History

The present Old Union congregation is believed to be the first church of Christ in Sumner County, Tennessee and was organized at Professor Peter Hubbard's School House (called Sylvan's Acadamy) near Cairo. The church was organized with only nine members on March 30, 1834. The congregation quickly grew. Soon John Gillespie, W.H. Bush and Peter Hubbard were appointed elders. John Bush and G.B. Harris were appointed as deacons.

They later started meeting at the Daniel Mentlo farm (which is now known as Oakland). Church records show there was an accurate account kept of the transactions of the church. What was accomplished, and by whom, and the amount contributed. Frequently this amount was less than a dollar, but the cents and half-cents were recorded, sometimes 37 1/2 cents and sometimes 62 1/2 cents, of course the amount was much more than this on many occasions.

September 3, 1843, at the suggestion of Albert Branham, 12 Bible classes were formed. The church records state that one and one half hours were spent in reciting these lessons, in addition to the time that was occupied in preaching and other church services. Daily Bible study, from house to house by all those early disciples is the secret of the growth of the church today.

There were no records of any intention to build a house of worship until October 8, 1843 and then a mere mention was all. The next reference to a meeting house was the construction of a church building on Desha's Creek about 2 miles northwest of our present location. This building was constructed and served the congregation from July 18, 1847 to 1856. In 1856 land where the present structure now stands was aquired. The meeting house that stood on Desha's Creek was sawed into sections and moved to our present place of worship which continued to serve the needs of the church until 1894. The congregation literally wore this building out. For nearly fifty years it furnished a place of worship, praise, prayer and other service to God. Weather-beaten, uncomfortable and worn out it gave place to a very neat and comfortable new building. This new house (where we now worship) was a frame structure consisting of a large auditorium, a small room opening into the main room, and still a smaller room under the tower.

On the fourth Sunday in April 1894, the first services were held in our new building. Six or seven hundred people were present for the first service. "The people were informed at the beginning of the service that the building was already paid for, so there would be no begging for money." New Sunday school rooms and baptistry were added in 1952. Until this time Bledsoe Creek was used for baptisms.

The tower was removed and the building was rock veneered in 1959. In 1974 the auditorium was completely renovated. The modern Fellowship Hall was constructed in 1988, in addition to the purchasing of the Harsh corner lot, thus enlarging the yard and parking area. The renovation in 1997 doubled the size of the auditorium, also adding classrooms in the basement area and two bonus rooms upstairs above the vestibule, in addition to better restroom facilities. The new design gives easy access to our members and guests.

There have been many great gospel preachers that have contributed much to the success of this congregation, this is only a partial listing: David Lipscomb, E.A. Elam, G.C. Brewer, H. Leo Boles, Granville Lipscomb, E.G. Sewell, C.M. Pullias, James A. Allen, J. Harding Shoulders, Clifford Dobbs, Floyd Jackson, Howard Tucker, Buddy Chadfield, Curt Greer, Roy Carroll, Harold Nelson Roney, Terry Graham, James Harwell, Ralph Kidd, Mike McDonald, John Hayes, Dale Flowers, Burford Holt, Robert Crabtree, Myron Key, James Harris, J.B. Gaither, Jim Bill McInteer and Jerry Burchett