Church of God Children's Home of North Carolina

In December 1944 two small girls were brought to the home of Reverend A. V. Childers, pastor of the Elm Street Church of God in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Reverend Childers searched for a place for the girls, but was unsuccessful. He sought the help of Mr. Charles A. Cannon, owner of Cannon Mills in Kannapolis. In January Reverend Childers returned to Mr. Cannon’s office where he was presented the deed to seven acres of land and a farm house.


The following Sunday morning an offering was received at the Elm Street Church of God and $10,000 was given to start the Church of God Orphanage and Children’s Home of North Carolina. From this miraculous beginning in a mill village in 1945, the Church of God Children’s Home of North Carolina was birthed. During the 66 years since it began, the Home has welcomed hundreds of hurting children whose lives have been changed by the love received here.
In the summer of 1945 the ministers of the Churches of God of North Carolina accepted the responsibility of supporting the Home. The ministry of the Children’s Home continued to adapt to meet the needs of hurting children. At that time, all children were privately-placed. In the mid-1970s the North Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) was established and eventually the Children’s Home began to care for children placed by DSS. Over the past 15 years most of the children in the Home have been DSS-placed. However, due to budget cuts, DSS has drastically reduced placement of children in residential programs.

In order to adjust to these changes, the Children’s Home has expanded its ministries. We are a licensed residential care, teen mother/baby and foster care placing agency. We are committed and licensed to care for any child birth to age 21. The Home will continue to accept children through the Department of Social Services, but a special emphasis has been placed on reaching privately-placed children and youth. The ability or inability to pay is not the determining factor for accepting a child into care. Our daily prayer at the Home is for God to send the children and youth who need to be here, and if He sends them, we believe that He will provide the needed funds to care for them.