Inman Presbyterian Church, Inman, SC, USA, welcomes all who desire to find and serve Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior

- Our History -

The Inman Presbyterian Church was organized on
July 18, 1926, in the Inman High School auditorium. A Commission of Enoree Presbytery of the Synod of South Carolina was convened under the chairmanship of the Rev. J. K. Roberts to charter the new congregation. The eight charter members were:

Mr. H. W. Seawright
Mrs. H. W. Seawright
Miss Aldice Seawright
Mr. Clayton Seawright
Mr. J. W. Parris
Mr. Gillespie Smith
Mr. P. B. Brooks
Mrs. B. W. Gibson

The Rev. Charles Cureton of Pickens was called as Pastor. Miss Aldice Seawright served as Organist and Choir Director, a post she faithfully served until 1993. Reverend Cureton served the post while he was a student and came to the church in July 1928, upon his graduation. In 1927, the W. W. Gregory family united with the church. With the reception of this family, the membership doubled.

In 1929, the church moved its worship and meetings to the Inman Mill Chapel where it remained until the current sanctuary was built. With the combined efforts of the congregation and the Rev. J. K. Aiken, the congregation completed the building of the sanctuary and it was dedicated on October 10, 1937. An outstanding feature in the building was the source of contributions. These were made by members of the church, by the citizens of Inman, by Enoree Presbytery, by the First and Second Presbyterian Churches of Spartanburg, the First and Fourth Presbyterian Churches of Greenville, the Union Presbyterian Church, The John M. Belk Memorial Fund and other friends. By 1937, the church had grown to 65 active members.

Another milestone in our church life was the building of the manse. In November 1943, a congregational meeting was held. Mr. John Bell presented to the congregation an offer that had been made by the late Mr. James A. Chapman. Mr. Chapman offered to give a lot on 'A' Street, as well as financial aid in the building of the manse. Interest was at a peak and plans were started immediately. It was completed in 1946, and was dedicated on May 5, 1950. By this time, the membership had grown to 118.

Inman Presbyterian Church is active in support in local, state, national and international missions. Among the missions supported by the congregation across the years are: Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC, Thornwell Home for Children, The Presbyterian Homes of SC, the local Meals on Wheels program, the mission work of the Enoree Presbytery (now Foothills Presbytery), the Synod of South Carolina (now a part of the Synod of the South Atlantic), and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. There have also been numerous other projects and programs the congregation has supported. The Inman Presbyterian Church has also served many individuals and families in times of crisis.

The Church building was renovated in phases across 1982, 1983, and 1984. A new color scheme was added, new carpet laid, lighting fixtures were put in and padding was added to the pews. In 1989, an elevator was installed to make access to the sanctuary possible for those unable to negotiate the front steps to the sanctuary. In 1990, the Church built and paid for a new fellowship hall.

We stand confident together in the Grace of God made alive in Jesus Christ the Lord. In worship, study, service and fellowship, we serve the Prince of Peace. We invite one an all to join us.

- Presbyterian Church History-

The earliest Christian church consisted of Jews in the first century who had known Jesus and heard his teachings. It gradually grew and spread from the Middle East to other parts of the world, though not without controversy and hardship among its supporters.

During the 4th century, after more than 300 years of persecution under various Roman emperors, the church became established as a political as well as a spiritual power under the Emperor Constantine. Theological and political disagreements, however, served to widen the rift between members of the eastern (Greek-speaking) and western (Latin-speaking) branches of the church. Eventually the western portions of Europe, came under the religious and political authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Eastern Europe and parts of Asia came under the authority of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In western Europe, the authority of the Roman Catholic Church remained largely unquestioned until the Renaissance in the 15th century. The invention of the printing press in Germany around 1440 made it possible for common people to have access to printed materials including the Bible. This, in turn, enabled many to discover religious thinkers who had begun to question the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. One such figure, Martin Luther, a German priest and professor, started the movement known as the Protestant Reformation when he posted a list of 95 grievances against the Roman Catholic Church on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. Some 20 years later, a French/Swiss theologian, John Calvin, further refined the reformers' new way of thinking about the nature of God and God's relationship with humanity in what came to be known as Reformed theology. John Knox, a Scotsman who studied with Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland, took Calvin's teachings back to Scotland. Other Reformed communities developed in England, Holland and France. The Presbyterian church traces its ancestry back primarily to Scotland and England.

Presbyterians have featured prominently in United States history. The Rev. Francis Makemie, who arrived in the U.S. from Ireland in 1683, helped to organize the first American Presbytery at Philadelphia in 1706. In 1726, the Rev. William Tennent founded a ministerial 'log college' in Pennsylvania. Twenty years later, the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University) was established. Other Presbyterian ministers, such as the Rev. Jonathan Edwards and the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, were driving forces in the so-called "Great Awakening," a revivalist movement in the early 18th century. One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Rev. John Witherspoon, was a Presbyterian minister and the president of Princeton University from 1768-1793.

The Presbyterian church in the United States has split and parts have reunited several times. Currently the largest group is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which has its national offices in Louisville, Ky. It was formed in 1983 as a result of reunion between the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS), the so-called "southern branch," and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA), the so-called "northern branch." Other Presbyterian churches in the United States include: the Presbyterian Church in America, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

For more information about Presbyterianism, its history, and the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. click here.