Minister finds a home at Greer’s Chapel
Fuller Ketchie may be an introvert, but once he starts talking about Jesus, you could hardly tell it.
For him, the love of God is something worth sharing — and that’s exactly what he does every Sunday as the new pastor of Greer’s Chapel Church in Linwood.
Ketchie, a native of Salisbury, graduated from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, with a major in pastoral ministry and a minor in music. College helped prepare him for serving in ministry and equipped him for sharing his passion for Christ.
“I got saved when I was in high school, and I knew one thing for sure at that moment: I wanted to tell people about Jesus — I just didn’t know how,” Ketchie said. “Going to college helped give me a better and broader idea of how to relate with people and communicate better.”
He returned home to Salisbury amid the COVID-19 pandemic and soon found himself serving as the associate pastor and youth pastor at The River Church of God. Late last year, a fellow minister friend led him to Greer’s Chapel.
The church was in a time of transition when Ketchie arrived, having disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church and become non-denominational in 2023. The congregation had been without a leader for some time, but after Ketchie preached a handful of services, he became lead pastor at the end of September.
Despite a bit of nervousness about the new role, he and his wife, Renee, discovered a church filled with warmth and a place that feels like home.
“Learning how to mesh with a different church culture than you grew up with has been something to think about and navigate in a conscious way. I grew up Baptist and Church of God, which is very different from a more liturgical-type service,” he said. “But the love that the people here have is as genuine as the love of the people that I met in (other church circles). I was blown away and still am blown away by how generous and loving these people are to even newcomers that come in. They treat them like their best friends, and they’ve done that for me and my wife.”
In just a few short months, the congregation averaging 25 parishioners each week has grown to around 35 or 40. Ketchie plans to launch various evangelistic efforts to work towards filling even more pews. Recently, he began a biweekly Sunday school class, an outlet for discipleship for both current members and newcomers.
Above all else, Ketchie’s focus at Greer’s Chapel is on one thing: following the will of God.
“I was outside one day walking the borders of the church when I first got here. I really felt the need to pray over the place and just say, ‘Lord, whatever your will is, lead me in it,’” he said.
“The Lord spoke to me, and he said: ‘Gone are the days where the halls of Greer’s are empty,’ and I’m holding onto that promise.”
Greer’s Chapel Church is located at 8195 Old Salisbury Road in Linwood. The congregation meets at 11 a.m. each Sunday. Learn more on their website, www.greerschapel.com.
