The Grand Strand Church of Christ
Surfside Beach, SC - Just South of Myrtle Beach, SC

Church History

The Grand Strand Church of Christ was formed in 1990 by approximately 20 families who had a vision to follow the biblical principles as set forth by Jesus and start a Church of Christ in the Surfside area.  For the first four years it met on 44th Avenue in Myrtle Beach while putting together the resources and funds required to purchase land and construct a church building in Surfside. 

Within a year, the congregation lost several of its members with the closing of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.  Although this presented a set back to the congregation, it continued to grow and the original plan was never abandoned.  In 1993, the members of the congregation secured a parcel of land on Glenns Bay Road and with the Lord’s ever present guidance, the dream soon became a reality.  In 1993, the Church also hired its first full-time minister, Tom Gilliam.  Tom and his wife Kay worked with the congregation until July 2000.  Today, our minister is Jay Thornell.

In September 1994, four years after the first gathering of this church, the building in Surfside was completed.  For many it was a culmination of countless hours of hard work, as they had used their talents in the building process.  The “over the hill gang” defined the spirit of the congregation on the whole as several retired men dedicated their lives for several months to the building of this church building.  Many made extreme sacrifices to insure the completion of the dream.   In October 1994, after being in the new building for a month, the official Opening Service was held and many attended who had helped from afar.

 On Sunday, March 5, 2000, nearly 10 years after we met as a church for the first time, we installed our first Eldership.  The two men chosen by the congregation, Stan Cox and Rocky Nelson, were/are men of gentle spirits who realize the importance of leading by serving; setting the standard for those added to the Elder position in later years.  On April 30th, 2000, we installed our first group of Deacons.  These men were chosen by the congregation and appointed by the Elders to lead our church in working for the Lord. 

Today we are a church of 210+ members, of which 70-80 are children.  The age distribution populations are highest in the under 20, 35-45, and 60-75 ranges. Within each of these groups there is spiritual strength and strong leadership.  There is also significant variations in socioeconomic, educational, and religious roots as many of the congregation and the community as a whole are transplants from other parts of the U.S.

As a sixteen year old church in a unique community, we are a strong congregation with a rare balance of progressive as well as traditional values.  Because of our various backgrounds, we have realized Christ’s call to unity through an accepting spirit of each others beliefs, as long as they adhere to the biblical standards of Christianity as set forth by God.  It is fair to say that we are an assimilated pool of diverse people who struggle through our issues with Godly love as our standard for dealing with family concerns.

 We are committed to the growth of the Lord’s church through the youth of our congregation.  A great amount of time and effort is expended in the quest to build solid Christians, and involved leaders for both the church and the community.  Although this program is only a few years old, the fruits of this commitment are obvious as our children are demonstrating leadership through their involvement in worship, outreach, benevolence, and bible study. 

 The best testimony concerning this church comes from those who visit with us from other areas of the country.  They are most impressed by the feeling of family love that flows naturally from genuine care, and our warm reception of them as extended family even though they are just visiting.

Please come visit us in person.  We would love to show you how great life as a Christian can be, and invite you to be a part of our loving family.  You will never have such great friends as you will with Jesus, and his Children.  Please be our honored guest this weekend.