The Church of Christ
at New Union
About US
The New Union congregation had its beginning sometime in the years 1913 and 1914. The first meeting place was a one-room log school building on the G.W. Beckman farm. About 1916, a one-room frame school building on the same property replaced the log building. Those buildings were located across from the W.S. Colwell farm. The Church met there for worship until 1942 when the meeting place was relocated to a parcel of land given by Mrs. Estelle Rigney Thomas, widow of Mr. Ashley Rigney. The first services were held i the new building on August 10, 1942, in its present location.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Hastings was instrumental in the Church being established in this community. Other families soon joined them, including Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Beckman, Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Colwell, Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Hickerson and Mr. and Mrs. T.C. Rigney.
W.S. Long conducted several gospel meetings from 1914-1917. Other early preachers were W.P. Willis and Thomas Wagner. Later, several students from David Lipscomb College spoke on Sundays by appointment. The first full-time preacher was Houston Gately in 1952. Other evangelists who have served the congregation were Herman Sweeny, Gail Napier, Bill Ruhl, Goebel Music, Edd Smithson, Paul Cagle, Leroy Dedmon, Charles White, L.T. McCord, E.J. Fletcher, and Charles Williams, the current minister.
The Congregation has enjoyed steady growth throughout the years as souls have been converted to Christ and other Christians have moved into the community.