A Southern Baptist Family on Poinsett Street
First Baptist Church of Greer, known around town as Greer First, sits on West Poinsett Street in the heart of Greer, South Carolina, a few blocks from the city's Victorian-era downtown. The congregation's stated mission is to "Honor God, Impact People, and Share Christ," and that three-part motto shows up on everything from the children's ministry to the missions page. Pastor Dr. Doug Mize, who joined the church in April 2016 after earning both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, preaches to a multigenerational body that gathers under the banner of the Southern Baptist Convention and affirms the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Story to Tell
Greer First meets for two Sunday morning worship services in the Sanctuary, at 8:30 and 10:50 am, with a block of Life Group classes for every age at 9:40 am in between. The worship is described as blended, pairing modern worship songs with traditional hymns. Sermon messages typically work their way through entire books of the Bible, with teaching aimed at everyday application. Both services are open to all ages, and nursery care alongside children's classes for birth through third grade runs during each one.
Visitors can find a reserved Guest parking space near the Welcome Center, just off Poinsett Street. Greeters stationed there point newcomers to Life Groups or walk them straight into the Sanctuary. The 5th Sunday of any month is set aside as Family Worship, when the whole congregation, including children and students, gathers together in the Sanctuary.
For those who cannot attend in person, both Sunday services are streamed live on Facebook, and the 10:50 am service is also broadcast on YouTube. Recordings remain available afterward.
Midweek: Dinners in the Gym, Studies for Everyone
Wednesday nights at Greer First revolve around a shared meal. JumpStart, a local prison re-entry ministry the church partners with, prepares dinner in the gym from 5:15 to 6:10 pm. The cost is ten dollars per person, free for children twelve and under, and registration closes at noon on Monday in Realm. Free pizza is served to students in the Loft starting at 6 pm.
Programming for every age follows the meal. Children from two-year-olds through fifth grade meet from 6 to 7 pm for Mission Friends and HIS Kids. Middle school and high school students fill The Loft for worship and teaching from 6:15 to 7:45 pm, with the Loft Cafe open to parents from 7:15 to 7:45. Adults gather at 6:15 pm for Bible studies that rotate through topics like Understanding Islam and You Are Sent, along with the women's Fervent study by Priscilla Shirer and a choir rehearsal on the second floor.
HIS Kids: From the Nursery Through Fifth Grade
The children's ministry at Greer First is called HIS Kids, a name drawn from the church's motto of honoring God, impacting people, and sharing Christ. Care is offered across three stages:
- Nursery, for birth through age two, opens at all three Sunday hours, 8:30, 9:40, and 10:50 am.
- Preschool, for twos through fours, includes a Preschool Worship hour at 8:30, Life Group at 9:40, and a second Preschool Worship hour at 10:50.
- Elementary, for kindergarten through fifth grade, features Elementary Worship for K5 through third grade at 8:30 and again at 10:50, with Life Group for everyone at 9:40. Fourth and fifth graders worship with their families in the Sanctuary.
A dedicated Special Needs class runs during the 10:50 am service, led by certified special needs teachers and trained volunteers. Families are encouraged to pre-register by emailing Children's Ministry Director Ashley Elliott. A quiet nursing space is also available in the preschool area for new mothers.
Students and Young Adults
Students in sixth through twelfth grade have their own rhythms. Sunday mornings at 9:40 am find them in Life Groups split between middle school and high school. Wednesday nights they return to the church at 6 pm, with doors opening before a 6:15 pm gathering that runs through 7:45 pm. Beyond the weekly schedule, students take part in camps, retreats, and weekend events designed to help them follow Jesus beyond high school.
College students and young adults in their early twenties are also a named ministry, meeting under the oversight of Students and College/Young Adults Pastor J.G. Faulk.
Adults, Senior Adults, and Women's Ministry
Adult Life Groups meet at 9:40 am on Sundays, with classes for men, women, young families, young professionals, college students, and multigenerational adults filling rooms across the church. A list of classes is posted on the Sundays page, and visitors can be pointed to one by greeters at the Welcome Center.
Senior adults gather as the Friendly Neighbors on the second Tuesday of each month at 11 am, either in the parlor or at an outing destination nearby. Senior Adult Minister Moses Aleman coordinates the group.
The Women's Ministry, led by Kim Keller, aims to give women space to grow spiritually, disciple one another, and serve. A pair of fall Bible studies anchors the season: Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now by Kristi McLelland on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 am in Room 401, and Fervent by Priscilla Shirer on Wednesday mornings or evenings. The long-running WMU (Woman's Missionary Union) chapter meets on the third Monday of every month for prayer, missions education, and service to local mission partners.
A Japanese-Speaking Congregation Within the Church
One of the more distinctive ministries at Greer First is its Japanese Ministry, led by Pastor Aki Shigemi. A Japanese-language worship service gathers on the first and third Sundays of the month at 3 pm in the Greer First Parlor inside the gym, with fellowship continuing at 4 pm. Two weekly conversation classes reach out to the wider community: a Japanese Conversation Class on Tuesdays from 10 am to noon and an English Conversation Class on Thursdays from 10 am to noon.
Greer First Preschool: A Christ-Centered School for Four Decades
Greer First Preschool has been part of the church's ministry to Greer families for more than forty years. The school serves children from twelve months old through kindergarten, running Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 1 pm between September and May, with two-, three-, four-, and five-day options (kindergarten meets five days). Curriculum is play-based and faith-infused, with daily Bible time that walks through Old and New Testament stories, scripture memorization, songs, and crafts.
The preschool is licensed by the South Carolina Department of Social Services, follows the Greenville County School System calendar with adjusted start and end dates, and participates in the SC Educational Trust Fund Program for kindergarten scholarships. Amy Ponder, a Clemson graduate and mother of four, directs the school with a staff of teachers and aides.
Missions at Home, Across the Country, and Around the World
Missions are woven through the life of the church. Locally, Greer First partners with several organizations:
- Greer Community Ministries, which runs Meals on Wheels, a weekday senior dining program, a food pantry, and a clothes closet. The church hosts an ongoing canned food collection, especially high-protein items, at the Welcome Center.
- JumpStart, a prison re-entry ministry offering housing, transportation, employment help, and mentoring. JumpStart also prepares Wednesday night dinners at the church.
- Greer Christian Learning Center, an after-school program that partners with public schools and needs volunteer drivers.
- Piedmont Women's Center, which serves women with pregnancy-related needs and offers parenting classes and counseling.
- Joshua's Way, focused on teaching, international outreach, and mercy ministries, including Operation Christmas Child.
Nationally and globally, the church supports two church plants, Elevate Church in Chittenden, Vermont, and Redeeming Grace Baptist Church in Indian Land, South Carolina, sending teams and praying for their launches. Through the International Mission Board, Greer First also partners with workers in the Asian Pacific Rim who serve in countries where Christians make up less than two percent of the population. Amanda Rone, Ministry Partnership Coordinator, helps connect members to these opportunities.
Prayer, Basketball, and a Way to Get Connected
A dedicated Prayer Ministry undergirds the rest of the church's life. Every church member is prayed for by name each week, Life Groups and worship services are lifted up on Sunday mornings, and a Prayer Line at 864-801-0075 shares requests and updates by phone. Prayer requests can also be submitted online and, with permission, distributed by email.
For families looking for a community activity, the church runs a fall basketball league with divisions for second through fifth grade girls and boys, middle school girls and boys, high school boys, and men over thirty. Registration runs through the Realm system.
Becoming a member begins with a Discover Greer First luncheon held in the parlor after the 10:50 am service, where prospective members meet Pastor Doug and ask questions about the church. Membership is described as a mutual commitment: the church promises to pray for, equip, shepherd, and hold members accountable, while members commit to Christ and to one another.
What Greer First Believes
Greer First teaches that the Bible is the inerrant and completely trustworthy Word of God and the final authority for faith and practice. The church summarizes the gospel in four foundational truths: God is holy and sovereign; every person is sinful and separated from Him; Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, died as a substitute for sinners, and rose again; and salvation is received by grace alone through faith alone, with repentance and belief as the required response.
Baptism by immersion is taught as an act of obedience and public identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Members are encouraged to profess faith openly, follow believer's baptism, and join a Bible-believing local church where the Word is faithfully preached and the ordinances are observed.
As a cooperating church of the Southern Baptist Convention, Greer First affirms the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, which holds the Bible to be the trustworthy, inerrant Word of God and the church's final authority for faith and practice.