Connecting a changing world to an unchanging WORD
About Relevant Church
Relevant Church is a friendly and relaxed group of people growing together in Christ-likness through a commitment to the Word. We desire to be a place where people in the greater Lake Wylie community can connect with God, becoming firmly established and fully engaged disciples.
Our Story
“Behold, I am doing something new. It springs forth. Do you not perceive it?” — Isaiah 43:19
It Started with a Vision
Relevant Church began in the living room of Founding Pastor Matt McGarity and his wife, Elizabeth. God placed a burden on their hearts — a vision to reach the lost, to connect the unchurched, and to build a community of believers in Lake Wylie and beyond. From the beginning, this was meant to be an only God church — a place where people would witness things that only God could do.
In July 2011, Relevant held its first gathering as an independent congregation with a vision that was clear and simple: reach the lost, and connect people in this community and all over the world to the unchanging Word of God. Over the years, Relevant grew and moved — from a living room, to a local school, and eventually to its current home at the Clover School District YMCA.
12 Years of Faithful Leadership
For twelve years, Pastor Matt and Elizabeth McGarity poured their lives into Relevant Church, building a family of believers that grew deep roots in the Lake Wylie community. Matt’s vision was always to identify, recruit, train, equip, and unleash leaders who would carry the gospel further than any one church could reach on its own.
Sent Ones
True to that calling, Matt felt led to rejoin the military as part of the chaplain corps — an extension of the same heart that planted Relevant in the first place. As an active-duty Chaplain in the US Navy, Pastor Matt and his family were sent as missionaries, expanding the gospel through ministry to those who serve our country.
The McGarity family remains partners of Relevant Church.
The Story Continues
What God began in a living room in Lake Wylie is still unfolding. Relevant Church exists today as a testament that when ordinary people say yes to an extraordinary God, He does things only He can do. We are grateful for every chapter of this story — and we believe even greater things are yet to come.
What we believe
Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our church and community.
About God
We believe that God has eternally existed. God is the Author, Creator, and Sustainer of the universe. God shows us his desire for relationship by being relational himself. He has continually revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each part of what we know as the Trinity has distinct, personal attributes. These three are coequal, deity, and one God. Being created in God’s image means that God is in himself relational and that He created man to be in relationship with Himself.
(Genesis 1:26-27; 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 43:10; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2)
About Jesus
We believe that Jesus has eternally existed as the Son of God. As a part of the narrative story of God’s redemption, Jesus became human. In other words, God became one of us. The church describes this as the Incarnation. The redemption narrative, which we call the Bible, continues as Jesus not only becomes human, but is born to a virgin and lives a sinless, perfect life on earth, allowing him to make right everything that had been done wrong in Adam. Jesus chose to die on a cross as a sacrifice for the penalty that should have been ours and his resurrection three days later made new life possible for us in this life and the next. What Jesus did during his time on earth and the character of his being provide a consistent reminder of what we should be about with our lives.
(Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 4:14-15)
About The Bible
The Bible is the sole basis for our faith. It is the authoritative word of God to all men. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian living. We hold that the Bible is inerrant and infallible in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
(Psalm 119:105; 119:160; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 1:13; 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12)
About Man
We believe that God created man in the image of God. Because of this, each and every human being possesses great dignity and is worthy of our respect and love. God confirms his love for each and every person when He sent His own son to die on the cross so that we might be able to be in relationship with Him through salvation in Jesus. In Genesis, God created man to rule over the earth; therefore we are stewards of the earth and the resources it contains. We believe that we will be held accountable for that stewardship, along with the stewardship of our gifts, talents, and the provision God makes in our lives on a regular basis.
(Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; 59:1-2; Romans 3:2)
About Salvation
By confessing your sin to God, putting your trust in Jesus and what His death and resurrection made possible for you, and surrendering your life to God’s purposes, you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus. The moment we begin that relationship, the Spirit of God enters our being – we call it the Holy Spirit – and that Spirit not only becomes our guide, but it continues the process that began at our point of surrender moving us from a life of sin to a life where we resemble the person of Jesus Christ.
(John 14:6; Romans 5:1; 6:23; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)
About The Church
The church has never been, nor will ever be perfect. However, its shortcomings cannot deter us from our purpose as God’s primary instrument of change in the world. We know that we were designed for community with other people, and the place of greatest community in the world should be the church. The church is not a corporation or a massive company. It is a new humanity created by the resurrection of Jesus Christ that expresses itself as a community of faith in Christ. The Scriptures describes it as a body or a family. Our church takes seriously our role to serve our community and exist as a place that offers people hope and purpose, even as we challenge people to discover and live a Christ-centered life.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38-47; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 12:12-13; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:24-25)