From a Living Room to a Memorial Drive Campus
Greenville Community Christian Church sits on North Memorial Drive in Greenville, North Carolina, but its roots are far more modest. In March 1982, Bishop James D. Corbett and the late Pastor Delores began holding services in their home for three families. While Pastor Corbett preached to the adults, Pastor Delores cared for the children. Their first outreach was the Door of Faith radio broadcast, an effort that still defines the church today.
Within eighteen months the small group moved to 1203 W. 14th Street, where the GCCC choir was formed and the Community Christian Church Bookstore was opened. In December 1985 the congregation moved again, this time to Highway 11 South, and within five years added a second Sunday morning service. In April 1990, GCCC settled into its current home at 1104 N. Memorial Drive. The church has since built multiple television and radio broadcasts, international online ministries, and a monthly devotional publication that carry the same message that began around that living room coffee table.
Bishop James D. Corbett and Lady Sarah
Bishop Corbett's own story of new beginnings shapes the church. Born again in 1977 while serving in the United States Army and baptized in the Holy Spirit the following year, he completed eight years of active duty before hearing a call to ministry. He moved to Greenville, attended Pitt Community College as a two-time honor graduate, and earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from East Carolina University, working as a loan bank officer. In 1985 he left banking for full-time ministry, and on December 4, 1994 he received his Doctor of Biblical Studies and Doctor of Divinity from World Christian College Council in Fresno, California. He serves as district director for the International Convention of Faith Ministries.
Bishop Corbett has written several books, including Men of Honor, Tithing the Tithe, Victory Over Grief, and Honoring Your Husband and Honoring Your Wife, and his teaching CDs are distributed throughout the United States. On February 23, 2013, he married Sister Sarah A. Perkins. Lady Sarah was born and raised in Greenville, came to know Jesus at GCCC in 1992, and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. She retired in 2023 after more than forty-five years in the pharmaceutical industry. Together they have five adult children, fifteen grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Worship Services and the Livestream
GCCC worships at 1104 N. Memorial Drive four times a week. Sunday services are held at 8:15 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., with a Wednesday morning service at 10:00 a.m. and a Wednesday evening Bible study at 7:30 p.m. Each service is streamed live online, so members near and far can join from home. The church describes Bishop Corbett's messages as Biblically sound and faith filled, bridging biblical principles with real-life scenarios.
For those without a ride, the GCCC Van Service picks up riders anywhere in the Greenville area for the Sunday 10 a.m. service and the Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Bible study. Requests must be submitted by Thursday at 4 p.m. for Sunday worship and by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for the Wednesday study.
The Door of Faith Broadcast Ministry
The Door of Faith is the broadcasting arm of Bishop Corbett's ministry and the original outreach of GCCC. Through television, streaming, radio, and publications, the broadcast reaches people around the world. The work is supported by a separate Door of Faith partnership program, and a press kit and partnership packet are available for those who want to invite Bishop Corbett to speak.
A Word in Season and the Written Word
Bishop Corbett writes a monthly devotional called A Word in Season, which is mailed free to subscribers and can be delivered daily by email. Back issues can be downloaded or flipped through online, and the church also publishes a five-day Bible reading plan to walk readers through scripture in a week. Books, including Bishop Corbett's titles and a Prayer Journal, are available through the GCCC Bookstore.
Community Christian Child Development Center
Since 1994, GCCC has operated the Community Christian Child Development Center on its campus, a five-star program serving children from six weeks through age five. The Center runs full-time and part-time operations, with a K-4 preschool program that prepares children for kindergarten. An afterschool program serves school-age students, and a summer camp welcomes children ages five through ten. Hours are Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Center describes itself as assisting in the growth and development of children in a godly, Christian environment, with structured activities, daily devotions, and a focus on respect and positive interaction.
Walking Through the Doors: Membership, Sacraments, and Family Life
First-time guests can fill out a visit form online to let the church know they are coming. Anyone who wishes to make GCCC their church home can register for the next New Members Orientation online. The church also receives requests for baby dedication, baptism, and premarital classes, and maintains forms for bereavement support, event planning, and the Men of Honor fellowship.
Prayer requests can be submitted through the Prayer Request page and are carried to the GCCC Prayer Team. Members can also request transportation, reserve meeting space, and download resources for graduates, devotionals, and a booklet about baptism.
What GCCC Believes
GCCC describes itself as a Bible believing, Bible teaching church. Members are taught the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the practice of tithing as an act of worship, and the call to make Christ known locally and globally. Teaching is rooted in scripture and applied to everyday life, with a vision to minister to the whole person: spirit, soul, and body, through preaching, fellowship groups, and media that reach around the world.