Caddo Mills
Texas
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Caddo Mills Church Of Christ
Local History of the Church
The church in Caddo Mills is presently made up of approximately 65 members. A person's name recorded here on this role does not necessarily mean that it is also recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. That fact will be revealed on the last day.
The history of the church that meets here is long and interesting. Its roots can be traced backward in time for almost 100 years. Over these years the church has withstood the test of hard times, as well as membership problems that are common to any congregation of the Lord’s people. Yet it has stood firm in biblical doctrine and worship before the Lord. It stands well in community service.
According to the records left to us by our brother, Clarence Hughes, a former member and elder of the church, this congregation had its beginning in the old Vansickle church around 1905. Brother Hughes entered into righteous sleep on November 12, 1997, after many years of faithful and dedicated service in the Lord’s church. We can be thankful for the good records of the church that he left for those of us who follow after him. The following is a reprint of the records of the church here as left by our brother, Clarence. The following information is laid forth almost exactly as he left it.
In June 1956 a congregation of the church of Christ began meeting at Caddo Mills. A gospel preacher by the name of D. W. Smith held a meeting for us in the old School Gym where we were meeting at the time. We continued to meet in the old School Gym until we could find a more suitable place for the church to meet regularly. The church at Vansickle had disbanded in 1953. We talked to the brethren at Vansickle and they gave us their building plus $800.00 that they still had in their treasury at the time. Then on August 20, 1956 we bought a lot in Caddo Mills and had the building moved to that location just north of the old Payne’s Grocery Store on Highway 66. The old building still stands and is now occupied by June’s Tax Service and ABC Flower Shop. We had a lot of work to do on that old building in those days. We built two classrooms at first. After we grew in number we built two more classrooms. Labor was easy to find in those days for we did all the work ourselves.
The old building was built in Vansickle, I am told, by my family around 1905. First, without a ceiling, but in later years was renovated. There was no electricity for lighting and such in those days and a big wood stove stood in the middle of the building to provide heat when needed. The church never had a regular preacher; the brethren took care of that work very well. Each summer there was a gospel meeting. A preacher would come and stay with members of the church for the meeting. We baptized people in pools and went to worship in wagons. We never had three-piece suits or long neckties, but we sure were happy.
In 1959 we started a building fund here in Caddo Mills adding to it year after year. We once had a very large gift of $10,000 donated to our building fund by someone, we never knew whom. With the help of God we sold our old property. Then with the building fund and a loan of another $8000 in 1984 we were able to build the building as we have it today.
Then with another outlay of $9100 for furnishings including benches, pulpit, communion table, etc., we were finally outfitted as the church house stands today. We have a lot of work yet to do.
We have had 11 preachers in the last 28 years. Namely: D. W. Smith, Cecil Freeman, Earl Smith, Clyde Shroder, Jack Howard, C. G. Gregory, John Robins, Ron Broussard, Joe Burton, Pat Norfleet, and Larry Swan. After these, brother Ray Hunter came to us on April 12, 1989 from the north Texas town of Munday. Ray is with us until this day at this writing, July 4, 2002, serving the Lord in this fine old church of Christ with its rich, faithful and deep-rooted background.
Our work here in Caddo Mills is not yet finished. It has just begun. We built this building with our hands, and after all, it is only a material building; a place where we can worship God and continue saving souls and serving mankind. Then someday we may reach that “Home not made with hands”. May the Lord God grant us faith and strength.
The church in Caddo Mills is presently made up of approximately 65 members. A person's name recorded here on this role does not necessarily mean that it is also recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. That fact will be revealed on the last day.
The history of the church that meets here is long and interesting. Its roots can be traced backward in time for almost 100 years. Over these years the church has withstood the test of hard times, as well as membership problems that are common to any congregation of the Lord’s people. Yet it has stood firm in biblical doctrine and worship before the Lord. It stands well in community service.
According to the records left to us by our brother, Clarence Hughes, a former member and elder of the church, this congregation had its beginning in the old Vansickle church around 1905. Brother Hughes entered into righteous sleep on November 12, 1997, after many years of faithful and dedicated service in the Lord’s church. We can be thankful for the good records of the church that he left for those of us who follow after him. The following is a reprint of the records of the church here as left by our brother, Clarence. The following information is laid forth almost exactly as he left it.
In June 1956 a congregation of the church of Christ began meeting at Caddo Mills. A gospel preacher by the name of D. W. Smith held a meeting for us in the old School Gym where we were meeting at the time. We continued to meet in the old School Gym until we could find a more suitable place for the church to meet regularly. The church at Vansickle had disbanded in 1953. We talked to the brethren at Vansickle and they gave us their building plus $800.00 that they still had in their treasury at the time. Then on August 20, 1956 we bought a lot in Caddo Mills and had the building moved to that location just north of the old Payne’s Grocery Store on Highway 66. The old building still stands and is now occupied by June’s Tax Service and ABC Flower Shop. We had a lot of work to do on that old building in those days. We built two classrooms at first. After we grew in number we built two more classrooms. Labor was easy to find in those days for we did all the work ourselves.
The old building was built in Vansickle, I am told, by my family around 1905. First, without a ceiling, but in later years was renovated. There was no electricity for lighting and such in those days and a big wood stove stood in the middle of the building to provide heat when needed. The church never had a regular preacher; the brethren took care of that work very well. Each summer there was a gospel meeting. A preacher would come and stay with members of the church for the meeting. We baptized people in pools and went to worship in wagons. We never had three-piece suits or long neckties, but we sure were happy.
In 1959 we started a building fund here in Caddo Mills adding to it year after year. We once had a very large gift of $10,000 donated to our building fund by someone, we never knew whom. With the help of God we sold our old property. Then with the building fund and a loan of another $8000 in 1984 we were able to build the building as we have it today.
Then with another outlay of $9100 for furnishings including benches, pulpit, communion table, etc., we were finally outfitted as the church house stands today. We have a lot of work yet to do.
We have had 11 preachers in the last 28 years. Namely: D. W. Smith, Cecil Freeman, Earl Smith, Clyde Shroder, Jack Howard, C. G. Gregory, John Robins, Ron Broussard, Joe Burton, Pat Norfleet, and Larry Swan. After these, brother Ray Hunter came to us on April 12, 1989 from the north Texas town of Munday. Ray is with us until this day at this writing, July 4, 2002, serving the Lord in this fine old church of Christ with its rich, faithful and deep-rooted background.
Our work here in Caddo Mills is not yet finished. It has just begun. We built this building with our hands, and after all, it is only a material building; a place where we can worship God and continue saving souls and serving mankind. Then someday we may reach that “Home not made with hands”. May the Lord God grant us faith and strength.