Church History

The Need for a Church
 

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​This thirst for God was especially evident in rural areas, where revival meetings followed by mass baptisms would forever leave their imprint. Local congregations were formed to continue the work forged by traveling evangelists, and churches were established in communities that had previously been without regular services.
This was the backdrop for the founding of a congregation one mile south of Celina, Tennessee, on the waters of Shankey Branch in 1939. Revivals held at nearby churches and brush arbors by Church of God evangelists James T. Hooten and Aaron A. Cunningham and by Church of Christ preachers Plumlee Hall and Bro. Spivey had converted many in the community.

In July 1939, several neighbors agreed to purchase a small parcel of land at the junction of Highways 52 and 53 to establish a church. On August 11, 1939, J.R. Carmack and his wife sold 1/4 acre to the trustees of the Union Church of Shankey Branch. The trustees of the new church were Will White, Herbert Teeples, and Fowler Dulworth.
The Union Church did not have an association with any singular Christian denomination or movement. Any preacher could hold service there with the approval of the trustees. On most Sundays, two services were held: one conducted by a Church of Christ minister and a second held by a Church of God minister. Many attended both services. At some point, a vote was taken by the congregation to decide if the Union Church would affiliate with the Church of Christ or the Church of God. On June 22, 1940, the three trustees of the Union Church of Shankey Branch sold the church property to Allen White, Clarence Cunningham, Sam Cunningham, Fowler Dulworth, and Ress White, the five trustees of the Church of God of Clay County, which from that time has been affiliated with the Church of God Reformation Movement headquartered in Anderson, Indiana.

 

The congregation met in the original small building for about two years until overcrowding led to the decision to construct a new building. Trustee Sam Cunningham agreed to donate the timber, which was cut in one day. After the logs were taken to a sawmill by Sam and Clarence Cunningham, work began immediately, and the new building was completed quickly. Most of the labor was donated by the people of the church. The congregation had worshipped only a short time in the new building when an automobile accident on March 10, 1943, near Dale Hollow Dam where the men had been working, claimed the lives of Song Leader Fowler Dulworth and Sunday School Superintendent Ress White. Clarence Cunningham was injured in the accident, which also fatally injured Ress's brother Herbert White. A third trustee, Allen White, had passed away October 19, 1940. Thus, on May 28, 1943, another deed was recorded confirming the sale of the church property to the "trustees of the Church of God Reformation Movement": Sam Cunningham, Clarence Cunningham, Beulah White (Ress's widow), Rosa White (Allen's widow), and Mattie Dulworth (Fowler's widow).

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Rev. and Mrs. James T. Hooten in 1955. Bro. Hooten was a pioneer Upper Cumberland Church of God evangelist and pastor, and he preached for over 60 years in 17 states. He was the first pastor of the Shankey Branch First Church of God and was instrumental in the founding of Church of God congregations, at Maxwell Chapel, Boma, Baxter, and Cookeville.

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Since then, women have always played vital roles in the work of the congregation. Dona Hull became the new song leader. Rosa White, who lived very close to the church, opened the church, built the fire in the wood stove in the center of the building, taught Sunday School, led singing, and was the church janitor, secretary, and treasurer. Her home also hosted visiting preachers. In 1948, the church purchased its first piano, and Ann Cunningham became the first piano player.  The building at the junctions of the highways did not have electricity. The only light available was from the windows and from the oil lamps, donated by Julia Cunningham, that occupied small wooden shelves along both sides of the room. The first pews were rough lumber benches with no backs constructed by the men of the church.

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Will and Henrietta White. Will was one of the three Union Church trustees. Will and Henrietta were the parents of Ress White. Will was Allen White's brother. In 1939, the year that the Shankey Branch Church was founded. Rosa who holds daughter Reba, sons Raymond (behind Reba), Paul (right), Floyd (front), and daughter Pauline (front). Allen was one of the original trustees of the Shankey Branch First Church of God. Rosa would eventually hold every church leadership position. Allen and Rosa's son Paul married Versie "Bill" Cunningham, daughter of Sam and Julia Cunningham.

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A Vision for Relocating- 1950's

The 1950s saw growth in the congregation and progress in the form of electricity for the church at the junction of Highways 52 and 53. Originally, the church building did not have rooms for Sunday School classes.
Groups would move to separate areas of the sanctuary to have class, yet everyone could hear everyone else. The men of the church alleviated this issue when they added two rooms to the back of the building in the early 1950s.
The close proximity of the church building to Shankey Branch could be a blessing to the children who loved to play in the creek after services or a hindrance, as cars often missed the curve and ran into the building.
Occasionally, the branch flooded so that services could not be held. Once, a heavy downpour during a Sunday service caused flash flooding, and the men of the congregation had to use the bench pews to form a bridge across the churchyard for the women and children. Church members began to talk about relocating the church to a safer location. Rev. Ray Ensey began a Penny March to save for a new property. Each Sunday those who had saved their pennies would march to the front of the church to deposit their savings. Within a year, the church was ready to begin the search for a new property. Rosa Rich White sought donations for the building fund in Celina. Her detailed ledger recorded that 46 businesses and individuals donated between $1.00 and $10.00 each.