History:

As early as 1880, the New Testament church was represented in Dickson, a town of less than 1,000 residents at the time, by one family, J.W. Shaw and his wife, who had obeyed the gospel in Lyles, Tennessee. They were joined in 1881 by J.M. Talley and his wife from Kingston Springs, and in 1885 by John McKnight. At that time, a Brother Stacey from the Rock Church vicinity came in on occasions and led the services. During the years from 1885 to 1891, four preachers visited Dickson and preached: A.J. Luther of Burns, John Morton, Will Morton and J.W. Grant. About this time an elderly widow, Mrs. Rachel J. Haynes, moved to Dickson. She had a knowledge of and love for the truth and she set about working with the others to establish a congregation in Dickson.

In 1888, Mr. and Mrs. Will Andrews moved to Dickson from Hurricane Mills. Through the efforts of Mrs. Andrews, Mrs. Haynes and Mrs. Bulinda Page, J.W. Grant was secured to hold the first protracted meeting. It was held in the hall over the Dickson Bank and Trust Company (House Blend coffee shop in 2006). Rent was fifty-cents per night. Grant stayed in the home of John Henry and Bulinda Page. A letter from Mrs. Bess Delk, daughter of Mrs. Andrews, states: "There were thirteen members--Mama, Dad, and eleven others. Mama said that someone in Dickson said that little church will never amount to anything as they are starting out with unlucky thirteen." The meeting began the first Sunday in May, 1891, and lasted a month, and resulted in the organization of the congregation to be known later as the Walnut Street Church of Christ.

An article by I.B. Bradley in a 1913 edition of an old county newspaper stated about the meeting of 1891: "During this meeting there were thirty-five additions. A regular congregation was set in order in the hall, consisting of about forty members." Possibly there were three elders appointed, certainly two. Brother Stacey and D.A. Sager, and a short time later, A.B. Williams. J.M. Talley served as one of the deacons until his death.

The missions program of the congregation goes back many years, both within Dickson County and into the rest of the world. Efforts outside Dickson County go back to when Miss Sara Andrews went to Japan in 1916, where she received support from the church until her death there in 1961. Other past efforts include folks like: Billy Smith (Japan), Robert Wilcoxson (Nigeria), John Petty Murphree (Brussels, Belgium and Papua, New Guinea), Bill Ramsay (Korea), Gordon Makool (Beaver Dam, Wisconsin), E.C. 'Zeke' Maynard (Bermuda), Otis Gatewood (Iron Curtain), Carl Frazier (Wisconsin) and many other individuals or congregations.

Mission efforts as of 2006 include: Forrest Chapman (North Georgia); Jerry Sawyer (Farmville, Virginia); Christian Student Centers (Knoxville, Murfreesboro, Martin, Clarksville and Cookeville); Guyana, South America; Savusavu, Fiji Islands, South Pacific; Adam Barr (Scotland); Graham McDonald (Scotland); James D. Judd (Central Africa); Roger Michael (Albania and Georgia); Dino Tzanetos (Athens, Greece); Trevor Williams (England); Wayne Pruette (Guyana); Charles Moore (Italian Literature Program); Jerris N. Bullard (India); Keith Purcell (Quebec City, Canada); Eastern European Missions; World Christian Broadcasting; World Bible School; and www.studyJesus.com. In 2006 the elders approved the establishment of a new local ministry to assist Spanish-speaking people.

There are currently nine men serving as elders. They are listed here, with the date they began to serve in this role: Jere Bass (July 1979), Bobby Cathey (December 1995), George Caudill (January 1976), Joe Corlew (June 2003), Charles DeBerry (June 2003), Dan Erranton (December 1995), Lyle Farrell (February 1986), Dale Ragan (February 1986), and Bob Spencer (December 1995).

These men have as top priorities, attending to the needs of the congregation and overseeing numerous mission efforts at home and around the world with a mission statement of  To manifest the spirit of Christ by saving the lost and serving mankind to the glory of God.