THE NORTH JEFFERSON CHURCH OF CHRIST
2311 North Jefferson
Mt. Pleasant, Texas 75455
Between 1890 and 1895 (possible about Spring of 1893), Mr. Jesse G. Riddle saw a need for the members of the Church of Christ in Mount Pleasant to have a place to meet on the first day of the week to worship.
He, with a preacher, T. W. Phillips, Sr., and other members met in different homes until March 29, 1895 when they purchased a lot in downtown Mount Pleasant on the corner of what was to later be known as Jefferson Street and East 5th Street. The lot was purchased for $200 from S. W. Webber and a promissory note bearing ten percent interest and payable in four installments of fifty dollars each on January 1st, 1896, 1897, 1898, and 1899 was signed by Butler Rolston, Calvin Cox, D. Scurlock and Jesse Riddle. A frame building was built in which the congregation met as the Church of Christ.
T. W. Phillips, Sr. served as the congregation's first minister and Brother Stroud is said to have conducted the first gospel meeting sometime in 1895. Some of the early members were: J. G. Riddle, Melvin Keith, a Sister Green, Billy Stephenson, the Butler Rolstons, a brother McGee, a Sister Nugent, a Sister Willie Perkins, and T. W. Phillips, Sr. (author and close friend and confidant of President William McKinley.)
The membership grew, and in 1929 they built a larger two-story brick veneer building.
Allegedly four different buildings have occupied the site. (We are aware of only three --- a frame building, the two-story brick building, and a modern brick building constructed in 1957). Another piece of property joining the lot was added. The church's address is currently known as 414 North Jefferson Street. The church bought several preachers' homes over the years, purchasing a better home and selling the former ones from time to time. The church and interested members helped start the Sheppard Street Church of Christ for the black congregation and in 1939 also helped start the congregation in the Greenhill Community, approximately 5-1/2 miles north of Mount Pleasant. The Greenhill congregation no longer exists as most members moved into town, moved away, or simply died off.
On January 23, 1956, the building at 414 North Jefferson was destroyed by a fire caused by a heating/air-conditioning system defect. Members met in the County Courthouse until a new facility could be constructed in the same location.
The new building had a 450 seat auditorium and several classrooms along the building's south side, a secretary's office, and a preacher's office. A cry room for babies and toddlers and restrooms were located adjacent to the foyer. In the late 1960's additional classrooms were added onto the back of the building.
The congregation continued to grow over the next 10 to 15 years. The parking area became too congested for the larger congregation. There was no room for church expansion, so deacons began looking for a new church location. Seventeen acres of land was purchased for $53,000.00. The new location fronted Interstate 30, one block east of North Jefferson Street. It is now North Ridge Church of Christ's location. Plans were set into motion to construct a new building. Jamie Duncan preached the last sermon at 414 North Jefferson on December 5, 1982. Scripture reading, special prayers and songs highlighted the service.
Ground-breaking ceremonies for the new building took place on September 20, 1981. The new 22,000 square foot building included twenty-two classrooms, an 850 seat auditorium, three offices, a library, a conference room, a large multi-purpose room with adjoining kitchen area. It was constructed at a cost of approximately $900,000.00.
When the building was complete, the church changed it's name from North Jefferson Church of Christ to North Ridge Church of Christ. Mrs. Pat Lee, church secretary, suggested the new name because the new church was located on a ridge of land just south of Interstate 30 in north Mt. Pleasant.
On December 12, 1982, the new building was dedicated and services were held for the first time. A $90,000.00 concrete parking lot was added in 1985, thanks to the generosity of a congregation member.
Several ministries were undertaken during the next fourteen years under the North Ridge Church of Christ's auspices. A Spanish ministry was started in the west end of the existing building in 1986 with a full-time minister. In 1993, a jail ministry was begun which resulted in over 100 baptisms. In February 1994, the congregation purchased a building at 909 West 9th Street for the Spanish ministry and continued to pay a full-time ministry there.
In 1994 the congregation began work in the Ukraine. Several members, along with others from the states, went to Donetsk, Ukraine, and helped establish ten congregations of the Lord's church there. North Ridge Church of Christ took the oversight of the Budyonovsky congregation and sent David Ingram there as a missionary.
In February of 1999, many members of the North Ridge congregation became concerned about the direction that church leaders were taking, and held several meetings with the eldership to try to resolve the situation. A resolution could not be reached, and approximately 165 members of the Lord's church began meeting at the Titus County Civic Center on February 21, 1999 and continued to meet in the Civic Center until a new building could be constructed. The congregation chose Gene Campbell, Weldon Miller, Glenn Parham, and Wayne Pickrel as elders, which were officially installed on November 14, 1999.
In October 1999 the congregation hired Tom Wacaster as full-time minister. He preached his first sermon on December 5, 1999. In February 2000, Randy Ballard, Grady Duncan, Jim Duncan, Jerry Freeman, Bob Hedges, and Ronald Traughber were chosen as deacons and were installed on February 20, 2000. Plans were begun to build a permanent meeting facility.
Weldon and JoAnn Miller, long-time congregation members, donated a large piece of land on the west side of North Jefferson Street approximately 1000 feet north of Interstate 30 to the congregation for a church site. Ground breaking for the construction of a new building with a seating capacity of 420 was held on September 8, 1999 and construction began on September 13, 1999. The congregation voted to name the church the North Jefferson Church of Christ, since the new building was located at 2311 North Jefferson Street.
The building consists of a 420 seat auditorium, five classrooms, preacher's office, secretary's office, library, a cry room, a large multi-purpose room, a large storage area for table and chairs, etc., a kitchen area, janitor room, a sound room, men's and women's dressing rooms behind the pulpit and baptistery, a utility room on one side and a pantry/utility room on the other, and a drive-through carport. A separate storage building was built for lawn care equipment and tools.
The congregation occupied the current building on April 16, 2000. Open House was held on April 30, 2000. A gospel meeting began the same day with Tom Wacaster preaching.
Rhodney Freeman, a long-time member, designed the roadside sign and marquee and became part-time secretary and editor of Family News & Notes, the weekly bulletin. He became full-time secretary in May, 2005.
In 2001 a need arose to hire a second minister, and Lee Moses, who the congregation had helped support in the Memphis School of Preaching, was hired. He began his ministry at this location on July 1, 2002 in addition to Tom Wacaster.
Tom Wacaster resigned in 2003 and was replaced by David McCain. Lee Moses resigned in August 2004 to take a full-time pulpit position in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.
Nineteen preachers have served the North Jefferson Church of Christ since 1895. T. W. Phillips was first in 1895, followed by R. D. Smith, Claude Keil, J. C. Foster (1924), W. R. Yowell (1931 - 1935), W. S. Wiley (Summer 1935 - August 1940), Luther L. Gieger (August 1940 - January 1944), E. W. Stovall (January 1944 - Summer 1944), S. C. Kinningham (Summer 1944 - December 1945), R. L. Colley (January 1946 - 1948), Flavel Colley (1948 for a few months), Charles Holt (1948 - Fall 1951), Wilburn Whittington, Sr. (Fall of 1951 to February 1952), Basil D. Shilling (February 1952 - November 1960), W. S. Wiley (November 1960 - June 1966), Jamie Duncan (September 1966 - March 1984), Jimmie W. Parker (March 1984 -- still preaches at North Ridge Church of Christ as of August 2005).
Beginning in 1999, Tom Wacaster (December 1999 - 2003), Lee Moses (July 2002 - August 2004), David McCain (September 2004 - present) and additionally Johnny Ramsey (May 2005 - October 2006) have served as preachers at the new North Jefferson Church of Christ.
Twenty-five men have served as elders through 1999. They are H. E. "Buck" Wilhite, J. R. Hart, J. A. Glass, Robert E. Williams, Walter C. Miller, Hatley C. Gordon, Virgle Fox, Foy McCasland, J. A. Gearhart, Charles I. Lide, Bascom Perkins, Paul Moore, Sr., C. B. Burkham, Hollis Lee, Weldon Miller, Wilburn Whittington, Jr., Wayne Pickrel, Gene Campbell, L. D. (Bud) Wheeler, Glenn Parham, Matt Clark, James E. Butler, Jim LaRue, Clayton Welborn, and Roy Willmon.
Weldon Miller, Gene Campbell, Wayne Pickrel, and Glenn Parham (who later resigned for health reasons) have served the new North Jefferson Church of Christ as elders beginning in 1999.
Eurl Rabon, Willard Holliday, Raynard Screws, Dwayne Guthrie, Mark Young, and Gary Stewart have served as Youth Ministers during the congregation's history through 1999. Cenobio Barrientos, Jesus Carrillo, and Marcelino Rodriguez served as Youth Ministers in the Spanish Ministry.
Church records before the 1940s cannot be located, but available records show the following men have served as deacons: Bascom Perkins, Joe Ben Jaggers, Joe Goates, Conrad Alders, Carl Roach, Milton C. Lain, Charles B."Buddy"Lide, Louis Bell, Claude Moehlman, Joe E. Duncan, C. B. Burkham, Glen L. Roper, Billy L.Austin, Weldon C. Miller, Larry Shankle, Dennis Buchanan, James Guthrie, Gene Campbell, James P. "Bud" Roach, Ronald Traughber, Darrell Cooper, Bill Carbaugh, Jack Blackburn, Clayton Welborn, Roy Willmon, Bruce Jones, Jimmy Hobbs, Don Swann, Tim Jones, Bill Jones, Cody Wilhite, James Chancellor, David Heineke, Greg Mayes, Don Cheshier, Jim LaRue, David Grimes, Mike Thompson, Gaylon Thompson, Wayne Black, Grady Duncan, Alford Flanagan, Robert Ferryman, Don Little, Grady "Boots" Caffey, Ken Mullins, Billy Shelton, and Randy Smith.
Beginning in February 2000 at the new North Jefferson Church of Christ, Randy Ballard, Jim Duncan, Grady Duncan, Jerry Freeman, Bob Hedges, and Ronald Traughber (who later resigned) have served as deacons.
Secretaries for the congregation have been: Sue Abdnor (June 1966-August 1966), Billie Campbell (1968 -October 1969), Pat Lee (October 1969- February 1999), and Rhodney Freeman (February 1999 - ). Veleta McFerrin and Connie Stewart have also performed some secretarial duties since 1999.
The North Jefferson Church of Christ provided this history article to The Titus County, Texas History Website on April 4, 2007. The history has been updated through Feburary, 2005. Pat Lee wrote the local church's history in the 1970's and updated it until February 1999. Rhodney Freeman added additional information and photos to the history in February 2005.
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Monday, September 30, 1929
NEW CHURCH OPENED SUNDAY
CONGREGATION OF CHURCH OF CHRIST HOLD FIRST 8ERVICES IN NEW HOME
Sunday morning marked the opening of the new Church of Christ by the members of that congregation, and special services were held at the morning hour in honor of the event.
The new structure, which is a very handsome one, was filled to its capacity by members of the congregation, with numbers of visitors from other towns attending. People came from Paris, Tyler, Gilmer, Pittsburg and other places attend the opening.
Short talks were nude by several members of the congregation, in which all expressed their appreciation for the splendid co-operation which had been extended by the entire citizenship in the efforts of this congregation to finance their building. All spoke of their pride in the church, and of the membership in the work just completed.
Rev. J. C. Foster, the pastor, preached his sermon from texts in both the Old and New Testaments pertaining to temples and places of worship, stressing some very appropriate lessons.
Members of this denomination from Gilmer came almost a hundred per cent, bringing their lunch with them and having a picnic at Dellwood Park after the services.
