Piedmont Road Church of Christ
Our Origin/Brief History
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Our Origin
 
Churches, as described in the New Testament, are composed of people. A church is not a building in which people meet nor is it an organization that people join, like the YMCA. The churches established by Paul and Barnabas during their first journey (Acts 14:23) were people who had obeyed the gospel and became disciples (Acts 14:21).

How were these churches identified? Paul described several groups of disciples as "churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16). This was an appropriate description because these groups of people (churches) belonged to Christ in a special way. Jesus had saved them when they obeyed the gospel. As a result, they were dedicated to Him and His teaching. How do we authenticate our claim to be a "church of Christ?" We do not attempt to establish historical links with churches that existed in the first century. Rather, our "proof" is our close adherence to the principles Jesus and His apostles taught. This is the only basis for any group to claim to be "of Christ." It includes:

  • Our personal conduct in speech, action and attitude
  • The kind of worship we offer in our public services
  • Recognition of God's will in His plan for our salvation and for our fellowship in His service

In short, the teaching of Jesus and His apostles is a guide for all aspects of our relationship with God through Christ.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PIEDMONT ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST

According to family histories and oral traditions, the church in Marietta began around 1847 after David Dixon Barfield had met Barton W. Stone. They discussed the simplicity of using the Bible as the only spiritual guide for becoming a Christian, for worship and for Christian living.

Just Christians
The Barfields and three other families chose to be called Christians only and started meeting together in their homes. After about 3 years, in 1850, they started meeting in a small house which became known as the Liberty Hill church and school.

Liberty Hill Church and School
The Liberty Hill building had homemade benches, some with and without backs. The heat was supplied by a "pot-bellied" stove located in the center of the building and was fed by coal or wood cut from surrounding trees by the members. The songbooks and Sunday school lessons were kept in the schoolmaster's desk.

This building burned and a new building was built which became known as the Pleasant Grove church of Christ. The meeting house was erected at Lower Roswell Road and Little Road. The Barfield Cemetery now exists on the north side of the original lot. This building stood for approximately 100 years until 1958.

Olive Street Church of Christ
In July of 1939, a lot at 405 Roswell Street (now 271 Roswell Street) was purchased and construction on a new building started on April 15, 1940 to be closer to Marietta. The first worship service was held July 28, 1940.

In March of 1957 land was purchased at 57 Olive Street and a building was erected and first used for worship in August of 1959. The congregation was known as the Olive Street church of Christ. A three-story educational building was completed in February of 1973.

Olive Street Re-locates
After many years of continued growth, geographic limitations lead to the decision in 1985 to re-locate to an area which would allow for continued growth for many years to come. Plans were made to locate a suitable site in the community north of the Olive Street location.

In 1986 about 9 acres of land was purchased from Lowell C. Ballard, a member of the congregation, on Piedmont Road. At that time, Piedmont Road was two lanes but was in an area with new housing, schools and shopping centers were located nearby. The Olive Street building was sold and the congregation arranged to meet in J. J. Daniel Middle School while construction of a new building was in progress.

Continued Growth
The congregation met in J. J. Daniell Middle School from August 8, 1992 until May 22, 1994 when it met for the first time at the current location. Since that time, the congregation has continued to grow and has added to it's outreach activities. The physical facilities continue to provide plenty of space for worship, parking and other activities.

The Piedmont Road congregation presently has four elders: Mike Adams, LeRoy Fogle, Ben Golden, and Mark Hoelscher and eleven deacons: Keith Bailey, Tom Blair, Brad Burnette, Sim Christie, Tim Feltner, John Golden, Ray Harris, Terry Moore, Skip Slatton, Russ Vickers, and Daniel Ward. The Piedmont Road church of Christ had an humble beginning and has gone through some difficult times but the Lord has richly blessed it. To Him we give the glory as we move forward in His name.