Leadership

Pastor Ben Whitmire was born and reared in a small farming community outside of Monroe, N.C. where he accepted Christ as his Savior at the age of 15. After answering the call to ministry, he graduated from Fruitland Baptist Bible College with an Associate's degree, Sparrow Springs Bible College and Seminary with a Bachelor’s degree, and Carolina University with a Master’s degree in Leadership. He is currently working on his PhD in Leadership at Anderson University. Pastor Ben served as a youth pastor and lead pastor of several churches in the Charlotte metropolitan area before spending 14 years in Western North Carolina. He served at Maplewood Baptist Church in Paris, TN before coming to Holly Springs. Ben married his wife, Jenifer, in 1999, and they have two children: Timothy, who passed away in 2018, and Gracie, who recently graduated from Anderson University and now teaches alongside her Mom at Spartanburg Christian Academy. He enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, running, playing golf, refereeing basketball, riding his motorcycle, and cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers and the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

Patman Lester began serving as our Minister of Music and Media in October of 2024.  God called Patman to church music ministry while he was studying to be a scholastic choral conductor.  He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory from Furman University and a Master’s degree in Music Education from the Florida State University.  Since answering the call to ministry, he has served churches in Florida, Georgia, and Virginia (and Georgia again) before answering God’s call to Holly Springs. Patman met his wife Susan during his first ministry position near Florida State and they were married in 1996. They have one son, Nathanael, who was born in 2007. The Lesters enjoy singing, vacationing in the mountains, and singing together on their way to the mountains.

Part-Time Youth Minister
Holly Springs Baptist Church
251 Hannon Rd. Inman, SC 29349
Position Summary
The Part-Time Youth Minister is responsible for leading, developing, and overseeing the youth ministry of Holly Springs Baptist Church. This individual will work to disciple and encourage middle and high school students in their spiritual growth while creating a welcoming, Christ-centered environment for fellowship, worship, service, and outreach.
The Youth Minister will support the overall mission and ministries of the church by building relationships with students and families and helping youth become active followers of Jesus Christ.
Application Process
Interested applicants should submit a resume, a brief statement of faith and ministry experience, and references upon request. Applications may be submitted by email to the church office:  hollyspringssearch@gmail.com

Kellie joined our staff part-time as Children’s Ministry Director in April of 2026. She is a life-long resident of the Holly Springs community and is an active member of our church. She also works part-time as a dental hygienist at Inman Dental Associates while fulfilling her role with children’s ministry at Holly Springs. Kellie actively serves in many areas within the church, and was recently led by the Lord to work in Children’s Ministry. She and her husband Greg have 3 children, Austin, Belle, and Hayden. Kellie enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and fishing. She is looking forward to working with your children and seeing them be blessed by the Lord. 

Lori began serving as our Financial Administrative Assistant in August of 2025 and is enjoying the warm welcome extended by many.  She has six grown children and nine grandchildren. Lori graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from USC-Upstate and has worked with retail and church finances for a number of years. If you have a question or would like to say hi, please drop by the office. She looks forward to meeting you!

Karen joined our team in February 2025 after serving nearly 20 years as the Executive Director of a Christian nonprofit and over 30 years in the business world. She brings with her a wealth of administrative experience along with a passion for reaching the hurting and lost with the good news of Jesus Christ.  Karen has two sons, one of whom is a pastor and the other a small business owner.  She looks forward to continuing to serve God’s kingdom in this new chapter of her life as she enjoys semi-retirement.