OUR HISTORY

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In 1924, a small group of people from Gainesville’s Holiness Mission met and voted to establish a church of their own.  This church was to eventually become Gainesville’s first Congregational Holiness Church.  

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Great things have happened since that group of 30 people began to meet in the home of Mrs. Mattie Camp.  Reverend Eddie Blake and his sister, Miss Pinky Blake, pastored that small mission and the people caught a vision.  

 

The congregation built their first sanctuary on Marlowe Road.  Later they moved to Ridge Road and elected Rev. O.N. Todd as their pastor.  While at Ridge Road, the Gainesville Mission joined our sister denomination, The Pentecostal Holiness Church.  They remained Pentecostal Holiness for some time, then decided to join the newly organized Congregational Holiness denomination.  In 1938, the growing congregation decided to move the church into Gainesville in order to have more room and to be better able to serve the town.  

 

Mr. and Mrs. H.T. Turk and Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Gillespie owned a plot of ground at the corner of Bradford and Summit Streets.  This land was secured and the First Congregational Holiness Church was built, facing Summit Street.  

 

For eleven years, this sanctuary met the congregation’s needs; but soon they realized that they needed larger facilities.  They undertook construction of a new chapel, erected in front of and adjoining onto the old building.  This new chapel faced Bradford Street.  

That was the beginning: a small, yet profound.  Since that time, many improvements have been made and an educational annex has been completed.  God has greatly blessed this small beginning.  She has weathered every storm and is now experiencing some of the greatest growth in her history.  The services are vibrant and alive and there is great excitement everywhere.  All because 30 people caught a vision.