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First Christian Church

313 Chloe Road
606-437-4527

Our Mission:

Our mission is to love God, to love others, and to lead others to Jesus Christ.

History

The First Christian Church in Pikeville, Kentucky officially organized as a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1883. However, records indicate that there was a body of believers who referred to themselves as "Christian Church in Pikeville" as early as 1851. Initially, the members met in the First Methodist Episcopal Church building, or in a one room school building. In 1887, Mrs. Kentucky Sowards Ferrell gave the church its first spiritual home by donating the use of the property at 206 Scott Avenue. In 1893 church trustees L. J. Williamson, J. H. Rutroff and J. M. Scott received a deed for the Scott Avenue property. The members called Rev. J. C. Carbott as their first full-time pastor in 1895.

This first church building on Scott Avenue burned in the early 1900s. A second church building, also donated by Mrs. Kentucky Sowards Ferrell, was constructed in 1908, and dedicated on Easter Sunday 1909. The church excavated a basement addition in 1921.

By 1936 the church had grown so much that the men's Sunday School classes assembled in a nearby bottling company, and a young people's class met in a dry cleaning building. In the same year the church formed its first building committee, and appointed Dr. O. W. Thompson, Sr. and Adam F. Childers to that committee.

The flood of 1957 caused major damage to the Scott Avenue church building, and in 1961 the church bought property on Park Street. Hopes of building a church at this new site faded in 1963 when the Park Street property also flooded. After the 1963 flood, the church sold at auction the Park Street land, and purchased property on Chloe Creek (the site of our present church).

Construction of new church facilities at the Chloe Creek site finally got underway in 1974 with the building of a fellowship hall wing. This structure served as both sanctuary and fellowship center until the present sanctuary was built in 1983. Dr. O. W. Thompson, Jr. continued the legacy of his father by serving as chairman of the building committee during the construction of the new church. The church membership held a centennial celebration in the same year as the dedication of the long awaited new sanctuary.

The faith, dedication, vision, perseverance, and sacrifice of past generations of church families provide us a wonderful heritage for our future generations. We remember and cherish our heritage of Christian witness, live in the real present, and are filled with hope for our future. Our hope (past, present and future) is in our Lord Jesus Christ. 


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