From 400 Members to 750: A Growing Greenville Church Plans a $10 Million Downtown Expansion

• Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, plans a roughly $10 million expansion called A Time to Build.
• The church, founded in 1892 with its sanctuary built in 1909, has grown from 400 members in 2007 to more than 750.
• The first phase is a two-storey education building and fellowship hall on an existing parking lot, approved by the Design Review Board in October 2025.
• Funding will come from donations, parking revenue and a loan; a 900-seat sanctuary is planned as the final phase.

While many downtown churches are shrinking and selling, one in Greenville, South Carolina, is growing and building. The Greenville Journal reported that Second Presbyterian Church plans a $10 million expansion of its West End campus.

The church was established in March 1892, and its sanctuary at the corner of River and Rhett streets was built in 1909. Its campus covers about five acres. Membership has grown from 400 in 2007 to more than 750, while the sanctuary seats about 350.

The master plan, called A Time to Build, has three phases. First comes a two-storey Christian education building on the existing upper parking lot, with a fellowship hall on the ground floor and classrooms above; its design was approved by the Design Review Board in October 2025, and construction is expected to start in summer 2026 and take about 18 months. Next is parking, starting with a surface lot at 225 S. Academy St. and possibly a garage later. The final phase is a new sanctuary seating about 900, with the old sanctuary becoming a historic chapel. The project will be funded by congregational donations, parking revenue and a loan, and a congregational vote was scheduled for January 2026.

Senior Minister Richard Phillips said: “We want to have a vision for our place and our ministry in the city of Greenville.” Church administrator Melton Duncan said the new building “will more than double our current education space”.

Second Presbyterian is using its downtown land in two ways: as space for ministry and as a source of income from parking. For Jamaican churches in town centres, parking can be a steady earner that helps pay for building work, especially near busy commercial areas. Phasing the work, so that each stage is paid for before the next begins, reduces the risk of debt. Keeping the historic sanctuary as a chapel also preserves the church’s heritage while making room to grow.

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