Our History
Our Neighborhood
The Mill was built by Francis Poe in 1879 and provided houses for its workers through most of the 1900s. Since the Mill shut down in the '70s, our neighborhood has seen an economic downturn and a rise in addiction.
Though we have our struggles, we love one another, have a tight-knit community, and come together to celebrate often. Griggs has always been and will always be primarily focused on ministering to the Poe Mill neighborhood.
Everyone is welcome in. But when we pour out, we pour into the Poe Mill neighborhood.
Our Name
David Griggs was a beloved member of our church and community who passed away suddenly in the 90s. He owned Griggs Grocery Store right in the middle of the neighborhood and was very connected to his neighbors.
When he passed and the grocery store closed, the church decided to name their ministry after him. This was a relatively popular way to name churches in our area at the time. For example, right down the street from us is the wonderful Wren Memorial Baptist Church.
We seek to embody Mr. Griggs' spirit of caring for our church and neighborhood to this day.
Our New Journey
Church revitalization is the process of renewing energy in an already established church.
Our church was originally founded in 1936. Through its long history, there were many ups and some downs. One of our most difficult seasons took place in 2015 when our pastor and other long-time members of the church passed away.
Since then, we have been doing all we can to revitalize the church. By God's grace, we have been able to go from an attendance of 10 to 100, baptize many, recruit more leaders, renew our vision, and even remodel parts of our building.
Our aim is to eventually help other churches in West Greenville revitalize as well, by giving them time, resources, and volunteers without expecting anything in return. We have been able to do this on a small scale so far, and look forward to doing this on a large scale in the future. You're welcome to come along for the ride!
