Who We Are
At The Meeting Place Church, there is truly a place for everyone to grow, connect, serve, and experience Christ.
Our Mission
Our mission is to transform, equip, and empower the citizens of Columbia and abroad to be a loving, productive people.
From dynamic youth and young adult ministries to meaningful opportunities for our senior adults, engaging Small Groups, Bible study, prayer services, fellowship, and community-centered activities, we seek to minister to every generation at every stage of life.
At the center of it all are our powerful worship experiences where dynamic prayer, passionate praise, heartfelt worship, biblical preaching and the presence of God come together to transform lives. More than a place to attend, The Meeting Place is a community of believers committed to transforming, equipping, and empowering people to live out their faith, discover their God-given purpose, and make an impact in the world.
Our History
The Meeting Place Church (TMPC) was founded on February 6, 2000, in Columbia, South Carolina, by Bishop Eric J. Freeman, Ph.D., and his wife, First Lady Coleen Freeman. The church begin having services in the “little theater” located in the rear of Spring Valley High School, equipped only with a barstool and a Bible, marking the humble beginnings of what would grow into a major non-denominational congregation. From its inception, the church emphasized core pillars of Prayer, the Word, Worship, and Fellowship, with a mission to "transform, equip, and empower" individuals and the community, drawing from biblical principles. Early services focused on creating an accessible environment for worship and spiritual growth, attracting a growing number of attendees in the Greater Columbia area.
By 2003, the congregation had outgrown its high school venue, prompting the purchase of its first property on Flora Drive, however sold the property 13 months later and purchased 3101 Percival Road in June of 2004. This move supported continued expansion and community outreach initiatives for several years.
Expansion
In 2016, further growth led to the acquisition of a 23-acre campus at 201 Columbia Mall Boulevard, featuring over 215,000 square feet of facilities. The site, previously underutilized, was transformed through extensive renovations and adaptive reuse projects, including public-private partnerships that revitalized the area into spaces for worship, a banquet hall, conference center, and community programs like a food bank, medical facility, county law enforcement offices, and the state headquarters for the South Carolina branch of the NAACP.
TMPC Today
Under Dr. Freeman's leadership, the church continues to grow, expanding to become one of the largest in the region, serving tens of thousands of South Carolinians annually through worship services, Bible studies, prayer calls, and outreach programs. Key milestones include the ownership of Columbia’s Praise 95.7 FM and 1170 AM radio station, reaching over 700,000 households throughout the region. Live services are also streamed on platforms like YouTube and Facebook sharing the message of Jesus around the world. The Meeting Place Church has gained national recognition, with coverage in Time Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and AP News for its growth and revitalization efforts. It frequently hosts local, state, and national public officials and has been honored by the South Carolina Legislature. In 2025, on its 25th anniversary, Senate Resolution S. 295 was adopted on January 30, commending the church as a "beacon of light" in Greater Columbia. Programs in youth development, intercessory and personal prayer, media production, and global outreach have further solidified our role in community enrichment, social impact, and spiritual formation.
