History of Parrish Church of Christ

The earliest historical record of the Parrish Church of Christ dates back to 1917 when the church was meeting in a one room school house on Main Street, down and across the street from where the First Baptist church building now stands. The Church was then composed of about ten members and a few children. The contribution averaged two to three dollars a week.

When the old school building was torn down around 1919 the church met in the Methodist church building when it was not in use. This arrangement lasted about six months until the Methodists had an extended revival which forced the church to move elsewhere. The church began to meet on Mr. A. J. White, Senior's front porch while construction took place on a new wooden meeting house. This location is on White Street across from the Methodist Church.

Brother Charlie Nichols was the first known regular preacher and Brother Wes Sanford the first known elder. Brother Will Nelson was appointed an elder and Brother George Courington a deacon around 1925. Each served faithfully for over forty years until their deaths.

At least two debates were held in the old wooden building in addition to many outstanding meetings. Brother Pride E. Henton drew an estimated crowd of four hundred in 1924. Of course more were outside the building than inside.

The church experienced gradual growth to about sixty members with an average weekly contribution of about forty-five dollars, when on September 23, 1947, the old wooden building burned. The church met at the community building until August 1, 1948, when a new block building was completed on the same site.

On March 27, 1971, land was purchased for a new building which was completed October 29, 1972. In the Spring of 1995 the entire auditorium was remodeled. In April of 2001 the church purchased land on the New Parrish/Oakman Hwy. We moved into a new buidling at 584 New Oakman Hwy in September 2004. Since moving in Sunday morning attendance has increased to an average of 150.

Preachers known to have served the church here on a regular basis include:

Charlie Nichols, Pride E. Henton, L.R. Wilson, Luther Weathers, John McCleskey, C. A. Wheeler, W. A. Black, S. F. Hester, J. G. Pounds, Sr., Rudolf Hunt, Harold Walton, Giles Hester, Garland Pounds Jr., Gerald Watt, Jerry Bramlett, Raymond Bush, Bobby Liddell, Kenneth Jones, James Brown (associate), and presently Scott McCown.