Encounter Church started out strong in its very first service on November 7, 2004, with a near capacity crowd. Senior Leaders and founders Pastor Joey and Denise Turner immediately set in motion plans to offer two Sunday services, which began 2 months later.

In 2009, we moved into our current sanctuary, which seats over 800. In 2014, our Barbara Bigelow Life Center was dedicated, offering ample space for church-wide meals, activities and recreation. The Life Center is named after beloved Church secretary and mother of the house Barbara Bigelow, who went to be with the Lord on December 5, 2010. Until 2014, we were known as Restoration Church International, at which time Pastor Joey was in a season of fasting and the Lord spoke strongly to him about changing the name to Encounter Church.

Encounter Church is a multi-racial congregation that is “Encountering God, Empowering People, and Evangelizing the World”. Encounter is not only impacting Gaffney and the surrounding communities in North and South Carolina with the Gospel, but also many nations around the world.