university church of christ

 
 

In the early 1950’s several families started meeting for worship in the front part of a house on Clanton at Decatur Street. Bill Ballentine, who lived in the rear part of the house, was the minister of what was originally named the Southside Church of Christ. In the summer of 1955, Eulie R. Brannan, Dean of Alabama Christian College, was employed as minister. Because the congregation was soon composed of a large number of students, a decision was made in January of 1956 to move the meeting place to the College auditorium on Ann Street with the name of the congregation being changed to College Church of Christ.

In January of 1966, the congregation moved with Alabama Christian College to its new campus east of the city of Montgomery at 5345 Atlanta Highway. The congregation met in the E. L. Cullom Rotunda for some two and one-half years. The college later deeded one acre of the campus property to the College Church to be used as a site for a Church building. The Church purchased an additional two and one-half acres of the campus property for a total of $50,000.00. Brother V. P. Black, a long-time faithful minister of the Gospel, worked to obtain support from fourteen sister congregations for a total of $120,000.00 for the needed $200,000.00 to build a Church building at the present location at 5315 Atlanta Highway.

On September 17, 1967, ground was broken for the first permanent facility for the College Church by Eulie R. Brannan and Clyde E. Fulmer. Clyde Fulmer began serving as minister just prior to the time of the groundbreaking. This facility included the present hexagon shaped auditorium with temporary classrooms along the outer circle of the auditorium, a small entrance area, and the middle classroom building section. The first services held in the new building were on Sunday, May 19, 1968. The middle classroom building section of the new facility housed the first home of the Alabama Christian School of Religion.

The present fellowship hall and the adjoining classrooms were constructed in the spring of 1972 at a cost of $100,000.00. In addition to meeting the needs of the congregation, the elementary department of Alabama Christian High School, now known as Alabama Christian Academy, shared a portion of this new addition to the facility for many years as well. In 1987, the building was expanded to include a large lobby area as well as an enlarged nursery, a toddler’s department, and additional restroom facilities in the west wing as well as a conference room, classrooms, and additional restroom facilities in the east wing. Following this expansion, the original mahogany Victorian lectern, one of the first assets owned by the congregation on Ann Street, was placed in the classroom annex and the original communion table and an original chair were placed in the lobby area where they all remain today.

A recent renovation of the main building in 1995 increased seating capacity to some six hundred and upgraded the east and west wing areas of the building further increasing the congregation’s ability to meet its growing needs.

Following Eulie R. Brannan and Clyde E. Fulmer, Leonard Johnson became the third minister of the College Church in June of 1973. Billy D. Hilyer became the first full time minister in June of 1974. Jon Hazelip and W. B. West, Jr. shared the pulpit with Hilyer until January of 1985 when Jeffrey A. (Jeff) Jenkins was employed as full time minister. Following this time, Dabney Phillips also served as a minister of the congregation along with Jenkins. The staff then progressed to include Steven A. Mercer and Martel Pace as Co-Pulpit Ministers, Donnie R. Hilliard as Family Minister and Brandon Pressnell as Youth Minister. The current staff includes Randy Medlin as Pulpit Minister, Martel Pace as Involvement Minister, Donnie R. Hilliard as College Minister, Matthew Conley as Prison Minister, and Ryan Frederick as Youth Minister, with Craig Chandler as Youth Intern.

The original Elders of the College Church were Eulie R. Brannan, Joe B. Greer, T. L. Faulkner, Clyde E. Fulmer and Henry Wright. Others having served, as well as those presently serving (noted in italics), include Christopher E. (Chris) Baker, Arthur L. Butler, Barry L. Buford, Carl Cheatham, Ernest A. Clevenger, Jr., Blois J. Clifton, Cecil May, John L. McDonald, Hugh P. McFarlin, Fred McGuire, Hue Don Norris, Phillip R. Norton, Jr., Wilton T. Pogue, David R. Short, Billy G. Skillman, James T. (Jim) Spratlin, Harold Thompson, and E. J. Turner, Jr.

A primary focus of the College congregation has been to assist and provide support to college students and to Christian education. The sharing of our building space with Alabama Christian College, now known as Faulkner University, and the financial support of the Bible Department of Faulkner University and of Alabama Christian School of Religion, now known as Southern Christian University, continues. The congregation has provided support for many mission programs and efforts through the years as well and continues to do so. We are currently contributing to the Thailand mission work, to World Broadcast Program and to the Russian Mission work and to AGAPE of Central Alabama as well as others. An ongoing program at Red Eagle Honor Farm, a division of the state Department of Corrections, has enabled us to see the conversions of many individuals with whom we have had contact through the years.

The World Bible School Program effort, in which the congregation has been active for many years, has brought about the conversion of many Christians in Nigeria. The devotionals at the local Griel Hospital provide an opportunity for many of the college students to work with and assist less fortunate individuals. The congregation also actively supports the Montgomery Inner City Ministry program financially and provides teachers and support personnel in addition to facility space for classes.

The congregation has grown from some thirty members in the early 1950’s to the present average of some 600 members. The earliest contribution averaged some $300.00 per week and now averages some $10,000.00 per week. On June 25, 1995, a day we called A Day of Rededication and Re-identification, the College Church of Christ officially changed its name and became known as the University Church of Christ with a desire to continue to commit our lives and efforts to Christ.

Elders

  • Chris Baker
  • Barry Buford
  • Carl Cheatham
  • Cecil May
  • Hugh McFarlin
  • Hue Don Norris
  • Phil Norton
  • David Short
  • E. J. Turner

Secretary - Nancy Itson
Youth Minister - Ryan Fredrick
Pulpit Minister - Randy Medlin
College Minister - Craig Chandler
Involvement Minister - Martel Pace
Prison Minister - Matthew Conley

Schedule of Events

  • Bible Study: Sundays at 9:00 AM
  • Worship: Sundays at 9:00 AM
  • Evening Worship: Sundays at 6:00 PM
  • Ladies Bible Class: Tuesdays at 10:00 AM
  • Bible Study: Wednesdays at 7:00 PM
  • Mens Bible Study: Fridays at 6:30 AM