Welcome Home
Pastors & Staff
Griffin Gilstrap
Lead Minister
Aliesa Gilstrap
Connections Minister
Seth Walker
Worship Leader
Tori Van Meter
Children's Minister
Thomas Kiger
Student Minister
Sarah Splawn
Administration Coordinator
What We Believe
We believe in one God, existing in three persons; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe God is the creator and sustainer of all things seen and unseen. (Genesis 1; Romans 1:20; Hebrews 1:3)
We believe God loves all humanity. (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:16)
We believe Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died for the sins of all humanity. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 2:9)
We believe Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. (Luke 24:1-8; Acts 2:29-32; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
We believe Jesus Christ will one day return. (John 14:3; Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-17)
We believe the Holy Spirit indwells us, convicts us, guides us and intercedes for us. (Acts 2:38; Acts 2:37; John 16:13; Romans 8:26-27)
We believe the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God that is inerrant in its message. (2 Timothy 3:16)
We believe the Bible is to be applied to life today just as it was to the people whom it was written. (Hebrews 4:12)
We believe humanity, created by God, rebelled against and disobeyed God, and is hopelessly lost apart from Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:1-20; Titus 3:1-5)
We believe in order to become a Christian a person must believe in Christ (Romans 10:9-10), confess Christ as Lord (Matthew 16:16), repent of sin (Acts 2:38), and be baptized by immersion (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3-4).
We believe every person who has ever been born will give an account to God in the judgment for how they have lived. Those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior will be saved but those who have rejected Christ will be condemned. (Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 25:31-46)
We believe marriage is for heterosexual couples only. Marriage is for one biological male and one biological female. (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-5)
HISTORY OF POPLAR SPRINGS
Poplar Springs traces its beginnings to the 1890’s when the worship services were held under a brush arbor in a grove of Poplar trees. From those humble beginnings, a building was constructed and the church was formally organized with forty-three members in 1906.
Poplar Springs’ first full-time minister, Ralph Sproles, was hired in 1959. He and his family served for 45 years, retiring in 2003. Don Wallace served from 2004-2016. Chuck Bower served 2017-2021. And the current lead minister is Griffin Gilstrap.
Now over the century mark, Poplar Springs Church has developed into a very active body of believers united in Christian love. Committed staff and leadership, with a host of volunteers, enable the church to minister to the needs of her community.