Launching
September 2026

Help us start a new church that brings good news and good works to Rock Hill for the glory of God.

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UPCOMING

Our first event out in the community is happening in early January.
Learn more here.

The Launch Group is the team of men and women helping lay the foundation for Hill City before WE START PUBLIC WORSHIP SERVICES IN SEPTEMBER 2026.

Launch Group meetings will take place once a month Jan-Mar, twice a month April-June, and weekly beginning in July as we move towards public launch in September. Details about time and location TBD. In these meetings, we will cultivate authentic community, study the Bible, worship together, serve our neighbors and those in need in Rock Hill, and most importantly -- pray!

If you’re ready to learn more or get involved, fill out this quick form and we’ll be in touch with next steps!

Meet the Team

  • Gardner Family

    Gray Gardner

    Lead Planter/Pastor

    Meet the Gardners: Gray, Jen, Charlotte, Finley, Joelle, and Millie

    As residents of Rock Hill and natives of South Carolina, we are thrilled to begin pursuing the call to plant a new church in the community we call home. Our passion is to see people grow a personal relationship with Jesus, follow Him in authentic community, and participate in God’s mission to bring hope and healing to this broken world.

    Gray will serve as the lead planter/pastor of Hill City Church. He has most recently served as an executive and campus pastor at Forest Hill Church in Charlotte, NC, and has over a decade of ministry serving across three different churches in student, college, and discipleship ministries. Gray is passionate about helping people grow a robust faith in Jesus Christ through biblical preaching and teaching, as well as mobilizing people to live out their faith everywhere they live, learn, work and play.

    As a family, our prayer is that God uses this new church to awaken people to the abundant life Christ has for them and multiply disciples, leaders, and churches across Rock Hill, our broader community, and to the ends of the earth.

  • Russo Family

    Darren Russo

    Pastor/Elder

    Meet the Russos: Darren, Danielle, Addie, Porter, and Winston

    Our family has called Rock Hill home since we were married in 2012. Most of our day-to-day life, including our kids’ school, is in the Rock Hill area. Danielle and I have enjoyed getting to know the Gardners and their family. Our families have not only been able to develop a deep friendship, but as Gray and I have served together, we have shared a similar heart for our neighbors and for the people of Rock Hill to come to know and experience the good news of Christ.

    Darren currently serves as the Discipleship Pastor at Forest Hill Church Fort Mill, but will transition to Hill City staff at the end of June 2026. He has been at Forest Hill for 10 years, and previously served in discipleship ministries with Campus Crusade for Christ for 13 years in multiple locations, including one year in Sweden.

    We’re excited to be a part of a new church that will emphasize both discipleship and mission in the Rock Hill and surrounding areas and are trusting the Lord will build a church with Kingdom influence for His glory.

Why Rock Hill?

  • Growing population, Growing Disconnect from God

    Only 1 in 4 people in York County are connected to an evangelical church. That leaves over 200,000 neighbors in need of the gospel.

  • Spiritually open, but institutionally wary

    On the ground relationships prove national trends: people are spiritually hungry, but wary of religious institutions. Church plants help introduce people to Jesus while side-stepping some of the baggage associated with established churches.

  • Thousands of next-generation leaders live here

    Nearly 5,000 students attend Winthrop University each semester. Thousands more cycle through the middle and high schools. Reaching them now means sending disciples into classrooms, businesses, and cities worldwide.

  • New town vibes, old town economic disparities

    Behind the city’s growth are deep struggles—housing instability, teen pregnancies, and broken families. There are incredible ministries on the ground that a new church can join in supporting to help bring hope to the people of Rock Hill.

  • mental health needs often mask deeper spiritual needs

    York County is underserved in its ratio of mental health providers compared to the total population. With limited mental health providers and growing crises among teens, Rock Hill needs gospel-centered community and pastoral care that can help bring hope and healing.

We feel led to start a church that shares the good news of Jesus in word and action, bringing hope to every man, woman, and child in Rock Hill.

Timeline

This is intended to give you a general idea of our timeline. Dates subject to change.
Subscribe to receive our newsletter so you can stay up to date on everything happening with our plant.

January ‘26

HILL CITY IN THE PARK | (DETAILS HERE)

Gray officially becomes a Church Planting Resident at Forest Hill Church, and enters the Launch Cohort of the Greater Charlotte Church Planting Network.

February ‘26

LAUNCH GROUP BEGINS MEETING MONTHLY

March ‘26

LAUNCH GROUP BEGINS MEETING BI-WEEKLY

july ‘26

LAUNCH GROUP BEGINS MEETING WEEKLY

Darren Russo officially joins Hill City in a full-time staff capacity.

August ‘26

WORSHIP PREVIEW NIGHT

September 13, 2026

LAUNCH SUNDAY

Our plan is to officially begin worship services that are open to the public in September 2026.

Get Involved

2) Join the Launch Group.

The Launch Group is the team of men and women helping lay the foundation for Hill City before our public launch in 2026 — shaping the culture, praying together, serving locally, and growing as disciples on mission.

Ready to take your next step? Complete the Launch Group Interest form.

Launch Group Interest Form

3) Give.

We can’t do this without the generosity of kingdom-minded people like you.

Every dollar you give will help us launch and sustain Gospel ministry to reach the lost and make disciples.

For more information on our fundraising goals and 3 year budget, visit this page.

GIVE ONLINE

We have filed for tax-exempt status and fully expect to receive it in the next few months.  In the meantime, all your gifts to Hill City are still fully tax-deductible.

FAQs

  • Hill City will be a church that is centered on Jesus Christ. Everything we do will be intentionally designed to glorify His name and introduce others to Him so that they can share in His life-changing love and grace.

    We aim to cultivate a welcoming and authentic community where all people can learn to love God, love people, and make disciples for the glory of God.

    We will be serious about discipleship, growing in God’s Word, and cultivating a biblical worldview.

    We will prioritize passionate worship that features the best of ancient and modern worship music, psalms, and hymns, while remaining rooted in the historic faith.

    We will be a church that challenges every Christian to take the Gospel to the places they live, learn, work, and play, through sharing the good news AND demonstrating it through good works.

    We will put a premium on multiplication and build systems to multiply disciples, leaders, and churches across Rock Hill and beyond.

  • Hill City will be an autonomous church, meaning it will be governed by its own congregation and led by qualified elders without outside influence.

    However, we recognize the strength of collaboration and will be partnering with the following groups:

    • Greater Charlotte Church Planting Network

    • Pillar Network

    • SC Baptists

    These partnerships create layers of accountability, support, and strategic missional partnership that will help us take the Gospel further, faster.

  • Hill City Church will be elder-led and congregationally-governed. This means that in the day-to-day operations and decision-making of the church, the elders (synonymous with “pastors”) will lead, but in larger decisions (membership, selection and ordination of new elders/deacons, final budget approval, etc.) the congregation will hold final authority.

    From the beginning, Gray Gardner will serve as the Lead Pastor and Darren Russo will serve as the Discipleship Pastor. Together they will comprise the early elder board of Hill City Church.

    A “start-up board” of 2-3 external “friends of Hill City” will join Gray and Darren in signing off on big decisions until a third local elder is established. This group will also be responsible for approving early budgets and compensation targets.

  • Forest Hill Church is the “parent” or “sending” church of Hill City. As such, Forest Hill is taking primary responsibility for the launch of this new church by investing resources and sending people and leaders.

    Hill City is not a campus of Forest Hill, and therefore will operate separately from the governance and leadership of Forest Hill Church.

  • The church will officially launch with public worship services in September 2026.

    The exact date and location has not been determined.

  • We are passionate about the next generation. While it’s early to know exactly what kids and student ministry will look like, we will absolutely prioritize reaching these age groups with excellent, age-appropriate ministry programming.

  • We’re planting not so much to be different, but to join and complement the incredible work already being done in Rock Hill by faithful pastors, churches, and ministry leaders.

    We are not in competition with other Rock Hill Churches — we are joining the collaborative, kingdom effort to reach people far from Christ.

Give

We can’t do this without the generosity of
kingdom-minded people like you.

More details about projected costs, preliminary budgets, and mission-centric strategies will be published in the months ahead.

GIVE ONLINE