God called —– we listened…
In May 2004, 11 people met at the home of Pastor Mark and Cindy Jarrell. Joined by Rev. Jack Eades, Director of Outreach Ministries for the West Virginia Baptist Convention, this first Bible study became the foundation for Genesis Fellowship.
Over the next five months, the founding members prayed, studied, shared, and prayed some more. On October 3, 2004, we took a step of faith and launched our new church plant with a worship service at Andrew Jackson Middle School in Cross Lanes, WV. In attendance were our family, friends, and seekers. The fun was just beginning!
In _____ our congregation outgrew our home at Andrew Jackson Middle School and we were blessed to partner with the YMCA in Cross Lanes and use their facilities for our worship services and youth group meetings. Our church continued to grow as we participated in community events and implemented Homegroups, small, in-depth Bible studies held in various locations around the Kanawha Valley.
Our next big blessing came in the Spring of 2016 when God blessed us with our own church building! On April 28, 2016, we officially moved into our new location in South Charleston, WV. In our new home, we continue to grow and love our new community.
In January 2022, Genesis Fellowship celebrated the bittersweet retirement of our founding pastor, Mark Jarrell. While we wish him and his wife, Cindy, a happy retirement, Mark and Cindy are missed and will forever be in our hearts at GF.
Though we still miss Pastor Mark and Cindy, Genesis Fellowship welcomed Pastor Rick Pursley and his wife Tammie as our new leaders in October 2022. Along with his wife and family, Pastor Rick is dedicated to showing the love of Jesus and challenging his congregation to do the same.
Since the very start of Genesis Fellowship, we have been blessed to work for God and show Jesus’ love where we are planted.