Megachurch Relentless to rebrand to Lovestory Church. Here's why.

Relentless Church enters a new era on Easter Sunday as it welcomes its new name: LoveStory Church.

Lead pastor the Rev. John Gray and his wife, the Rev. Aventer Gray, who serves as co-pastor, are ushering in a fresh beginning after six tumultuous years wrapped in controversy, health issues, and litigation.

"We really had to live relentlessly," Aventer Gray said.

The pastors say they look forward to the rebranding and its meaning for the congregation.

John Gray is not a traditional pastor, but neither is his non-denominational megachurch, home to a congregation of at least 10,000. Sometimes he sports a hoodie while preaching at the pulpit. Other times he sings in the middle of his preaching, as can be seen on his Instagram, which attracted 1 million followers. He said his nontraditional approach is intentional, as he wants to create a welcoming environment that allows people to “have a conversation with your creator without the stench of religious dogma.”

“We want to be a place where people feel loved when they come in and not judgment,” his wife added. “A lot of people do not choose church, especially this generation, because they feel like they’re going to be judged before they walk in.”

The bulk of their mission at Relentless Church relies on love and returning to teachings in the Bible.

“Church should be about helping poor people, elderly people, widows, and orphans,” John Gray said, adding that last year, the church gave away more than $1.7 million worth of groceries.

Why change the name and launch a second rebranding?

Why the changes? Because God said so, the Grays said.

In 2018, the Grays moved to Greenville from Houston, Texas, where John served as associate pastor at Lakewood Church under celebrity Pastor John Osteen. Pastors Ron and Hope Carpenter, who founded the former Redemption Church in 1991, announced in 2017 that they would leave to lead a church in San Jose, recruiting the Grays to take over the Greenville church on Haywood Road, which they renamed Relentless Church.

When the couple first arrived from Texas, they renamed the building, but nothing else changed. The congregation did not have a chance to adapt to the change or mourn the departure of their lead pastor, the Grays said. In 2021, Redemption Church leaders - the Carpenters - returned to Greenville from California operating at the Greenville Convention Center. The congregation had a choice − stay at Relentless or return to their former church Redemption. Many stayed.

More: Relentless Church and Redemption Church reach settlement in Greenville property fight

In the summer of 2022, John suffered a pulmonary embolism landing him in the hospital. He recovered and returned to the pulpit a month later. Before that, he faced multiple controversies when he bought his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini for their eighth anniversary. He also appeared on the talk show "The Real" to address affair allegations.

“For us, it’s after six laborious, often painful, litigious years, now we’re stepping out as of Resurrection Sunday into a time of rest, into a time of rejuvenation and reinvigoration,” John said.

In those years, Relentless Church faced lawsuits, and eviction threats from Redemption Church at the end of 2019. As previously reported by the Greenville News, legal letters from Redemption Church demanded Relentless Church vacate the property located on Haywood Road.

“It was a deeply painful time,” John said. “It had a deep impact on my family, and on my health, and on her health and our marriage.”

Aventer calls the litigation “unnecessary” and thinks they were part of a larger agenda.

“If God told you to leave, then the only way you come back and it doesn’t make you look crazy is to make the people you brought look crazy,” she said.

More: Q+A with Ron and Hope Carpenter: The future of Redemption Church, Greenville and John Gray

In October 2020, the dispute between the two properties ended in a settlement. Relentless Church did not ever vacate the premises.

Carpenter said Friday he returned to Greenville after multiple members of the former Redemption Church asked him to, saying he felt he had a "responsibility" to do so. He still leads the other church in San Jose, flying back and forth from California to South Carolina throughout the month.

About the litigations, he denies that it was ever part of a larger agenda, but rather something necessary to do. Carpenter said what was meant to be a succession plan from Carpenter to the Grays did not pan out that way. Still, he wishes the Grays the best, noting that he considers Gray a brother.

Looking forward, the Grays welcome the new chapter they hope LoveStory brings. Even with the challenges the Grays experienced in the past six years, both said the challenges were necessary for their growth and development in their faith.

“Relentless was a chapter, but love is the story,” John said.

Savannah Moss covers Greenville County politics and growth/development. Reach her at smoss@gannett.com or follow her on X @Savmoss.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Relentless Church to be renamed on Easter Sunday, here's why.