our history

Near the turn of every century something wonderful occurs under extraordinary and sometimes bizarre circumstances. That "something wonderful" is often disguised in a cloak of chaos, or sometimes confusion. It has been known to come wrapped in boxes of trouble. But when the dust settles, and the surrounding storm subsides; when the sadness runs its course and the sores progress to scars - that's when the progressive movement continues and the restoration process revives.

In July and August of 1998, something wonderful occurred in the middle of a fiery trial and SouthCentral Church of Christ was born. On August 9th, we held our first public service in the Days Inn Motel-North in Tyler. There were 66 adults and children present. This number also included two visitors who heard about our first service on the radio. We sang and prayed and prayed and sang. We communed together, and studied from the book of I Peter.  Our giving that day totaled $904.00. What happened in the next 7 days fortified our faith even further.

Like the saints of turmoil in the book of Acts, "prayer was made." (Acts 12:5) When we began to earnestly intercede, God began to seriously intervene. God began to let us see some "whys" and some "hows." He began to show us "why things happened," and He began to teach us how to become more than conquerors through Him. . . (Rom. 8:3)

We began to look for a more permanent location to worship from.  The property formerly occupied by Paradise Chapel of the Roses Mortuary was vacant.  Several local business people and friends, including the mayor, made inquiries for us.  By the time we made contact with the building's owners, God was already answering prayers. To simply say that the "man in charge" of the property turned out to be a Christian, would be a serious understatement.  We believe that the Lord put a Christian in the right place, in the right position and at the right time.

The building that now houses The Church of Christ at SouthCentral is and was nothing short of a blessing from God.  Because of Him we now have 2 buildings with more than 14,000 square feet, sitting on more than 4 acres and on a major East Texas highway dedicated to the service of God. The facility had a chapel that will seat 250 people with overflow. With a minimal expense and maximum talent from brothers, we were able to make the most needed minor adaptations as far as the structure was concerned. We have space for 8 classes, 5 offices, a fellowship hall and a meeting room (The McGowan Community Room). The Annex Building houses our kitchen and main fellowship areas.

We knew at once that God was entrusting a mission into our hands. We prayerfully entered into ministry at this location.  Since our beginning, we have baptized many souls and have reclaimed others who were lost in the world. Yet we know that the bulk of our mission lies before us.

SouthCentral continues to grow and to develop through leadership, outreach and through the more than 14 ministries that we are engaged in and committed to.