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EP#347: A Pastor’s Journey from Police Beat to Pulpit in Asheville’s Only Global Methodist Church

• Skip Mauney & Jeremiah Chapman • Episode 347

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A brand-new church with ancient roots is taking shape in Asheville, and we sat down with Pastor Jeremiah Chapman to share how it happened and why it matters. Born from a lay-led movement in late 2023, Providence Global Methodist Church brings a clear, Scripture-first ethos into a warm, come-as-you-are community just off UNCA’s campus. Jeremiah’s story—ten years on the police force, a life-changing encounter with Jesus, and a call to plant and pastor—frames a conversation about calling, courage, and what a grounded church can offer a restless city.

We explore why a literal, inerrant view of the Bible provides clarity in a confusing world and how that conviction pairs with a worship style that’s casual in dress but reverent in tone. Think creeds, confessions, and hymns sung together—ancient practices that many Gen Z worshipers find surprisingly fresh and formative. Jeremiah reflects on misconceptions about church as a pile of rules, reframing faith as an invitation to freedom and transformation. He shares stories from youth ministry and outreach, the joy of seeing families reconnect through shared rhythms, and the simple power of a small, loving congregation that knows your name and means it.

If you’re searching for a church in Asheville with substantive teaching, liturgical depth, and genuine community, Providence GMC may be worth a visit. Find them at 346 Broadway Street, connect at ProvidenceGMC.org, or reach Pastor Jeremiah directly at pastor@providencegmc.org. If this conversation resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more Good Neighbor stories, and leave a review to help others discover local voices shaping Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Money.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, hello everybody, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast, Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. So I am very excited to have a very special guest in the studio with us, I believe for the first time. And I'm sure you'll be just as excited as I am because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Reverend Jeremiah Chapman with the Providence Global Methodist Church. Pastor Jeremiah, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks so much. I'm glad to be here.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, we're glad you're here. And like I said, very excited to learn all about you and your ministry. So if you don't mind, uh why don't you uh kick us off by telling us about your church?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, absolutely. So Providence uh is a fairly new church in the Asheville area. Um it was actually started by lay leadership that came together in November of 2023 and wanted to be able to start a new church that was a part of the Global Methodist Church, which is uh kind of a new expression of Methodism, a new movement uh that's taking place. And and um and there was no other global Methodist churches uh in our area, and so um so we're the only one in our district, the only one in Asheville, and uh and so they uh started that. And uh as of uh uh July 1st of this year, uh I was the first full-time pastor. They had a retired pastor Ed came out to help them to help get the church started. And uh my background is in starting new churches and church plants is what we call those, and um, and so when we found out about that and took some time to pray about it, and we love Asheville. Uh my brother lives in the area, I grew up going to Asheville, um, and uh we just knew that it would be a good fit, and we're absolutely loving every second of being in Asheville.

SPEAKER_02:

So very good. Well, now what uh global Methodists, I'm not but familiar with that, what is different about global Methodists?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, Global Methodists. So um there's some ways that we interpret scripture. Um we take more of a literal approach, we uh for the most part believe um in what's called inerrancy of scripture, and um as with uh some other previous um uh expressions were more looked at a lot of things more allegorical, um, and and those sorts of things. And so uh we're definitely I would say more conservative theologically in that area.

SPEAKER_02:

So very good, very good to know. Did not know that. So uh tell let's tell our listeners about your journey. Uh how did you land uh as a how did you become a pastor and and land in absolutely so I didn't start out uh in this world at all.

SPEAKER_01:

So I was a um I was a police officer. I'm originally from North Georgia, and I was a police officer just shy of 10 years, but about halfway through my journey as a police officer, halfway through my career there, uh had a radical um uh encounter with Jesus Christ, where he was calling me and and and um and I just had a radical encounter where I turned from my sins, put my faith and trust in him, and uh he changed my life, changed my marriage, changed uh my family, changed all kinds of uh things about me. And almost immediately I started playing Christian music, had been a musician, and uh that led to me eventually becoming a youth pastor. Um and so um, whenever my church approached me about becoming a youth pastor, I said, as long as uh you don't pay me and as long as I can keep my job as a police officer, by that time I was uh becoming a supervisor and and those sorts of things, just loved my job uh serving the local folks in that way. Um but after several years, God just did an amazing work. We saw tons and tons of kids come to Christ, uh, a lot of missions work being done. We used to do a lot of homeless uh work in Atlanta, and um and and things just went really, really well, and it just became very, very apparent that God was calling me to be into ministry full-time. And so um I knew that to be a fact in 2010, but it took to about 2012 um before I left my job, and I went to Bible college in Florida, and then um moved back to Georgia after that, after graduating, and then served a uh a church there as a youth pastor, and then that church affirmed my calling and sent me to seminary in North Carolina, and I've been in North Carolina ever since.

SPEAKER_02:

So very good to the home of Billy Graham, actually. Yeah, that's it. Yep, absolutely awesome. Well, uh interesting from a police officer to a pastor, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So I can't believe the um the similarities in the two. So uh, you know, there's a a little bit different, you know. We uh um don't fight as much, but you know protect and serve.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Can you think of any myths or misconceptions that you hear about either your church uh or specifically or the church in general?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, absolutely. So the church has gone through, you know, a lot of changes, some for the better and some for not the better, you know, uh over the past couple decades. Most of us that grew up here in the South, you know, were raised in church, and some of our conceptions were, you know, is there's just so many rules. There's so many, you know, uh things that we gotta follow, and you can't do this and you can't do that. And um, but when we read scripture and we we take a second look at scripture and kind of look at it outside of the lens of the way that we grew up, no matter what that was, man, you see an incredible um opportunity to have this relationship with Jesus and to know him intimately. And for things about your life that you know are not quite right, to go from struggling your whole life to all of a sudden having the power to be able to overcome those things and have the freedom in that. And so when when we're sharing Christ or we're sharing the opportunity to uh come to faith in Jesus Christ, uh to be able to become a Christian, you know, that's what that's what we're sharing. We're not sharing, you know, hey, we want to beat you up with some rules and not allow you to do this or not allow you to do that. Um, are those things, are there things that we change, yeah, but but it's because we have a whole new different perspective and we see where life giving happens and where um you know there's this eternal relationship with Jesus and that we can step into that. And of course, we want, you know, at that point, we want to give up those things, and uh we see how they're causing um you know the destruction in our lives and in our communities. And so um, so I really would if there was one thing I could ask people to do, is I would see uh coming to Christ, coming to Jesus as a life-giving opportunity, something that you can't experience anywhere else. And so, so yeah, I would say the misconception that I see and that I've experienced most of the folks that I've been around growing up here in in the south, that that's what I would address.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good, very good. So um being a pastor is a full-time job, you're on call 24-7, kind of like when you're you know in the law enforcement as well. Um, but if you do have any downtime, if you ever get to go on a sabbatical or you know have some time off, what do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_01:

Man, it is the craziest thing. I and I don't know where I came up with this except for uh when my kids were little. Um, we had taken them on a Florida vacation about 2005. When I was growing up, I'd only been to Disney World one time when I was about 13, went to Universal when I was 16. And I was like, I think I'd like to take my kids to do that. And um, and it has turned into an obsession. And so that is my absolute favorite thing. I keep up with the theme parks, um, especially Disney, especially Universal, um, but a lot of the other ones too. Um, and so my downtime, I keep up with all the news and happenings, construction updates and uh YouTube videos, watch all the YouTubers and and um and even been a guest host on a podcast uh two times um for the unofficial Universal Orlando podcast, um, just because I love that and I just you know I get into that, and that's that's my my favorite pastime is to keep up with those worlds.

SPEAKER_02:

Does uh your kids love it as much as you do?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so it's the one thing, and and that's what I've explained, of course, you know, as being a Christian and uh and everything, we believe in a strong sense of family, and it's it's been really, really neat. Like I said, you know, when I took my kids in 2005, they were around six and four, seven and five, and you know, we didn't even have our youngest daughter at the time. And um, and it's been a very big constant in our family through all those phases of life, you know, all the phases that you see kids and teenagers come through, you know, uh all the different crazy haircuts, the music styles, the um, you know, the sassy teenagers that don't want to have much to do with mom and dad. And now, you know, our oldest daughter is uh 27, she uh lives in Tokyo, and so when we go to visit over there, we would go to Tokyo Disneyland uh there with her. And it's like it's like this automatic, you know, our family just comes together around this, you know, around around Jesus and around theme parks. That's it, and it's been a it's been a really good hobby, and um and sometimes they'll say, you know, dad's talking too much about it, or they'll make jokes about it, or something like that. But they you know, they're they're right there, you know. And uh so we have a retired pastor in our church. I have a couple different retired pastors, but he and his wife have season passes to Disney World, and they just spent three weeks down there, three weeks, and um wow, and so um I sent a picture to my wife of them standing in front of the castle that they sent me, and I said, This is relationship goals. I want to be old with you in front of the castle.

SPEAKER_02:

So not very old, I can say that.

SPEAKER_01:

So I hear you.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, well, if um interesting. Pastor Jeremiah, if uh if you could think of one thing that you would like our listeners and viewers to remember about Providence Global Methodist Church, what would that be?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, we're we're a new church start, and so uh so we are smaller, but I'm gonna tell you, man. Um I've served in in several different churches as as of course as a youth pastor, associate pastor, family pastor, and uh, and this is my third church as a senior pastor. And this has got to be the most loving group of people that I could ever be around. Um, and there's plenty, listen, there are churches that are doing great work in Asheville, but I want to tell you um that if you are wanting the relationships and the community and stuff like that, that I would definitely come and and and spend some time with us. Do do a few visits and come with us. If we're not the church for you, then hey, there's no hard feelings. I would like to help you find the church that that that's going to be best for you and your family if we're not it. Um, but um, you know, one thing that we're seeing is um while we're um part of us is this new you know church start, you know, and we've we've we we're kind of doing some trendy things and and moving a little forward, but on the other hand, on the backside of that, we're also a very traditional church. And so um, and and a lot of people are like, does that going to work with this new generation? Well, what we're finding out is that there's tons and tons of this Gen Z revival that's that's taking place that people are wanting to go back to creeds and confessions a little bit more towards liturgical worship, to hymns and some of those things. Now, I still preach in blue jeans and we're a very, very, very casual come as you are church, um, but we have tried to you know recover some of those um practices that the that the church has practiced for over 2,000 years and reviewing uh some of those things that we believe, uh some of those songs that have kind of been lost and the meaning behind those. And um, and that's not to say that we're never going to do um you know contemporary music or choral music or something like that, but that's where we're at right now, and we love it, and it's working. And even the younger folks uh that are coming, we just had three new people uh join from three different families a couple Sundays ago. My brother, who happens to live in the Asheville area, and that was one of the reasons we were glad to come to Asheville, uh younger brother. You know, he's man, he's got these big gauges, he's covered in tattoos, and he loves it. He wouldn't, he would rather not be in church anywhere else. And he he loves the the creeds and he loves uh the hymns and and that sort of thing. And so uh so I'm kind of excited to see that, to see that people are exploring. And if you haven't, you know, um if you haven't explored that and you um are you know, hey, I don't know much about that. Sometimes that weirds me out. Again, I I would encourage you, hey, come and uh and help us ex or let us explain that to you and try it. Um I grew up in now, I grew up in a different denomination. I grew up in a denomination that didn't practice those things. Um, but it was uh back when I was a police officer that I had visited a new church plant that was a Lutheran church that had a liturgical service. Now it was a lot more traditional, a lot more liturgical and everything, but that was a side of worship. There was a reverence there that I hadn't experienced before. And to be able to, you know, and God's word says, you know, he abides in the praises of his people. And so to be able to have that opportunity where um, you know, and as a musician, you sometimes you struggle. Is this, you know, is it were people focusing on me or are they focusing on God or something like that? But man, when you when you break out hymns that we're all singing together, it's all about Jesus, man. It is all about Jesus. We're not focusing on, you know, who's playing what, who's dressed, what, what, you know, how they're um and I love listen, I love good rock music. I love, you know, uh, I love praise worship, you know, I listen to it all the time, but there's something about that reverence in in the worship service that's just been amazing. So so I would encourage you know all Christians, and hey, if you're happy in your church and you know that that's your church home, uh, but that interests you a little bit or whatever, what I would say is, you know, come see what that's about. I'm not trying to steal you from your church, I'm saying come explore that. That might be something, a way that you might want to worship or incorporate that into uh your worship at home and your quiet time at home as well, um, and everything. So I'll be quiet about that. But that's that is the one thing is this is a loving church. We, you know, we we love uh Jesus and and we do have kind of that traditional worship um experience that um there's almost a revival of sorts that's happening in that. And so uh it's something uh something else to experience.

SPEAKER_02:

Speaking of which, if if any of our listeners or viewers are interested and they're intrigued and would like to learn more, um, how can they do that?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so we're at 346 Broadway Street in Asheville, and uh we're right outside the campus of UNCA, University of North Carolina in Asheville. And uh we we actually uh rent space from a seven-day Adventist Church, use their um, of course, they worship on Saturdays, and so we're in the building on Sundays. Um, but you can also reach out to us. Our website is ProvidenceGMC, which stands for Global Methodist Church, ProvidenceGmc.org. And uh if you would like to reach out to me, you can just uh email me there at pastor at providencegmc.org as well.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, uh, Pastor Jeremiah, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to hang out with us and tell us all about uh your church and and your ministry and uh your story, and we wish you and your congregation, your family all the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, thank you so much. God bless you.

SPEAKER_02:

God bless you too, and uh, we'd love to have you back sometime.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02:

If you'll come back. All right, you have a blessed rest of the day.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

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