In the fall of 2020, Eric and Candace Johnson felt a shift regarding their future. They were, at the time, Senior Pastors of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, having served in that role for almost 10 years. In following their heart, they stepped down from this position and stepped into a space where they didn’t know where they were going, but knew it was what they were supposed to do.

As they were transitioning, Eric felt a pull towards the Carolinas, which is funny because they both had never been there. So in January of 2021, they rented a car and spent 8 days driving through both North and South Carolina. They wanted to see some different areas but mostly, they just drove around for 8 days with the goal of seeing if a particular area or city was highlighted to them. They thoroughly enjoyed their time in the Carolinas and its beauty, people, history, and culture. But there was something about Greenville, South Carolina that stood out to them.

When they got back to Redding, CA, they spent a lot of time praying, talking, and processing with their daughters, family, and friends about where they were sensing they would go next.

In March, 2021 they went back to Greenville to continue down the road to see if this was what they were to do next. Their prayer going back was “God, may this visit be a clear 'no' or a 'yes'”. When they drove into the city and began to walk around downtown, something happened in their hearts for Greenville.

So, they began to make contact with different leaders, pastors, and people who live in the Greenville area to get to know the city more and process what they felt God was leading them to. Their heart was to find out what God is doing there and partner with that as well as to explore what they can contribute to the bigger story of Greenville.

On April 4th—Easter Sunday—after praying and processing with their daughters and some close friends, they felt a release to make a commitment to start a church in Greenville, South Carolina