External links
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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| Seacoast Church | |
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| Location | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Evangelicalism |
| Associations | Non-denominational |
| Weekly attendance | 14,000 |
| Website | seacoast.org |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Josh Surratt |
Seacoast is a non-denominational evangelical multi-site megachurch based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, a suburb of Charleston. It has thirteen locations around South Carolina and North Carolina. It is a member of the Association of Related Churches, a church-planting organization. Its senior pastor is Josh Surratt.
The church began in February 1988 with 100 people meeting in an apartment clubhouse by Greg Surratt and a team from Northwood Assembly, another large church in North Charleston. [1] In April of the same year the first 'public' meetings were held in a rented theater with a vision for reaching out to the unchurched people of the Charleston area. The church grew quickly with its contemporary worship style and support from its mother church, Northwood Assembly.[ citation needed ]
In 2002, the church had over 3,000 people attending weekly services, leading them to request permits to expand their facilities with local officials. [2] The town of Mount Pleasant denied all requests, however. The church then began to use a video feed to show sermons to an off-site location. This was so successful that Seacoast began to open other "satellite" facilities throughout the Charleston metropolitan area and throughout the state and now in North Carolina.[ citation needed ]
In 2007, it opened a Dream Center. [3]
In 2019, it dedicated a new building in Mount Pleasant including a 2,500-seat auditorium. [4]
In 2023, the church claimed to have a weekly attendance of 14,000 people and had opened 13 campuses in different cities. [5]
Seacoast is a non-denominational Christian church.
They believe "God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe and exists eternally as three co-equal persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, never-changing, completely trustworthy, and holy. His very essence is good. He is our loving Father who is faithful to his people and his promises."
They believe "Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is both completely human and completely God. He lived a completely sinless human life and was crucified on a cross, dying in our place for our sins so that we may be reconciled with God. After three days he rose bodily from the dead to demonstrate his victory over sin and death. He ascended to heaven and will return again to reign forever as King of Kings."
They believe "the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He lives in every believer from the moment of salvation and provides us understanding in spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. The Holy Spirit's presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. He guides believers into all truth and convicts people of their sin. He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ."
They believe "God exists as one being in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they each possess equal power and authority."
They believe "the Bible is God's holy written word. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the ultimate source of truth for Christians, giving testimonies of God’s character, stories of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry, as well as instruction and wisdom for daily life."
They believe "humankind was made in the image of God, created to be in a perfect relationship with him. We became alienated from him through our own disobedience, which the Bible calls sin. We are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through our own efforts, which is why God sent his Son Jesus to take the penalty for our sin so that we may be reconciled with God."
They believe "we were created to exist forever, and every human will spend eternity either with God in the new heavens and new earth, or separated from him, which the Bible calls hell."
They believe "salvation comes as a result of believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified, died, and rose from the dead as a sufficient payment for the sins of man. Salvation is a free gift from God to all, and cannot be earned through our own efforts. It is only by trusting in Jesus Christ that we can be saved from an eternal separation from God. Eternal life begins the moment you receive Jesus Christ into your life through faith."
They believe "The Church is made up of the whole community of believers (both globally and in local congregations) who are unified through faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ, which are found in the Bible. Members of the Church seek to share the hope of Christ to the world through love, good deeds, and the message of the Gospel."
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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