Shady Grove Christian Church

History:

For several years before 1842, Prior Reeves had been serving a circuit of United Baptist churches in East Alabama. In 1842, the Shady Grove Baptist church agreed to pay him sixty dollars for his past year of service and extended his call for another year. During this time, he had been preaching for them once a month and attending their business meetings, according to the minutes of Shady Grove Baptist Church.

About 1845 or 1846, T. A. Cantrell, described as "a powerful exhorter but never really a preacher," came through East Alabama and persuaded Reeves to join the Campbellites. When Reeves switched, nine of the sixteen Baptist churches in the Association split and part of the membership in the nine churches decided to follow Reeves. The Shady Grove Baptist Church, one of the nine, voted that both groups should continue to use the same building. There was considerable opposition on the part of the Baptists but the difficulties were settled peacefully.

The church fromed by the Christians was called the Church of Christ at Shady Grove and dated its history from 1846. It is today one of the most historic of the active churches in the Alabama area. The Shady Grove Christian Church formed an association with the Rock Mills, Smyrna and Rehobboath congregations and Prior Reeves served as minister. In 1843, Thomas M. Slaughter reported in Alexander Campbell's Millennial Harbinger that Reeves was "contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints."

Some records indicate that in the late 1830's, Alexander Campbell preached at the spring of water a few hundred yards below where the church is located. This spring is now on the west side of Highway 29 and for many years provided the water for a baptistery. A deed dated December 18, 1867, recorded in Book 75, page 478 (filed in Lee County Alabama February 5, 1907) recites that: "I, John Jamieson and John Rudd have given and granted, for the purpose of a public burying ground, one acre of land...and I, John Jamieson on my part do further give and grant for the purposes of a church free to all religious denominations the following described tract which...is located at the intersection of US Highway 29 and Lee Road 177 in Lee County, Alabama."

The original church building was located between the present church building and the parsonage. Mr. Tom Murphy (age 92 in 1961) in conversation, with Mr. Clay Tillery, stated that the present church building was constructed in the 1880's. The contract called for a building with not one knot or knothole in any piece of timber that went into the building.

Belt White delivered the one hundredth anniversary sermon of Shady Grove Christian Church. White received his training for the ministry form Transylvania University. Shady Grove, sharing a circuit with four churches, only had preaching services once each month. When J. T. Beale came to Alabama from Mississippi and became State Secretary of the Christian Churches in Alabama, he and the pastor at Shady Grove, Harry Rogers, persuaded the membership of the church to have preaching services two Sundays each month. Mr. Rogers retired in 1957 and shortly thereafter, Shady Grove built its own brick parsonage at a cost of $8,000.00.

In 1960, the board of SGCC approved an addition to the church. Walter L. Rice Contracting Company of Opelika was awarded a contract for new assembly room, classrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen. In July 1961, the Building Committee, co-chaired by O. G. Harris and Cecil Saxon, submitted the report to the congregation as "paid in full" the total of $23,819.52 for the addition of some 1300 square feet of floor space.

On November 15, 1976, the Chairman of the Board, Marvin L. Scott, presented the congregation with a proposal for the addition of a Fellowship Hall and Education Annex. G. O. Long was selected as builder and agreed to completely "dry-in" and members of the church would work and seek outside contractors for wiring, plumbing, heating, air, etc. The church had to borrow $10,000.00 to complete the job. Many members purchased bonds to secure the income and eventually donated the bonds to pay off the debt. Members of the congregation cooked, sold stew and barbecue plates to help pay for the building.

After years of registering theological disagreement with the regional and general offices of the Disciples of Christ Denomination, SGCC, at the regular congregational meeting held on November 17, 1997, voted unanimously to withdraw from the denomination. The congregation is now an independent Christian church without denominational affiliation.

The congregation appointed a new building committee to make recommendations as to expansion of the ministry at Shady Grove. In September of 1998, the congregation began two morning worship services. On June 13, 1999, the congregation broke ground for a new Family Life Center and dedicated it to God's service on September 19, 1999. The new facility includes 10,500 square feet of floor space including a gymnasium/fellowship area, six classrooms, one office and a sound room/studio. The congregation buried a time capsule in front of the new building. It includes letters and photos for the congregation. It is to be opened in the year 2049.

On July 2, 2000 the congregation started back to one Sunday morning service, meeting in the new Family Life Center. Due to circumstances that only our Lord and Savior could foresee, In Fall of 2002 Shady Grove went back to one service in the 150 year old Sanctuary.