Hubbertville Church of Christ

by

Faye Dodd

Before the Hubbertville Church of Christ was built, many of the families in the community attended church in the Hubbertville School or went to Berea or New River. Most people walked to church when the weather was good. If not, they would go in a wagon or buggy. Nocle McArthur Hubbert remembers having only one pair of dress shoes. She and others would walk barefooted to save wearing out their shoes when coming to church at New River or Berea. Just before getting there, they would brush the dust off their feet and put on their shoes.

Curt M. Hubbert deeded the land for the Hubbertville Church of Christ on December 7, 1926. Frank Hubbert now has the old deed. Tom McArthur made the deed as he was a Notary Public and a Justice of the Peace. Everyone who had timber gave some for the lumber to build a wooden frame church building. A large potbellied stove was used for heat. In the winter when the weather was real cold, the men would put the benches around the heater so that the people could stay warm. The first gospel meeting was held by Brother C.A. Wheeler of Jasper doing the preaching. The Hubbertville Church started out with 27 members in 1927, but by 1937, they had 47 members. Some of the preachers who held meetings or preached once a month were C.A. Wheeler, Cephas Cannon, W.A. Black, J.P. Pounds, G.L. Mann, V.P. Black, Gus Nichols, Houston Haney, Wiley Hollingsworth and Hal P. McDonald.

One time Brother Hal P. McDonald was holding a meeting for a few nights at Hubbertville. On one of the nights, it was coming a storm and the weather was so cold that everyone stayed home except for the preach and Tom McArthur. Everyone had to walk to church at that time. Tom McArthur got the full sermon that night even though he and the preacher were the only ones there. After the sermon was over, Tom asked the preacher why he preached the whole sermon just to him. The preacher said to Mr. McArthur, “If you had only one cow to come to the barn, you would feed her wouldn’t you?” Mr. McArthur replied, “Yes, but I wouldn’t give her the whole bale of hay.” The first church records of paying for a preacher to hold a week’s meeting was in 1940 when Gus Nichols was paid $50. for a week.

The first church building was erected at Hubbertville in 1927. People who were responsible for getting the church started were Curt Hubbert, John Hubbert, Andrew “Babe” Hubbert, G.E. Hubbert, Seth Lawrence, Vaughn McCaleb, Tom McArthur, Wiley Perry, Fenton Anthony, Curvey Anderson, John A. Hollingsworth, and Thomas Hollingsworth. The first church elders were Fenton Anthony and Wiley Perry. The first deacons were J.C. Anderson, W.A. Aldridge and Thomas Hollingsworth. The last funeral held at the first Hubbertville Church of Christ building was that of John Hubbert. It was held on January 4, 1952, and it was conducted by Brother Gus Nichols.

In 1952, a new brick Church of Christ building was erected at Hubbertville. Brother Curtis W. Posey drew the blueprints for the building. Reuburr Bryant laid the blocks and bricks for $960. Men, women and children all worked at whatever they could when the building was being erected. People who had jobs during the day would go home, eat supper and come back to work on the church building until bed time. Frank Hubbert was only 15 years old at the time, but he helped with the building. He and Virgil Hubbert were on a high scaffold one day putting up ceiling tiles when one end of the scaffold gave way. Both men fell, but Frank’s arm was broken in two places. Church was held in the Hubbertville School Lunchroom while the new building was being constructed.

After the building was erected, church members starting meeting every Sunday. They had previously had preaching once a month. After they paid off their loan to build the church building, they hired a full-time preacher. Some of the preachers who have served at Hubbertville Church of Christ in later years include Curtis Estes, O.C. Dobbs, Charley Nichols, John McCluskey, Bill Lynn, Cecil Corkren, Tony Demonbreum, Rayford Harkness, Bryan Howell and Gilbert Behel.

Most of the early church members have gone to their reward, but the church has been a wonderful help to young and old through the years.