Smithville Church Of Christ

History of the Smithville Congregation

In the early 1930s, a young preacher, Tillit Teddlie, and his uncle came to Smithville at the invitation of Mrs. N.E. Cannon and Mr. and Mrs. Gary, to hold a gospel meeting on a vacant lot on Main Street.

Later, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Rosanky purchased a lot on the corner of Fifth and Turney Streets. With the help of Walter and Adoph Rosanky and others, they constructed a small frame building and in 1933 began holding worship services as the Smithville Church of Christ.

For several years the pulpit was filled by preachers who came from Austin. But when J.W. Akin, a well-known Christian leader from Dallas, came to Smithville to visit his niece, Dorothy Kemp Renick, in the late 1940s, he saw that the church had several needs. His visit resulted in a grant from the Akin Foundation to expand of our building. The Foundation continued to support the work here making it possible for us to employ our first full-time minister, Robert Hamilton.

The congregation, continuing to meet at Turney Street, became self-supporting around 1960. As the church grew, the building at 1416 E. Whitehead was constructed in 1985. Classrooms were added and, in 2003, the new fellowship hall, kitchen, classrooms and restrooms were built.

Other preachers over the years included J. Edward Weems, Alex Wied, Don Lemmons, H.B. Gresser, David Johnson, Frazier Conley, Donald Adams, Mike Conley, Bobby Cullum, John Cliver, Jim Brewer, Bob Hamil, Richard Pruitt (1989-2005), Rocky Moncus (2005-2008), Chris Maher (2008-2013) and Dan Boggs, (2013-2015). Our current minister, Darroll Wright began here in November, 2015.

We give God the thanks and the glory for the accomplishments that have been realized, and earnestly seek His continued guidance and blessings.