As a young pastor, Trevor Hoffman felt tempted in the back of his mind to follow trends to have ministry success. But the Lord taught him there are some things you must learn the hard way while mirroring humility and confronting pride. This was something he struggled with, until realizing over time “that it really is the slow, patient, farmer-like work of sowing and towing,” he said. This kind of intentional investment reflects the heart of discipleship.
Hoffman is the product of that kind of discipleship. The process began long before he helped plant Ridgewood Church in Greer. It all began in the church where he was raised, Sandy Springs Baptist, where he learned that the local church is not always perfect, but that it is the best thing going.
Hoffman was raised in a Christian home in Simpsonville, S.C., and came to faith at age 15 through watching a summer camp skit that allowed him to recognize his need to find fullness in Christ. As he continued to pursue his faith, older men — which he calls his “uncles in the faith” — invested in him at Sandy Springs. These were men in his church who volunteered in the youth ministry. Hoffman said those early formational years were how he learned to see the beauty of the church.
He later attended North Greenville University, initially pursuing a history degree with hopes of teaching high school and coaching football. However, he wrestled with a call to ministry and some men in his life encouraged him to consider changing majors. By his sophomore year, he switched to Christian Studies and gained ministry experience alongside his coursework.
“There I learned that theology results in doxology,” he said. “That’s why I do what I do now. I fell in love with the church — the people — and fell in love with God and His Word,” said Hoffman. Now he gets to devote his life to putting those things together.
Hoffman married his wife, Emily, in 2010. Soon afterward, he resigned from a student ministry position and started searching for an opportunity to get his boots on the ground with pastoral training. He contacted many pastors, until a friend pointed him to Matt Rogers, who had planted Christ Fellowship Cherrydale (CFC). And Rogers took him in.
Hoffman reflected on his time at CFC and said, “It’s amazing, it was only [about] two-and-a-half years, but it felt like a whole lifetime of growth.” He recalled preaching his first time scared to death, resulting in a humbling sermon, and how Rogers graciously corrected him afterwards.
Hoffman said, “My story is that I’m just the fruit of some older guys who graciously took interest in me and encouraged me along … who could model biblical manhood, godly character, and how to carry yourself as a minister of the gospel.” He said Rogers lived out all those things and has been a friend ever since.
During Hoffman’s time at CFC, the groundwork for a future church plant took shape. He didn’t have any intentions toward church planting and lacked confidence to do so — until the elders encouraged him to plant with his small group, and he decided to trust their leadership. Eventually, they took the leap, and the group covenanted together on April 22, 2014 — and publicly launched on Sept. 7, 2014. They originally called themselves The Church at Greer Station and met in eight different locations around Greer.
Hoffman said that finding locations to meet and having limited resources was stressful, but the extremely challenging part of those early years was growing into the responsibilities of a pastor.
“Honestly, the hardest thing for me during those years was seeing myself as a pastor,” said Hoffman.
In 2020, they gathered on Sunday nights in the gym at Greer First Baptist Church. Around that time, they were offered a building. Somewhat naively, they accepted and renovated it over the next two years. The church grew to about 150 members, and the Lord provided the resources needed to bring the project together. On Sept. 11, 2022, they opened the doors for their first gathering as Ridgewood Church.
Looking back on how both he and the church have grown, Hoffman said that none of the men who discipled him were perfect or had all the answers. Instead, they simply invited him to walk with them — “I’m a step or two ahead of you, I’ve got some things to offer you, I’m encouraged by God’s work in you. Come with me. Let’s do this together. Follow me as I follow Christ.” That simple approach now shapes the way he disciples younger men.
Hoffman expressed his gratitude for the ways he’s seen Ridgewood Church bear fruit. He said the culture at Ridgewood is very strong, like nothing he’d ever been a part of — with people serving without prompting and taking interest in one another. The church has also been woven into the warp and woof of Greer and has become a part of the community. The elders encourage their congregation to be the chaplain of their everyday spaces: their neighborhoods, coffee shops, or gyms.
While defining discipleship as progressive growth into Christlikeness, Hoffman said, “All that our church does is discipleship. It is the whole of what our church is intended to do. It fuels and facilitates our life together. People just get it. It’s not a class. It’s not a 10-step thing. It’s the life of the church.”
The church-planting story will continue with Renewal Church of Anderson, which Hoffman described as their planting twin, because they planted around the same time and endured similar growing pains. However, that is a story to be explored next time.
— Carolyn Sleppy is a senior Creative Writing major at Anderson University. She plans to intern with The Baptist Courier this summer.