We’re So Glad You Are Here!
Seneca Presbyterian Church (USA) is full of warm and welcoming people. You’ll experience that on your first visit. We offer ways to connect thru worship, community, and by serving others.
We connect with God through worship because that is what He wants us to do.
We connect with God through serving others by devoting our time, resources, and our gifts in helping those in our community.
Membership at SPC
Open to All
Membership is open to all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and those willing to serve this church with your prayers, presence, gifts, and service.
We offer a Discover SPC class a few times a year. This is where you will learn what it means to become part of the family of SPC.
We’d like to talk to you more! Please fill out the inquiry form and we will be glad to help guide you through the membership process.
The SPC Story
Seneca Presbyterian Church (USA) has been involved in the life of Seneca and Oconee County since its 1875 start. Members have served on the city council, the county commission, and even as mayor. We have been teachers and principals, plant managers, insurance salespersons, factory workers, and farmers. When the lakes came that made our county such a beautiful site for retirees, we were blessed with a large number of those transplants from all over the country: Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maine, etc.
Our Core Beliefs
We are a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). That means we are connected with over two million fellow Presbyterians worshiping in 10,000 congregations across the United States.
Presbyterians have been around for almost 500 years. We trace our theological heritage to John Calvin and share that heritage with other denominations in what we call the Reformed family of faith. Presbyterians are known for our colleges and our educated clergy. We believe we have a thoughtful faith – one that engages both mind and heart. We believe we should use that mind in interpreting the Bible and in understanding who God is and what God is doing in the world. We also believe that we don’t have to agree on everything about what it means to be a Christian. We do believe in an important core of faith, but we also know that faithful Christians can disagree even on important concerns. Beyond that important core, we don’t believe anyone can tell you what you have to believe in order to be a Christian. Listening to the Bible, to others, and to the Holy Spirit, we believe God will guide you as you grow in faith.
And what is that core? Jesus Christ is Lord. The love and grace of God is available to all.
Our Ministry Leaders
Dr. John Hartman
Pastor
The Rev. Dr. John B. Hartman II, is an ordained minister for the Presbyterian Church USA and a member of Foothills Presbytery. He has a passion for the ministry of the Church and for equipping the Body of Christ for this ministry. Foundational to his practice of ministry is faithfulness to the Biblical mandate of hospitality. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” –Hebrews 13:2.
Dr. Hartman served churches in Virginia and North Carolina before being called to serve as the pastor of the Seneca Presbyterian Church in September of 2019. He has also served as a healthcare chaplain and clinical pastoral educator for hospitals in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and Union Presbyterian Seminary.
Richard Caldwell
Parish Associate
Richard served as the Interim Pastor of Seneca Presbyterian Church from 2007-2010. Ironically, what Presbyterians call the hand of God, our former pastor Nancy Morris served with Richard while he was pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Macon, Georgia. When Seneca Presbyterian called Nancy as pastor, Richard was invited and graciously consented to serve as our Parish Associate. It is a volunteer position for him.
Richard serves in the ministry of visitation and often as the “guest” preacher. Richard holds degrees from Wheaton College and Columbia Theological Seminary. He served as pastor, associate pastor, and interim pastor in congregations located in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina for over forty years prior to retirement. He is married to Susan and their blended family includes 5 children and 12 grandchildren.
Ernie Lombard
Parish Nurse
Ernie became our Parish Nurse in August 2014. He received his Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from Clemson University and is a native resident of Oconee County. Ernie’s nursing background includes work at Oconee Memorial Hospital in the Emergency Department and as a Case Manager.
After employment at Seneca Presbyterian, he completed the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing curriculum at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Rosalie Hovencamp
Director of Music
She has an Associates of Art degree with a concentration in music from Daytona Beach Community College (now Daytona State College) and a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sociology and Public Administration through Georgia Southern University. Rosalie married her husband, Bill, in 2002 and they have three children: Ethan, Makayla and Ashley.
Robin Smith
Church Secretary
Robin came to Seneca Presbyterian in April 2015. She staffs the office and serves as a help to our church members and church volunteers. Her duties include preparing the weekly bulletin and the monthly newsletter.
She also knows “what’s happening” and can answer just about every question. Our office hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:30-5:00, and Friday, 8:30-12:30.
Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
