Parisview Baptist Church in Greenville celebrated “a century of making Christ’s love accessible to all” on April 27.
Jesse Powers, who was Parisview’s pastor in the 1960s, was guest speaker for the celebration.
The first worship service was held in a house in the mill village when Parisview was established as Union Bleachery Baptist Church, and it continued to gather in homes and the local elementary school building until 1918 when it constructed its first facility, given by the John Arrington family who owned the mill.
The church called its first full-time pastor, Ralph Brady, in 1934. Union Bleachery parented the church until 1945, providing a home for the pastor. That year, the company deeded the property to the congregation. In 1958, pastor Leon Chandler led the church in building its current sanctuary.
In 1981, when the Union Bleachery plant was sold, the church changed its name to Parisview, in part because the church was transitioning from a village church to one with a suburban membership.
Marshall Sargent serves as interim pastor at Parisview.
