Religious Conventions
The Greenville area provides more than 450 places of worship ranging from very traditional to very progressive. Most Greenville residents claim to be Protestant, but there is also a Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Quaker, and Greek Orthodox presence in the Upstate as well. With the combined components of religious diversity, many theological experts in the area and a Convention and Visitors Bureau eager to assist you in any way possible, Greenville provides an excellent location for your next religious meeting or convention.
Ask the Expert
Looking for an expert to speak and/or assist you with your religious convention? Greenville has the perfect fit for you - whether a clergy member from one of the 450 plus houses of worship in the area, a religious professor from Bob Jones University, North Greenville University or Furman University, or a leader from Greenville’s Interfaith Forum or other religious umbrella organizations. Your team at the Greenville CVB is ready to help you explore these options.
Religion Overview
- Greenville residents and visitors can find Christian worship services offered in many foreign languages including Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Kurdish.
- Roughly 57 percent of Greenville residents claim to be religious, with Protestant contributing to the majority of that percentage.
- The Interfaith Forum (IF), formerly Greenville Faith Communities United, is a coalition of faith communities, individuals and organizations in the Upcountry, and it exists to foster interfaith dialogue, charitable outreach and support.
- The Greenville Jewish Federation exists to provide assistance to those of the Jewish faith who wish to relocate to Greenville, and the federation offers various programs to further Jewish quality of life in Greenville.
- Greenville is home to two houses of Jewish worship - Beth Israel Synagogue and Temple of Israel. Temple of Israel offers a unique early childhood education program.
- The Carolina Buddhist Vihara brings Theraveda Buddhist monks to Greenville to offer teachings of Buddha.
- The Vedic Center of Greenville is the largest place of Hindu worship in the area. It was started in the mid-1960s by about 20 or 30 first generation Indian immigrants, and it now currently serves around 400 regular attendees.
- Several of the properties that made the National Register of Historical Places in Greenville County belong to churches – Fairview Presbyterian Church, McBee Methodist Church, Christ Episcopal Church, Simpsonville Baptist Church, John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church and Downtown Baptist Church.
- Greenville is home to Bob Jones University, a Christian liberal arts college and seminary. BJU is the world’s largest fundamental Christian school, and students attend Bob Jones University from all over the world, seeking its emphasis on evangelism, culture, high academic standards, and Christian discipline.
- The Museum & Gallery at Bob Jones University houses one of America’s finest and most important collections of religious artwork. The collection’s paintings, furniture, sculpture, and other artifacts tell the religious, artistic and cultural history of Western Europe and features such prominent artists as Rubens, van Dyck, Reni, Tintoretto, Le Brun, Cranach, Ribera and Murillo.
- North Greenville University, located in northern Greenville County, is a small liberal arts college affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
- Greenville’s Furman University, one of the country’s top liberal arts colleges, claims some of the nation’s most distinguished religion professors.
Start Planning
We’re here for you! Submit an RFP with the specific requirements for your next religious meeting or convention and let the Greater Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau assist you in planning a successful event.
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