Today Greenville Baptist Church is a vibrant and loving church family with an average of more than 200 in attendance each week between the two worship services. Our weekly services are centered around biblical messages aimed at encouraging everyone to find hope in Jesus. From the fall to the spring we offer Sunday School and Bible studies for all ages. We have active men’s and women’s fellowships and mid-week Bible studies and small groups to help you grow in your understanding and love for God, and to build relationships with others in the church.
Greenville desires to be a generous church that makes a positive impact on our community and world. We have a food pantry that is open to the public two days a week. Here you can find both physical and spiritual food to help meet your needs. We also have Vacation Bible School every summer for school-aged children and an annual Family Fun Fest in the Leicester Common where we share free food, gifts, games and music with our town. We support many missionaries through the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board and other mission agencies.
We believe in fellowshipping and co-operating with like-minded churches to strengthen the church and share the good news of Jesus with everyone. To these ends, we are proud to be a part of the Baptist Convention of New England.
Who We Are
The church campus is situated on five acres in the village of Rochdale in the town of Leicester. It is bordered by Pleasant St. to the east and Greenville Pond on the west. The campus is blessed with four buildings. The Chapel, which is still used for several church functions, was built in 1859 and includes an 1859 Johnson pipe organ, as well as the church’s baptistry. The Christian Life Center is a multipurpose building in which are located the church office, several classrooms, a kitchen and the
sanctuary used for Sunday morning services. The Clark Building is a beautiful victorian-style home that has been converted into classrooms, a food pantry, and even houses a recording studio, Abraham’s Closet. The church parsonage is at the back of the property and is the home for the pastor and his family. Additionally, Greenville Baptist Cemetery is located on the campus. Dr. Green and his wife were buried in the cemetery (though their remains have since been moved their grave markers are still there), along with many other local residents, including several Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans.
Greenville Baptist Church was founded in 1738 by Dr. Thomas Green as the Greenville Baptist Society. Dr. Green served as the pastor of the church from its founding until his death in 1778. Faithful teaching of the Bible has been an important hallmark of Greenville from its beginning. For over 280 years God has been faithful to Greenville and the church has sought to be faithful in return.