Who Are We?
The first CHURCH OF CHRIST among the black brethren was in 1870 in Capleville, Tn. located at the corner of Shelby Drive and Malone Road. The congregation held a tent meeting for one month with Bro. Marshall Keeble as the guest speaker. In that meeting many souls were saved and having no place to worship, they began worshipping in the Macedonia School Building.
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In 1917 under the leadership of Elders Bro. Moses Allen, Bro. Kit Buchannan and other faithful brethren, they decided to hold a two month meeting in Memphis. The meeting was a great success and again having no place to worship, they went from house to house. In 1923, the CHURCH OF CHRIST on Union Avenue came to their rescue in helping them purchase land at Lauderdale and Iowa where there was a small building. We worshipped there until we outgrew the small structure. In 1952, under the leadership of the Elders; Bro. Louis Rutledge, Bro. A.L. Thompson and Bro. Ocran Martin, Sr., and other faithful brethren, they purchased land at 585 Vance Avenue. The minister at the time was Bro. A. J. Colston, the work was such a good one that it soon became necessary to have a larger edifice. The leadership decided to build on the lot next door and make classrooms in the old building. Bro. Nakomis Yeldell was the minister at that time.
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In 1972, the congregation of the CHURCH OF CHRIST under the leadership of the elders began worshipping at 900 Thomas Street in North Memphis, Bro. J. H. DeSarzant was the minister at this congregation. At the same time, a larger edifice was being constructed at 1210 Rutland Road and in 1974 the congregation moved from the Thomas Street location into the new building on Rutland Road.
Bro. DeSarzant our minister became ill and it was then that Bro. John DeBerry, Jr. became the new minister. The Church worshipped at the Rutland location until summer of 1986, when the leadership including Bro. Samuel Lee purchased another building at 2711 Ketchum Road. The congregation worshipped there until the fall of 1997. At that time, under the leadership and with the blessings of the congregation, we purchased a larger building to accommodate our continued growth. That building is at 4400 Knight Arnold Road and is where we currently worship.
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Today we are under the leadership of the elders; Bro. James Black, Bro. Russell Thomas, Bro. John Duckett and Bro. Paul McKinney, Sr. Our Deacons are; Bro. John Chatman, Bro. Carlton Dyer, Bro. Wynn E. Earle, Sr., Bro. Eddie W. Gray, Jr., Bro. Paul McKinney, Jr. and Bro. Paul J. McQueen, II.
As you can see, we have gone from house to house, to Lauderdale and Iowa, 585 Vance Avenue, 900 Thomas Street, 1210 Rutland Road, 2711 Ketchum Road and now to 4400 Knight Arnold Road. IN THIS WE GIVE THANKS UNTO GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW