At 2000 Milton Road in Charlotte, Greater Providence Baptist Church is known for a ministry approach built around three words: Educate, Empower, Enhance. Founded in 1935 as Providence Baptist Church, the congregation grew from homes and rented rooms into a multigenerational church with a sanctuary, chapel, family life center, gymnasium, classrooms, meeting spaces, administrative offices and kitchen facilities. Sunday worship is held in the sanctuary at 10:30 AM and is livestreamed each Sunday on Facebook and YouTube.
Educate, Empower, Enhance on Milton Road
Greater Providence calls its ministry approach E3. Educate means teaching people with the Gospel and wisdom for life. Empower means helping people believe in the Gospel and live out their faith. Enhance means improving the quality of life for everyone who connects with GPBC. The broader vision is to become a multigenerational community that seeks transformation through those aims and remains on mission with God.
The three words organize the church's practical rhythm as well as its vision. Bible Study, Hour of Power and Sunday School are named under Educate, while Intercessory Prayer is named under Empower. The full vision reaches further, calling the church to form worshiping lives, improve the lives of those who connect with it and continue its mission of transformation. These emphases connect worship, education, prayer, service and community life throughout the week.
The ministry team recognizes the authority of God and describes its leaders as shepherds serving under the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Its shared purpose is devotion to prayer and the ministry of the Word, together with a goal of equipping believers for ministry until they attain maturity in the fullness of Christ.
Sunday Worship at 10:30 AM
The weekly worship service begins at 10:30 AM in the sanctuary at Greater Providence Baptist Church, 2000 Milton Road in Charlotte. The same service is livestreamed each Sunday on the church's Facebook and YouTube accounts. Greater Providence also maintains an extensive collection of recorded sermons for ongoing access.
Sunday worship is part of a fuller Sunday rhythm. Adult Sunday School begins at 8:30 AM, and Teen Sunday School meets at the same time. Lighthouse children's church meets on the second and third Sundays of each month. The address at Milton Road is also used for church correspondence and mailed gifts.
From Providence Baptist to Greater Providence
The church began in Charlotte in 1935 under the late Reverend S.M. Chappell and a small group of believers from Second Calvary Baptist Church. The original members first met in homes and later in a rented building at Maple and Kendrick Street. They eventually purchased their first church building on North Johnson Street, where remodeling was completed in 1949. As the congregation grew, its Missionary Department, Usher Board and Choir developed into active ministries.
Reverend Chappell retired in 1962, and Reverend Robert H. Lewis became the second pastor in 1963. The congregation later moved to 1829 Cleveland Avenue in Dilworth in response to urban renewal. Bishop Green Wilkes led worship at that location until Reverend Johnnie Wallace Jr. became pastor in 1973.
During Wallace's tenure, Providence Baptist Church became Greater Providence Baptist Church. The added word reflected the congregation's goal of becoming greater in service and ministry presence. Reverend Wallace continued as pastor until 1981. Reverend Fred Gibson then served as the fourth pastor and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1987.
Under Gibson's leadership, the congregation moved to a temporary location in 1988 and then completed the building at 2000 Milton Road in 1989. A 1999 expansion added a new sanctuary, additional fellowship space and offices. An educational wing followed, and construction of the family life center was completed in 2008.
The Milton Road campus now brings together a chapel, sanctuary, family life center, gymnasium, classrooms, meeting spaces, administrative offices and kitchen facilities. The growth from homes and successive church buildings has not erased the early emphasis on education, prayer and service; it has given Greater Providence a larger setting in which those purposes can continue.
Gibson retired in August 2021 after 40 years of service and was named Pastor Emeritus in October 2022. Reverend Dr. Joshua W. Scott, the fifth pastor, served from September 1, 2022, through December 7, 2024. Their leadership periods add two more chapters to a history that began with a small group of believers and reached a full church campus at Milton Road.
Learning and Prayer Through the Week
Sunday School at 8:30 AM
Every Sunday at 8:30 AM, adults can join five Bible-study classes for Scripture teaching, discussion and fellowship. Adult 1 has dial-in access, while Adult 2 through Adult 5 provide Zoom or dial-in options. The classes are led by pastors, deacons and other class leaders, and Greater Providence describes them as open to both long-time members and newcomers. Teen Sunday School follows the same 8:30 AM rhythm.
Hour of Power at Noon
Every Wednesday at noon, Hour of Power provides a midweek Bible study centered on reflection, learning and fellowship. Greater Providence presents it as a spiritual boost for people who are new to Bible study and those who have participated for years. The study is intended to deepen understanding of Scripture and enrich faith through an hour of learning and connection, with Zoom access available.
Large Group Bible Study from 7:00 to 8:00 PM
The second Wednesday gathering runs from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Greater Providence describes it as a large group Bible study devoted to learning, prayer, fellowship and meaningful discussion of Scripture. New and experienced participants are welcome, and the class includes a Zoom connection for remote participation.
Morning Intercessory Prayer
On the first and second Tuesday of each month, the church gathers at 7:00 AM for Morning Intercessory Prayer. The gathering is a dedicated time to lift the needs of oneself and others before the Lord, seeking God's guidance, strength and blessings. A Zoom connection is available, and anyone who wishes to join in prayer is welcome.
Friday Night Prayer Line
Every Friday at 7:00 PM, Greater Providence opens a free telephone prayer line to all. The church presents it as a way to overcome barriers of time and distance by joining together as they cover the Earth with prayer. The line is 605-472-5712, with participant code 431060#. The practice is grounded in First Timothy 2:1 and its call for supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings for all people.
L.I.G.H.T. Kids, Teens, and Basketball
L.I.G.H.T. Kids is Greater Providence's children's ministry. Its theme comes from Ephesians 5:8 and describes people who were once darkness, now are light in the Lord, and are called to live as children of light. The church views children as gifts from God and understands that Jesus has given the church a responsibility to make disciples at every age. L.I.G.H.T. Kids is intended as a safe place for children to grow mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally so they can impact GPBC and the world.
The ministry seeks to build a biblical foundation, help children understand how to live out their faith, and form positive habits to carry with them through life. Lighthouse, the children's church program for preschool through fifth grade, meets on the second and third Sundays of each month. Teen Sunday School at 8:30 AM extends Next Gen programming to teenagers.
Pray and Play Through the Basketball League
The Greater Providence Basketball League combines faith, fun and basketball in a coed program for children and teens ages 4 to 18. Games take place at Greater Providence and at various local churches, while off-season clinics focus on skill development. The recurring season runs from December through February, and cheerleading is available as another way to participate. For the church, this league is both a youth activity and an expression of its Next Gen emphasis on team development, community, prayer and play.
The Gibson Family Life Center and Community Connections
The Gibson Family Life Center is available for church ministry use and for rental by church members, nonmembers and community organizations. Rental requests should arrive at least 30 days before an event. Greater Providence considers availability as well as adherence to Christian ethics and the moral teachings of the church. Its request process distinguishes GPBC ministry events, nonmember events and community events.
The Milton Road campus includes a sanctuary, chapel, classrooms, meeting spaces, gymnasium, family life center, offices and kitchen. Greater Providence also identifies Christian Life Enrichment Ministry and Alpha Fitness among the ways people can connect with the church, alongside its basketball league and congregational ministries.
Participation is presented through several forms of involvement. People can worship, serve in ministries, volunteer and pursue membership. The Gibson Family Life Center adds another connection by making a substantial part of the church's campus available to community organizations that need space for an event.
Ministry Led in Service to the Word
Rev. Andre Caulton serves as Associate Pastoral Director and Associate Minister. Ivory Coleman is Minister of Music, and Dr. Curtis Dean is Assistant Minister of Music. Lara Harris directs Youth Ministries and Programs, while Priscilla Rickenbacker serves as Athletic Director. Min. Deborah Cuthbertson, Rev. Mary Higgs, Rev. Tanya Lassiter and Rev. Winston Lassiter are also listed as Associate Ministers.
Deacons serving in adult Sunday School leadership include Michael Miller, Carol Howie, Michael Whitehead, Jimmy Exum, Sharon Exum and Fred Ford. Their classes participate alongside the pastoral and associate ministry leaders in teaching groups across the Sunday School. Dr. Fred Gibson is identified as Pastor Emeritus.
Together, the team describes its calling in terms of prayer, the ministry of the Word and service under Jesus Christ. That purpose supports Greater Providence's emphasis on Scripture study, worship, intercession, leadership and equipping believers to participate in ministry.
What Greater Providence Teaches
Greater Providence begins with belief in one living and true God in three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is identified as the first person of the Trinity, Jesus as the eternal Son of God and virgin-born Son of Man, and the Holy Spirit as the third person. The Holy Spirit carries out God's will through humanity by leading, guiding, filling, teaching and convicting.
The church teaches that everyone is created in the image of God. Salvation comes through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection as the only sufficient sacrifice for humanity's sins. Through belief in that death, burial and resurrection, a person receives eternal life.
Greater Providence affirms that every word in the original writings of Scripture is inspired by God and without error. Everyone who places faith in God through Jesus Christ is part of the universal body of believers known as the church. The church also believes that Jesus Christ will return for His children. These teachings accompany the congregation's emphasis on the Gospel, worship, spiritual formation and service.
Live Worship, Giving, and Church Contact
The Sunday service can be watched online through Facebook and YouTube at 10:30 AM. Greater Providence also keeps an extensive sermon collection available for later viewing, allowing the church's teaching ministry to extend beyond the Sunday gathering.
Giving supports the church's aim of promoting the Kingdom of God and can be made through an online giving form or sent to 2000 Milton Road, Charlotte, NC 28215. The church's main contact is 704.532.6228 and info@greaterprovidence.org. Business office hours are 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Wednesday and Friday, and 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Thursday.
At its Milton Road campus, Greater Providence Baptist Church remains centered on its E3 vision: educating people with the Gospel, empowering them to live lives of worship, enhancing life and remaining on mission with God.