Pray for Hillcrest Church in Gaston, South Carolina

Hillcrest Church, strategically located in Gaston, SC, has 20,500 residents within a 5-mile radius. Their very first meeting, at their current location, was held in the summer of 1955 and in their first couple of years, the charter members experienced several difficult challenges. Although originally Eastside Baptist, the church changed its name not long after it began under the leadership of pastor B.I. Epting. Steve McGee was called into service in January 2013 as their current pastor.

Steve McGee first encountered Hillcrest with his young family in the late 1980s, while attending Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University). He preached his first sermon there, building long-lasting relationships. He pastored churches in South Carolina, Florida, Michigan, and served as a church planter and Bible teacher in Trinidad. In 2009, Steve became the Executive Director with Ministries in Action (MIA) in Miami, FL while continuing to minister in the Caribbean and Latin America through Biblical education, disaster relief teams, and medical missions. He also holds degrees from Greenville Seminary and North Central Theological Seminary, and is currently working on an M.A. in Counseling from Columbia International University (CIU). Under his leadership, the church added ministries such as addiction recovery, a food co-op, and a thrift store in recent years. Steve enjoys deep-sea fishing, camping, gardening, and reading. He and his wife, Adanna, have been married 40 years, having five children and twelve grandchildren.

His son, Josh McGee, serves bi-vocationally as Hillcrest’s Associate Pastor/Worship Leader. Josh graduated from Trinity International University and Liberty University and is currently pursuing an MDiv. After serving with Miami Youth for Christ for 4 years, Josh returned to SC in 2015 to minister alongside his father in the revitalization of Hillcrest Church. Josh and his wife, Merritt, have been married two years, with one son (Henry) born in July of 2022. He enjoys sushi, leading worship on guitar, preaching, anything involving South Carolina history, exercising, and assisting people in breaking free from addiction.

Join us as we pray for these specific prayer needs:

    • A church van and at least 2 people willing to serve as drivers to pick people up for church services and functions throughout the week.
    • Community involvement and volunteers for a Celebrate Recovery ministry beginning in the fall. 
    • A potential partnership between Hillcrest Church and a Christian Counseling Center.
    • The necessary funding needed for renovations at Hillcrest’s facilities.
    • Faithful, available, and teachable individuals/families who are committed to following Christ, exercising their gifts, and willing to invest in others.
    • The community of Gaston, SC, that God will open the eyes and soften the hearts of individuals and families within their town.
    • One of their local missionaries, Steven Yantek, is partnering with Hillcrest in an addiction recovery ministry. Please pray that God will open the necessary doors to bring in people from the community who are willing to be discipled and work through their trauma/addiction.

Let us know if you prayed for Hillcrest Church!