Published: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 / Updated: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 04:36 PM
New Fort Mill church to hold first service Sunday
When it comes to opening up a new church, for co-pastors Derrick Bucy and Scott Morrison, there's no place like home.
The Gathering Fort Mill, falling under the auspices of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, has had members reaching into the community, going door-to-door and handing out fliers on the streets to pack the first official service at 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 1.
Preparation to open The Gathering Fort Mill has been under way for about a year at 3545 Centre Circle, Suite G. After outgrowing its church across the state line in Ballantyne, N.C., Bucy and Morrison knew they needed a second church - and decided to open it in the community in which they live.
"We saw a community that was growing rather quickly and had been under-served by the church," Bucy said of Fort Mill, where he has lived for 10 years. "So we saw this as a place to go and make a difference."
The church held a "PreviewGathering" last week for anyone who was curious and looking for a worship place.
The pair met in 1991 when they lived in Virginia Beach, Va., where Bucy was serving in the Navy. They talked of opening their own Christian church someday, geared toward practicing what they preached through community service.
"This is the end of a long road for both of us," Morrison said. "We've dreamed of being in a place like this."
Both men are now full-time pastors with The Gathering church. Morrison most recently was a special education teacher at Fort Mill Middle School. He said he has a masters' degree in theology, while Bucy - a married father of four who used to work in manufacturing - is working toward a master's degree in divinity.
"As we looked around," Bucy said, "at what we saw going on in our community was a lot of new churches trying to be the next cool thing. We're trying our hardest to be the hands and feet of Jesus, not the next coolest thing."
The church plans outreach programs to benefit the Fort Mill community, including initiatives aimed at helping the poor, but first up is focusing on membership and its first official service.
For more information, visit www.thegatheringfm.org.