Hopewell United Methodist Church carries 225 years of history into a new sanctuary

The historic congregation marks a new chapter with a 5,774-square-foot sanctuary created to accommodate its growing congregation and continued ministry.

More than two centuries after its earliest roots were established in the Simpsonville community, Hopewell United Methodist Church is beginning a new chapter in its long history with the opening of a new 5,774-square-foot sanctuary at its Neely Ferry Road campus.
The congregation gathered for its first Sunday of worship in the new sanctuary on August 2, marking the completion of an expansion that reflects both Hopewell’s longstanding presence in the community and its vision for the future.

P+F Construction served as the Design-Build partner for the project, working alongside Hopewell United Methodist Church and Equip Studio to bring the congregation’s vision for the new space to life.

“This new sanctuary is about much more than a building,” said Rev. Don Brown, pastor of Hopewell United Methodist Church. “It is a place where people will gather to worship, grow in faith, find belonging and serve our community. We are deeply grateful for those who faithfully built the foundation on which we stand today. With gratitude for where we have been and hope for where God is leading us, we look forward to all that will happen in this place—and to the lives that will be changed through the ministry of Hopewell for generations to come.”

Hopewell’s roots in the Simpsonville area stretch back more than 225 years, to a time when the Upstate looked very different than it does today. Through generations of growth and change across the Golden Strip, the congregation has remained committed to worship, discipleship and service to its surrounding community. That history took on special significance in November 2025, when Hopewell celebrated its 225th anniversary and broke ground on the new sanctuary during the same season — honoring more than two centuries of ministry while looking ahead to what comes next.

“Being part of a project with this kind of history carries a special responsibility,” said Steve Foushee, Co-Founder and Vice President of Project Management for P+F Construction. “Hopewell has been part of this community for generations, so our job wasn’t simply to construct a new sanctuary. It was to listen carefully, understand what this congregation needed and help create a space that honors where they’ve been while supporting where their ministry is headed.”

As Design-Build partner, P+F worked with the church and Equip Studio throughout the planning, design and construction process, providing a collaborative approach that aligned the congregation’s vision, project scope and construction needs from the earliest stages through completion.

For P+F Co-Founder and Vice President of Field Operations, Will Prescott, the project also reflects the company’s commitment to building spaces that serve a purpose well beyond construction.

“Church projects are incredibly meaningful because you know the impact of the space will extend far beyond the day construction is complete,” Prescott said. “Families will worship here, children will grow up here and people will gather here during some of the most important moments of their lives. We’re grateful Hopewell trusted our team to be part of a project that will serve this congregation and community for years to come.”

With its first worship service in the new sanctuary now complete, the addition becomes the latest physical chapter in a story that has continued for more than two centuries — connecting Hopewell’s history with a space designed to serve the generations still to come in the Simpsonville community and beyond.