Wilson - serve in young adults, students, operations, and production while continuing their studies.
Giving, Sermons, and Resources
Online giving is available through the church's Planning Center account, with options for one-time or recurring gifts via bank account or credit card. Gifts of stock are also accepted. Giving is also possible by mail or by dropping an offering in one of the Sunday morning giving stations.
Sermon audio is available as a podcast, and each sermon's video is posted online. Study guides for the current series are printed and distributed on Sunday mornings and are also available digitally. The church maintains an active blog and study guides page, and produces sermon series through books of the Bible on a multi-month cadence.