Thanks for checking in on me. As you can see (above on the left) my name is Gilbert H. Rowell [it rhymes with towel] and I am the pastor of the Providence church. I have been here since January 2004, and am now closing in on my thirtieth year as a pastor (2010), having previously served in the Brighton ARP Church in Brighton, TN, and in First Lancaster ARP Church in Lancaster, SC.
I grew up in the ARP Church in the small town of Louisville, Georgia, and have a string of perfect attendance pins (somewhere) to prove how active I was in church as a child and young person. While I was very happy with my involvement in church and glad to be able to attend for so many years without missing, I’m really glad that God did not let me be content with those achievements. He had so much more in mind for me! It was through the ministry of my home church and the ARP denomination that I came to trust Christ as my Lord and Savior. And, I have learned through my relationship with Jesus just how much more God had in mind for me. My passion in ministry is to help people know how much more God has in mind for them than merely church attendance and ministry busyness.
When I have time I enjoy such things as woodworking, gardening, yard work, golf and anything I can do to help someone else. And, although I have a passing interest in sports in general, I particularly enjoy college football. Growing up in Georgia, one was either a Georgia Bulldog or a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket. Thankfully, my family had roots that shared the soil with the hedges in Athens, so red is my color. However, I have learned to “tolerate” other SEC teams: I served 13 years in Tennessee and learned to pull for the Vols (much to the chagrin of my family) because of my love for so many Vol fans; and, I married into a South Carolina Gamecock family, so I’ve had to adjust my thinking there too!
I have been happily married for almost 34 years and have two daughters. Music has been a large part of our family through the years, my wife having minored in voice, my oldest daughter majoring in music performance on the French horn, and my youngest daughter involved in music at church. As you may imagine, much of our spare time is spent going to concerts of one kind or another.
If I can be of any help to you, please don’t hesitate to call on me. And, if you’re looking for a church home, I hope you’ll check out Providence. You will discover that Providence is not so much a place as it is a people. If you're looking for a place, then almost anywhere will do, but if you are looking for people who love God, each other and those whom God puts in our way, then maybe Providence is for you. I hope to see you soon!
Hi! My name is Tammy Bassett. I have a wonderful husband of 25 years and we have three children. Our daughter is in her first year of seminary, and our oldest son is at home and looking for a job. We also have an eight-year-old son in the 5th grade. Our family moved from upstate New York to North Carolina in 1995. I enjoy a new snowfall, but in NY, there are too many! We began visiting Providence a few months after we moved here and officially joined the Providence family in 1996. Becoming involved in the ministry at Providence was what made us realize that we had made a new home in North Carolina. The wonderful teaching, encouragement, friendship, and prayer of our church family are what God used to bring Bob and me to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
For nine years I was involved with the Mother’s Morning Out/Preschool program at Providence. I taught the 4 yr old class and later served as director. The program was a wonderful outreach for many years and I still keep in touch with some of the families. I was truly blessed working with the children and sharing the love of Christ with them.
In 2004, I began volunteering in administration at the church, which eventually led to a part-time position for me. It is a blessing to serve Providence as the church secretary. The highlight of my job is preparing our monthly newsletter, the Providence Profiles – check it out on the Church Info tab of the website.
When I am not in the office or caring for my friend’s children part-time, I enjoy making homemade greeting cards and any type of craft. I also enjoy visiting with friends and making new ones. I will probably be one of the first people to greet you at Providence! My passion is caring for others – doing all I can to help!
Our family is so blessed to have our friends at Providence. We are always there for one another in time of need, and always in prayer. You will be blessed too, at Providence!
Josh is a senior Music Education major at Winthrop University in nearby Rock Hill, SC. A native of Clover, SC, Josh has been involved in music all his life. In high school Josh was a percussionist, and continues with that emphasis in college.
E-mail Gilbert H.