About Us & Our Beliefs
“We hereby covenant and engage ... to give up ourselves unto the Lord ... to unite together into one body for the public worship of God, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of ... our Savior Jesus ...”
CONTINUALLY SEEKING GOD'S PRESENCE
Our Vision
God & Me
Everything begins with our relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that we are all guilty, yet Jesus came to bring life and freedom.
We encourage all believers to mature in their faith through spiritual disciplines, including Bible reading, prayer, journaling, and meditation.
God, Family
& Me
Jesus made it clear that the Word of God is our spiritual food. Therefore, just as we eat with our families, we encourage all families to spend time dining on the Word of God together.
God, Church
& Me
We believe that all Christians should be connected to a local church. In addition, we believe that each Christian has been imparted with a spiritual gift to be used for the edification of the Church and to God's glory.
God, World & Me
Empowered by our own relationship with the Lord, the time spent in discipleship with family, those close to us, and also the church has prepared us to now go out and live for Christ in the world around us. God, World and Me is focused upon Jesus' call to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).
<p id="ourstaff"></p>
GET TO KNOW
Our Staff
Dr. Kenny J. Craig
Senior Pastor
Dr. Kenny J. Craig and his wife, Paula, have served the Lord together for over 30 years in Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Their story began in the small town of Cantonment, Florida (near Pensacola) where they met in church when Kenny was ten and Paula was nine. They quickly became friends and both felt called into ministry while dating as teenagers. They married in 1988, while Kenny was enlisted in the U.S. Army following Paula's graduation from high school.
Kenny earned an Associate of Arts degree in Business from Pensacola Junior College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of West Florida, a Master of Ministry degree in Bible and his Doctor of Ministry degree in Christian Counseling from Covington Theological Seminary.
As a pastor, Kenny passionately presents the truth of God's Word, preaching through every book of the Bible verse by verse. He is the author of God's Word: from Creation to Consummation based on one of the first messages he ever preached. He enjoys riding motorcycles almost as much as he enjoys sharing the Word of God.
Paula has worked outside the home as a Medical Secretary and Legal Administrator. They have a growing family with their daughter, Jenna, living in Camp Hill, PA with her husband, Jeff, and three children: McKenna, Jaylan and Hunter. Their son, Addison, and his wife, Sabrina, living in Shippensburg, PA. And their son, Brandon, attends Gardner-Webb University in NC.
Mark Bonta
Youth Minister
Mark has been serving as Greensburg Baptist Church's Youth Minister since April 2013. As Mark reflects on his time of serving on staff here, he stated "what a blessing it has been!" Mark and his wife, Lindsey, are very intentional to pour into the lives of the youth that God has entrusted to them. By building one on one relationships, they get to know the needs of the youth and they are then able to more effectively point them to Christ and to the cross. Mark and Lindsey have three sons: Ty, Hayden, and Caleb.
Adam Reynolds
Children's Minister
Adam has been serving as the Children’s Minister since February 2022. He and his wife felt the Lord leading them to Greensburg Baptist Church in the Spring of 2020. Adam has previously served as a deacon of small groups, assisting small group leaders in discipling believers, growing in their walk with Jesus. When asked what his greatest desire for the children of GBC is, he said it was that the Word of God might be hidden in their hearts. Adam and his wife Traci have three children: Silas, Esther, and Eliza Joy.
Natalie Williams
Worship Leader
Natalie has been serving at Greensburg Baptist Church since May 2024. She is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with a deep passion for leading God's people in worship. Raised in small country churches, Natalie has a great love for the old, classic hymns and blends them seamlessly with contemporary praise songs. She is currently studying music theory and composition at Campbellsville University.
Donna Patterson
Administrative Assistant/Treasurer
Donna has been a member of Greensburg Baptist Church since March 1986. During these years, she has served as a choir member, Sunday School teacher, Children’s, Hospitality, and Finance Committee member. She recently retired from the Green County Board of Education where she worked as a teacher, curriculum specialist, and supervisor of instruction. As Donna reflects on her years of membership and service to GBC, she stated “The people here are my family and together we serve the Lord! I am blessed to be a part and serve alongside such great Christian people!” Donna and her husband Tony have two children and their spouses: Alex and Leah Patterson, Ashley and Chris Lowe, and one grandson Knox Lowe.
A TIMELINE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE & FAITHFULNESS
Our History
1820
Constitution of Greensburg Baptist
In 1804, the Russell Creek Association was organized out of the Green River Association with 11 churches. In 1811, a revival broke out all over the area and church membership in all the Baptist Churches grew from 353 to 1,119. Five new Baptist churches were started.
The church records existing from 1820 to 1844 were burned in the home of H. T. Smith, one of the clerks, and much of the early history of the church was lost. The Greensburg Baptist Church was constituted on December 20, 1820. The church was organized by two leading Baptist preachers in Green County - Rev. Isaac Hodgen (the first pastor of GBC) of the Skinhouse Branch area and Rev. Johnson Graham of Brush Creek. There were 11 charter members.
1821-1898
A Time of Growth
The church joined the Russell Creek Association on September 15, 1821. It grew from 11 charter members to 29 in its first year. The population of Greensburg in 1820 was only 400. For a long time, GBC did not have a church building. Most churches in the area had church once a month, and the preacher came on Saturday for a business session and a worship service. The preacher would stay overnight in the home of one of the members and hold services on Sunday morning. If the weather was bad, it might be two or three months before they saw their preacher again.
In 1824, a building was built on Depot Street that the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians used to worship in on alternate Sundays. It seemed that it was owned jointly by the denominations. The arrangement did not work well and the building and lot was sold for $1,200 and turned into a cotton factory in 1827. From 1827 - 1842, there was no church building to worship in.
In 1841, the church reported to the Russell Creek Association that a "spacious brick meeting house" was being built. This was the first lot and second building owned by the church. The 3rd church building was dedicated the 3rd Sunday in September 1884. Three years after its erection, the front of the church, which was a brick structure began to crack. This building only lasted 15 years, due to poor construction. This building was demolished.
1899-1959
A New Home
In 1899, the 4th church building was erected at a cost of $3,700. Electric lights were installed in the building in 1912. In 1930, the building was remodeled and redecorated at a cost of $6,500. The front vestibule was converted into a classroom and the doors were changed. Additional classrooms were added in the basement. On January 22, 1941, the church voted to purchase additional lots at the side and back of the then-existing building at a cost of $2,325. The present educational building sets on these back lots.
In 1945, a truck carrying shelled corn crashed through the front wall of the church scattering corn all over the top floor. The building was badly damaged and for the first and hopefully the last time in its history, the church building bore a sign on the front door that said "Keep Out!"
In 1947, the back section or educational section of this building was erected. Additional land had been purchased and this new building was erected before the old building was torn down.
In 1956, the front section, upstairs, and sanctuary were erected at an estimated cost of $250,000. The first service in our existing sanctuary was on March 25, 1956. The present church building was dedicated on June 7, 1959.
1960-Present
Impacting A Community
In an effort to reach more people, ten members organized the Greensburg Baptist Mission on Legion Park Road in the Penick Subdivision. The mission was in existence until August 9, 1968, when it became the South Greensburg Baptist Church.
Initial planning for our Christian Life Center began in January 2006. The church held a vision casting service in June 2006 and had great input from the congregation. The church voted in July 2006 to proceed with the construction of the CLC and to have a pledge drive to help support the cost. Construction began in August 2006 with the demolition of the existing structures that were previously on the property. The total cost of the CLC project, including the purchase of the property was approximately $470,000. The first major event that was held in the CLC was a New Year's Eve celebration in December 2007. The building was dedicated in January 2008.
In October 2013, a proposal was presented to the church to begin a church remodeling project. The proposal was approved by the church and construction began on the basement level immediately. All three floors of the church were remodeled and the project was completed in 2015 at a cost of approximately $350,000.
While the church remodeling project was in process, the space above the kitchen of the CLC was completed and is used as classroom space. The cost of this project was approximately $43,000.
