GREENVILLE – The First Presbyterian Church in downtown Greenville has recently been updated. With some reconstruction, new paint, and new furniture, the church is looking new again.
The process started in 2019 when new Pastor Andrew Gilman entered the church.
Gilman had previously worked as a Family Ministries Director in Dayton. When the previous pastor retired, Gilman was supposed to come in just for a year while they found a replacement. Gilman ended up staying.
Gilman has traveled to congregations across Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan to help bring younger people into the church. When he came to Greenville, he began doing the same thing.
Once a month, they hold dinners for families in the area. This brings a few families into the congregation a year, helping to grow the congregation and bringing in a new, younger group of people. The congregation has become a mix of younger and older members.
“I think churches have become kind of either the old people go to that church or the young people go to this church, and so the idea that families of all ages go is something that we really want to focus on,” Pastor Gilman said.
They have a philosophy of “Traditional Church, Modern Worship.”
Bringing in new families made them realize that some remodeling was necessary to remove some barriers to members joining the church.
After discussing it since 2020, they started fundraising for the remodels in January 2023 and received the support they needed in less than a month.
Working with Garmann Miller, Bruns, and IOS, the remodeling project started in the Children’s wing. Creating a safe and happy environment for children was an important first step in attracting younger families to the church.
Almost the entire church has been renovated—the children’s wing, the entrance, the offices, and more. While the church is excited about renovating, it is taking a break before finishing, taking a moment to save money and have a breather before continuing the project.
However, one thing that will never change is the church’s beautiful sanctuary. The sanctuary still has the original stained glass and beams from 1889. The original and the renovations make a neat contrast between old and new within the church.
The First Presbyterian Church is hosting a Ribbon Cutting to celebrate its renovations and officially show the remodels to the public. The Ribbon Cutting will take place on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church on 114 E Fourth St. in Greenville. So come by and see all the renovations for yourself!
