Brief History of St. Gregory the Theologian Church
On August 26, 2017, through the efforts of the Rev. Fr. Nicolae Clempuș, St. Gregory the Theologian Mission in Greenville, South Carolina came into existence. On that beautiful August day, many Romanian families came together to learn about what is involved in establishing the first Romanian Orthodox mission in South Carolina. As the Romanians in the Greenville area desired to pray in Romanian, the liturgical space at St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Mauldin, SC was found and rented, with the active involvement of the elected Parish Council. At the beginning, the Romanian community attended one Divine Liturgy per month, with services being conducted on Saturdays by Fr. Nicolae Clempuș.
On December 8, 2017, the Eparchial Council of the Romanian Archdiocese approved the petition of the South Carolina Romanian community, and the Romanian Orthodox Mission in the Greenville area was given the name “St. Gregory the Theologian.” On February 12, 2018, the State of South Carolina issued the Certificate of Incorporation of St. Gregory the Theologian Mission.
Driven by a desire to multiply the number of Divine Liturgies, in December of 2020 the faithful moved their liturgical space to the current address in Easley. With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae and the support of Fr. Daniel Ene, Dean of the Eastern Deanery, the schedule went from one to three Divine Liturgies per month. In order to make this possible, three worthy, sacrificial, and Christ-loving priests traveled from considerable distances to Easley to conduct Divine Liturgies on a rotating basis: Father Nicolae Clempuș (parish priest at St. Mary’s Church in Atlanta), Father David Hudson (then ministering in Columbus, GA), and Father Stefan Drăgoi (then a parish priest in Norfolk, VA). With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, and through the input and love of Fr. Hieromonk Andrei Aioanei and Fr. Gabriel Joiță, the faithful enjoyed the constant services that were celebrated from the winter of 2020 until after Easter of 2021.
On August 15, 2021, Fr. David Hudson was appointed parish priest. Under his tireless priesthood, and with the active involvement of the Parish
Council, on November 3, 2021, the faithful purchased the current church property from the Cornerstone Foundation.
Between August 15, 2021 and October 21, 2023, under the careful guidance of Father David, members of the Mission put much work and effort into giving the liturgical space an Orthodox appearance, and taking care of both exterior building repairs and landscaping improvements. During this period many events took place that were aimed at opening up to the community and bringing in new members.
At the East Coast Deanery Assembly held October 20-21, 2023 in Easley, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae awarded the Metropolitan Cross to Father David Hudson, a symbol of gratitude and appreciation for his meritorious ministry. Father David retired on October 21, 2023 and Father Bogdan Cojoleanca was named the new parish priest of St. Gregory the Theologian Church.
In the first part of 2024, Fr. Bogdan Cojoleanca and the Parish Council prioritized the transformation of the existing liturgical space into a more Orthodox style. With the help of architect Viorel Nicolae (a member of the parish), the active involvement of Fr. Bogdan and the Parish Council, and the dedication and sacrifice of the faithful, the renovations in the church have begun.
Praise God for all things!