Our Story

Destiny is ordinary people just like you who want to passionately worship God, raise strong spiritual families, radically love their community, and impact their generation.


The vision for Destiny emerged in Pastor Russ’ heart in 2008, when God led Russ and Carol to the greater Greenville area after successful ministries in Atlanta mega-churches. In 2011, a group of people began praying, believing God had given multiple indicators to begin a family-focused, community-driven, globally-connected fellowship. Within 6 weeks, families poured in as Destiny launched adult worship, children’s worship, LIFE groups, and community projects like BackPack Blessings (stuffing food into backpacks for students who have no food on weekends at home). In December, 2014, Destiny secured it's first facility @ 437 West Butler in Mauldin. Now in 2016, we've completed our 60th Community Impact Service Project and have an international network of missionary partners in 6 countries!


Destiny Church believes life with God is about relationships, not rules. We believe Jesus taught that people need to be loved and accepted, not condemned. For us, a changed life is the real outcome He desires, and a big part of that is being able to easily build a relationship network with believers in a church that encourages you, not disillusions you. Our church family thinks that bible teaching should be practical and simple–truth you can use immediately to make a difference at home or work.


Our passion is to promote 4 values that “add” life through an acrostic called P.L.U.S.: Pursue intimacy with God, Live connected to a spiritual community, Upgrade your life to God’s standards, and Share your stories about God.


Our vision is to credibly and creatively make Jesus known across every boundary, in every community and culture within our influence (Acts 1:8).


Our purpose is to become a missionary sending base, emphasizing significance and size (Acts 13:1-3).


Our mission is to develop and unleash fully-devoted lifetime followers of Jesus Christ who will fulfill their DESTINY by specific call and ministry, changing the world through lives of irresistible influence (Phil. 3:12 / 2 Tim. 4:5).

What We Believe

For a more detailed explanation of our beliefs in agreement with the 2000 Southern Baptist Faith and Message CLICK HERE.


THE BIBLE

We believe the Bible to be inspired, the only infallible authoritative Word of God. Inspired by the Holy Spirit it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13; Hebrews 4:12).


THE TRINITY

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. These are equal in every divine perfection and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Mark 12:29; Matthew 28:19; Isaiah 43:10-11).


GOD, THE FATHER

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He is sovereignly and compassionate in control of every detail of our lives, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Isaiah 48:12; Ps. 95:3,6; Is. 40:21-26; Ps. 139:1-12; Jn. 7:37-38).


JESUS CHRIST

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return for His church and with His church in power and glory (Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20; Romans 3:25; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 20:31).


THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine third Person of the Trinity. In the present age He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness, He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony, He is the agent in the new birth, indwells all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, baptizes them into the body of Christ, seals them unto the day of redemption. Every believer is commanded by God to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and He bestows gifts as He wills (Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 5:18-20; I Corinthians 3:16-17).


SALVATION

We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are therefore in need of salvation, God's redemption through personal regeneration. We believe that those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord are "saved" and "regenerated" by the Holy Spirit and by grace receive the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life, through the blood of Christ, which cannot be earned or deserved (John 3:5; Acts 2:38, 10:47-48; Romans 3:23, 6:23, 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9; Colossians 1:13).


SANCTIFICATION

We believe that the Holy Spirit comes to permanently live in believers at the moment of the new birth, given every spiritual blessing, all things pertaining to life and godliness, and empowered with the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, drawing upon the resources available through the resurrected Christ, so that our lives increasingly display the life, character, and power of Christ (Acts 2:38, 2 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1:3, 2:1-6; 2 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 12:1-3; Galatians 2:20).


THE CHURCH

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all born again persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ who have a credible profession of faith, and have connected for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that the calling of the church is to be the very presence of Christ in the culture, standing as a testimony of His life and character. We believe that the testimony of Christ’s life is seen most fully in the corporate expression of His life that is the church, and that when God calls people unto life with Himself He necessarily calls them into fellowship with other believers as well. We believe that the ministry of the church is sustained by the tithes and offerings of believers. We believe the church is commanded to take the gospel of Jesus to the entire world (Malachi 3:10; Acts 1:8, 2:40-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 16:1-2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:8-15, 25-27; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 10:24-25).


THE ORDINANCES

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that baptism symbolizes the beginning of a new life in Christ. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ to remember His death and blood sacrifice that paid for the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41, 10:47-48; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).


LAST THINGS

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily and visibly in the heavens to rapture His church before the Great Tribulation. We believe in the resurrection of the body, final judgment, heaven as the home of those made righteous in and through Christ, and the eternal suffering of those who reject Christ in a literal hell (Mark 9:43-48; John 5:28-29, 14:1-6; 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelations 20:5-15).


FAMILY / MARRIAGE / SEXUALITY / SANCTITY of LIFE

Family. God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. 

Marriage. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage, and teach their children to obey the Lord.

Sexuality - We affirm God's plan for marriage and sexual intimacy—one man, and one woman, for life. Homosexuality is not a "valid alternative lifestyle." The Bible condemns it as sin. It is not, however, unforgivable sin. The same redemption available to all sinners is available to homosexuals. They, too, may become new creations in Christ.

Sanctity of Life - All life is sacred—from conception to old age, special needs and medically incapacitated. Procreation is a gift from God, a precious trust reserved for marriage. At the moment of conception, a new being enters the universe, a human being, a being created in God's image. This human being deserves our protection, whatever the circumstances of conception.

(Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7).


ATTITUDE 

Considering the diversity of the church, we stress the importance of agreeing on the main fundamental doctrines and to be understanding in minor differences that so often are merely differences in terminology or custom. "In essentials, Unity; in nonessentials, Liberty; in all things, Charity!"