A Light on the Hill Since 1773
Cleveland First Baptist Church sits at 1 Church Drive in the small upcountry town of Cleveland, South Carolina, a community named for early settler Jeremiah Cleveland whose land grants shaped the area. The congregation places its beginnings in 1773, when a body of believers was constituted as Middle Fork Saluda three years before American independence. More than two and a half centuries later, the same church still gathers on the hill, now under the name Cleveland First Baptist Church, carrying a motto drawn from Matthew 5:14 and 16: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light shine before men.
A Walking Tour Through the Years
The church predates the town around it. Early settlers of the Cleveland section were of Irish and Scottish descent, and James McJunkin reportedly traded a pony and some chickens with the Indians for the land that became Cleveland. The first meeting of the congregation was recorded in 1791, when John Chastain was listed as pastor and the body entered the Bethel Association. Over the following decades the church wore several names - Middle Saluda, Middle Branch of Saluda River, Saluda, and Middle River - before settling in 1963 as Cleveland First Baptist Church.
Major milestones mark the campus. The present sanctuary was dedicated in May 1951, the church office was built in 1960, the Prayer Tower was erected at the top of the cemetery in 1984, and a gym and recreation center was constructed in 2011 and dedicated in 2012. In 2023 the church held a Homecoming to mark an unofficial 250th anniversary. Mission work has run through the congregation for generations: trips to Haiti in 1948, to Romania in 2000 and 2001, to North Dakota and Trinidad and Colombia in 2001, to Argentina with the Three Rivers Baptist Association in 2009, to Cleveland, Ohio in 2014 and 2015, and to Rainelle, West Virginia in 2017.
What the Church Believes
Cleveland First Baptist holds to a confessional Baptist understanding of faith. The congregation teaches that the entire Bible is the inspired and error-free Word of God, that the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross is the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin, and that God freely offers salvation to those who place their faith in Christ's death and resurrection. Members affirm one God existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and believe that all people were created in God's image but became alienated through sinful disobedience and cannot regain that relationship apart from Christ. The church is described as the body of Christ with Jesus as its head, and its stated purpose is to glorify God by loving him and making him known. Its mission is to be a light on the hill pointing the way to Jesus through proclaiming the good news, strengthening others in faith, and equipping the church for ministry in the community and around the world.
Sunday Gatherings
Sundays follow a steady rhythm at Cleveland First Baptist. Prayer Time opens the day at 9:30 a.m., followed by Sunday School for every age from nursery through senior adults at 10 a.m. Morning Worship begins at 11 a.m. with the Sanctuary Choir leading alongside solos, trios, and quartets. After a break, the Adult Choir rehearses at 5 p.m., and Evening Worship closes the day at 6 p.m. Worship services are offered in English and are carried on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person.
Wednesday Nights Around the Tables
The church fills its Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. with a full slate of classes. Adults gather for Discipleship Ministry, where topical studies and Bible book studies are offered throughout the year. The gym becomes the home of Impact Student Ministry, focused on reaching lost souls for Christ and discipling them. Children join mission education groups by age and grade. All three of these weekly offerings - Adult Discipleship, Impact Student Ministry, and the children's groups - begin at the same hour so that families can come together and then split off by age.
Music from the Sanctuary and Children's Wing
Music is woven through the life of the church. The Sanctuary Choir, open to middle school age through adults, leads worship each Sunday morning, supplemented by smaller ensembles. The Children's Choir, for ages four through grade five, meets seasonally and sings several times a year, including a Christmas musical. An annual Hymn Sing has been a tradition since 2016, and the Adult Choir rehearses each week at 5 p.m. on Sundays. Annaka Lyda serves as pianist and Parker Owens as organist.
Children and Students
Cleveland First Baptist takes a structured approach to raising up the next generation. The Children's Ministry exists to lead children to Christ so they will know, love, and serve him. On Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m., Mission Friends gathers preschoolers ages three through kindergarten, while Royal Ambassadors meets boys in grades one through five and Girls in Action meets girls in the same grades. Vacation Bible School runs each summer, and Children's Church is held on the fourth Sunday of each month during morning worship for ages four through nine. Nursery care is provided for all services for children ages zero through three. Impact Student Ministry, led since January 2026 by interim student minister Thomas Boyd, meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the gym.
A Long Mission Tradition
Outreach has defined the congregation for decades. The church bought its first bus in 1945 with Robert Young as the first driver, and it began a Home Mission Field in 1947. A tradition of giving out Christmas fruit bags has continued since 1953. A tape ministry began in 1979 to carry sermons beyond the sanctuary. Mission trips have gone to Haiti, Romania, North Dakota, Trinidad, Colombia, Argentina, Cleveland Ohio, West Virginia, and Wooton, Kentucky, often more than once. Three members have been honored as Deacon Emeritus for long service: Mike Nix and Gilbert Whitman in 2019, and Billy Ledford in 2022.
Pastors and Staff
Rev. Dr. William H. Parris served the church from 2006 to 2025, and the long pastorate of E. Claude Neely in the late 1960s and early 1970s was marked by his becoming the church's first to travel to the Holy Land in 1972. Dr. Bill Cashion began serving as Interim Pastor in May 2025, bringing prior experience as a Senior Pastor and Interim across the Southeast and years of missionary service in South America alongside his wife Kathy. Rev. Joseph Hudson has served as Minister of Music since August 2010 and previously served as Recreation Pastor at Clearview Baptist Church in Travelers Rest; he studied at North Greenville University in History and Church Music.
Visiting Cleveland First Baptist
First-time guests can find the church at 1 Church Drive, just off the main road through Cleveland, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 305, Cleveland, SC 29635. Sunday mornings begin with Prayer Time at 9:30 a.m., Sunday School at 10 a.m., and Morning Worship at 11 a.m., with Evening Worship at 6 p.m. Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. offer adult discipleship, the Impact Student Ministry, and children's mission groups. Nursery care is provided for all services. Services are available on the church's YouTube channel, and giving is offered online through Easy Tithe. Visitors with questions can call the church office at 864-836-6964 or email clevelandchurch@bellsouth.net.