|
|
History of the
Church of Christ of Hinesville
The first church services of the Church of Christ of Hinesville
was in October of 1958. The members met at the National Guard Armory
until the present property was purchased in February of 1960 for
$4,000.00. There were two houses on the property at the time it was
bought. One was torn down and the other was renovated to provide an
auditorium and four classrooms. The Church met in the building until
the present building was completed.
Winfield Skinner came to Hinesville as the first full-time
preacher for the Church in September 1960. He stayed until
May 1962. During his work with the Church, he oversees and
helped with the construction of a house for the preacher on
the property. Jack R. May was the preacher from June 1962 to
January 1964. The Church had a 15-minute daily radio program
during this time. The Poplar Street Church of Christ in
Florence, Alabama supported both of these preachers.
John McKinney began his work with this Church in January,
1965. Most of his support came from the Crieve Hall Church
of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee. Brother McKinney moved to
Hinesville from Monticello Church of Christ in Long County,
Georgia where the Fletcher's, McGowan's, Shaw's, Stewart's,
and Yarbrough's worshiped before coming to Hinesville in
1965.
In September 1966, a 15-year/$75,000.00 bond program was
sold to finance the present building and finish paying for
the property used for parking. Some of the men that were
here at that time and helped in that effort were: Thomas
Joiner, John McKinney, Perry G. Sheets, Wayne C. Stewart,
James W. Tindle, and James T. Waller. The Dedication Service
for the present building was held on May 21, 1967. The
dedication speaker was Paul Tucker, the minister for the
Crieve Hall Church of Christ, Nashville, Tennessee. John
McKinney stayed until December 1968. The Crieve Hall Church
of Christ continued their support through most of the bond
years.
The Church continued to grow throughout the following years.
Elders were first appointed in 1975. They were: Wayne C.
Stewart and Al Thompson. Other men who have served as elders
for a time are: Thomas Joiner, Bob Miller, David Myers, and
Dan Ellett. The present Elders are Jimmy Fletcher, Wayne
Stewart, and Willis Stewart. Some of the ministers were:
Jerry Gross, Don Parker, Robert Petree, Charles Owens,
Ronnie Ulrey, Mike Back, John O'Neal, Miles Peeples, Gary
Pollard, Bob Clardy, David Nance, and John Massey. Randy
Vaughn is the present minister.
Although some have been here from the beginning, the members
have changed a lot through the years. The Church has had
many military families come and go. Their work has been a
vital part in the accomplishments of this church.
The progress of the congregation can be seen by the growth
over the past several years. Although numbers don't tell the
whole story, they do show the stability of the membership. The average attendance figures
for the years 1990 through 2005 are as follows:
|
1990 - 101
|
1994 - 136
|
1998 - 117
|
2002 - 129 |
|
1991 - 133
|
1995 - 138
|
1999 - 115
|
2003 - 127 |
|
1992 - 152
|
1996 - 138
|
2000 - 118
|
2004 - 133 |
|
1993 - 146 |
1997 - 127 |
2001 - 126 |
2005 - 128 |
|