Launched in spring 2025, Village Church is a new congregation in Pendleton meeting at Pendleton Elementary School.

The congregation is led by Pastor Jason Finley, who previously served for 19 years at CrossPoint Church in Clemson. Finley said the church began with a clear aim: to be a steady, Gospel-centered presence amid a growing town. “We’ve loved this community. It’s a charming historical town that has an incredibly bright future,” he said. “As we face this season of growth and even some uncertainty as a community, our hope as a church is to serve and bless Pendleton as we gather and lift up the name of Jesus Christ.”

Cooperative Planting

Village Church’s services are held in the school gymnasium and the gathering follows what Finley describes as a Gospel-shaped order: God calls his people to worship, cleanses them through the work of Christ, strengthens them by his Word, and commissions them as witnesses. “Each week we have Scripture reading and preaching from the Bible,” Finley said. “And then we’re sent out as witnesses to the good news—to the Pendleton community and to the nations.”

The launch emerged from long-standing church-planting commitments within South Carolina Baptist life. “One of the burdens we’ve had as a church that was planted as a South Carolina Baptist church is to continue to help plant churches,” Finley said of his time at CrossPoint. Persistent needs in Pendleton, along with visible growth in the area, helped focus the effort. “As we saw the growth in Pendleton, we began to pray, ‘God, would you use us to be part of partnering with others to see a new church started in Pendleton?'”

Village Church was planted in partnership with CrossPoint Church, the Saluda Baptist Association, and the Start Team of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Finley emphasized that shared prayer, giving, and participation made the launch possible. “This is not one person’s church and not one church’s church to start,” he said. “Through our cooperative effort of giving and praying and going, we get to see God do great things through our partnership.”

Ongoing Growth

Since launch, Village Church has seen a clear answer to a long-prayed request for a permanent home—an outpost for making disciples and displaying Christ’s love in Pendleton. The church secured a property to plant long-term roots in Pendleton. Immediately, the existing structure will be used for midweek gatherings; Sundays will remain at the school during development. The goal is a permanent campus that anchors Gospel ministry for decades.

Leaders describe this milestone not as a finish line but a beginning—“much to build, much to steward, and much to trust the Lord for.”

Finley expressed gratitude to those who supported the plant and underscored the church’s long-term priorities. “Thank you for being obedient to the call of Christ to send, support, and pray,” he said. “We trust that in the years to come, we can continue in disciple-making and sending laborers to the nations.”