A Brief History of the Congregation

     The church of Christ which meets at 3805 Granny White Pike in Nashville, Tennessee, had as its first meeting place an "upper room." For over forty years the congregation met upstairs in Harding Hall on the Lipscomb campus. Services were held there from 1903 until 1947, when the congregation moved to the new college auditorium (now known as Willard Collins Alumni Auditorium). After worshiping on the campus fifty-one years, the church began to meet in the present building on October 10, 1954.

Photo made Nov. 14, 1954

Photo Made 100th Anniversary 2003

     In The Gospel Advocate, December 7, 1939, brethren R. S. King and Harry R. Fox wrote, "In days gone by such men as David Lipscomb, E. G. Sewell, J. C. McQuiddy, E. A Elam, J. E. Scobey, T. B. Larimore, C. M. Pullias, H. Leo Boles, and others did the preaching for the church. In its eldership such men as D. B. McCanless, J. S. Hammond, H. Leo Boles, S. I. Jones, E. E. Sewell, E. H.Ijams, R. C. Bell, Batsell Baxter, and R. S. King have had the oversight of the work and worship of the congregation. E. H. Ijams and Robert S. King are now serving in this capacity." In the years following, H. S. Lipscomb, E. P. Landon, S. C. Boyce, Howard Youree, Robert C. Adams, Max M. Hamrick, Paul P. Hembree, Wendell V. Clipp, John C. Hutcheson, Jr., James W. Daniel, L. G. Bradford, R. G. Cullum, Clyde M. Miller, William L. Fowlkes, and Henry Hunter have served as elders.

     Current elders are Michael A. Cochrane, Ronnie W. Farris, Dennis Loyd, George O’Connor, John Parker, Hoyte M. Snow, and James E. Ward.

    Serving the congregation as deacons are Kerry Anderson, Andy Bedingfield, Dan Bickel, Charlie Butler, Drew Charlton, Joe Chester, Bob Dilgard, Phil Ellenburg, Scott Ellis, Ronald Eubanks, Ray Fox, Chuck Hamar, David Hamrick, Buford Hoskins, Donald Hudson, Jim Jackson, William King, Kenny Murphy, William Price IV, Arthur Tek, Barry Thompson and Mike Yinger.

     From 1903 to 1998 there have been eleven regular pulpit preachers serving the congregation The first was Charles R. Brewer, followed by Harry R. Fox, M. Norvel Young, Delmar Bunn, C. L. Overturf, Eldred Stevens, Charles Chumley, William Woodson, Dennis Loyd, Gary W. Dodd and since 1997, Dale Jenkins.

     Since the beginning this has been a mission-minded church, interested in the souls of men, women and children throughout the world. Hundreds of mission points have been encouraged and helped financially; indeed, rarely has a worthy appeal been turned down. Churches have been established in various parts of the world, and many are now self-supporting and actively involved in their own work. In addition to its local progress, this congregation continues a long-standing practice of giving more than fifty per cent of all contributions to the preaching of the gospel in other places and to relieving the distressed at home and abroad.

     Through its quiet, steadfast devotion to the Lord and to His Word, the church has come to be recognized far and wide as "A city set on a hill" and as "a lamp...on the stand." Many people from diverse social, educational, ethnic, and financial backgrounds have sought to be "perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment," endeavoring to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." As they have through the years now past and gone, they continue in faithful obedience to honor Him who is the Head of the church, our Savior and Lord - Jesus the Christ.