Page 2 - OnThePath.June2016

2 – Saturday, July 30, 2016 – El Dorado NEWS-TIMES
First Christian more than architectual landmark
More church
history to
come in next
‘WOn The Path’
elcome to the July edition of “On The Path.”
My staff and I have been gathering church histories for the past three months, and we got such a great response to our topic that we decided we would try and continue the theme in the October edition.
We also got more stories than we could fit into this issue, so we were forced to hold a few church histories until next time.
The good news that goes with that is this — If you want- ed your church included but didn’t get a chance to respond, you can send us your church histories before Sept. 30 and we’ll include them in the next “On The Path.”
The diversity and longevity of churches in Union County is amazing, and every church deserves to be honored. We chose churches established prior to 1930 as a way to curtail the number of entries — but we still got more than we bar- gained for!
Enjoy this issue, learn about your neighbors’ houses of wor- ship, and if your church isn’t in this edition, then email me at rcurtman@eldoradonews.com and we’ll see if we can get that story for next time.
Randal Curtman Managing Editor
By Shannon Curtman
In April of 1922, Mrs. W.W. Erlewine placed an ad in the El Dorado News. She was seeking others who might be interested in organiz- ing a local Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation.
It didn’t take long for Mrs. Erlewine to receive an answer to her ad — and her prayers.
From this unique beginning, the First Christian Church of El Dorado began its journey toward becoming an established congre- gation.
By May of 1922, the Rev. Charles C. Karrake led a series of tent revivals, and chartered the church with an initial membership roll of 51 people. The church began holding meetings in a tent, but soon progressed to being a tabernacle, and by 1948, a temple.
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant denomination with origins in the evangelical efforts of the Second Great Awakening, a series of revivals that swept America during the early 19th Century. Arising from the historical Restoration Movement, also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement or the American Restoration Movement, the Disciples of Christ now have over 3,000 congregations.
In El Dorado, the First Christian Church building is a well-known local architectural fixture, but it wasn’t built overnight. Instead, it was pieced together gradually over the course of many years.
The land for the church’s present location at 420 N. Madison Street was purchased in 1928. Building plans were drawn up by architect Dr. A.J. Bradshaw, who had also served as the church’s minister from 1926 to 1927. Construction on the church building commenced in 1929, but was halted by the severe economic down- turn of the Great Depression. The congregation, unable to finish the building at that time, held meetings in the partially completed basement.
The basement functioned as both the church’s sanctuary and educational building for many years.
The onset of World War II ushered in yet another shortage of funding and labor for the still-incomplete building, but after 15 years of holding services in the basement, construction plans were renewed in April of 1946. A dedication day was held on Sunday, November 28, 1948.
Construction began on the church’s education building in 1952, with the help of a bank loan and the renewed efforts of the congre- gation. A decade later, in 1962, the loan was paid in full.
Important occasions in the history of the First Christian Church include several notable anniversary celebrations. The church held its 60th anniversary in 1982, an occasion marked by a special morn- ing service officiated by the Rev. Quentin Jones.
The church’s 70th anniversary coincided with Mother’s Day of 1992. The proceedings included a morning address by the Rev. Miles Cook, followed by church members, former members and guests gathering for a celebratory fellowship luncheon.
The church’s Year of Jubilee was declared in 1997, and a special program was held on May 11 of that year to celebrate 75 years of
Shadia Cranford/News-Times First Christian: The congregation of the First Christian Church
the First Christian Church and its ministries in Union County. The special guest speaker was the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Teagarden, retired General Minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.)
Music has long played a significant role in the worship at First Christian Church. Ray Scroggs has provided faithful service as the church’s minister of music for 45 years, and sings with the Sanctuary Choir.
The First Christian Church of El Dorado is a member of the Great River Region. According to the Great River Region website, (grrcc. comcastbiz.net), “The Great River Region is a ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) which seeks to build up the Body of Christ and strengthen the ministries of Disciples of Christ congregations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.”
The current ministers of the First Christian Church are the Revs. Tom Whitworth and Bob Parks. Together, they invite the commu- nity to join them for worship services.
In describing the overall beliefs of the church, Parks said, “First Christian Church is a Bible-based church. We believe that the Bible is divinely inspired, and provides instructions for our lives today. We believe that Jesus is the only begotten son of God. He came to earth, lived as a man, was crucified, rose from the dead and now sits on the right hand of the throne of God. Where the Bible speaks, we speak.
Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.”
For a congregation that began with a simple newspaper ad, the First Christian Church of El Dorado has thrived in ways that Mrs. Erlewine may not have initially envisioned. But today, with its dis- tinctive building and long local history, the First Christian Church has become an important part of the community.
To learn more about the history and beliefs of the Disciples of Christ, visit the denomination’s website at www.disciples.org.
of El Dorado started in 1922.
You don’t need to be perfect to be loved by a Perfect God.
Sunday School--------------------- 10:00 a.m. Sunday AM Worship -------------- 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer----------------- 5:00 p.m.
LUNCH SERVED 11:15 A.M. EVERYDAY
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