Oldest Church of Christ in Alabama

by

Fred McCaleb

Bridgeport, Alabama
This plaque was given to Thomas Foshee, representing the church, on January 4,
1976, in a public ceremony at the building before a large assembled crowd.
According to the old church records, we find life quite different from our life
today. There were few comforts of any kind. There were dangers from hostile
Indians for this was Indian territory. Cherokee Indians were abundant in the
area, the Indian removal was not until 1828. It was said that men members of
the church were posted on the outside of the building during services to guard
against the Indians. Russell Cave National Monument is located about 5 miles
away where archeologists have found remains of Indians dating back to 6,000
B.C.
In the year 1807 Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States and we had
slavery. There was no Jackson County, Alabama. Our new nation was just 31 years
old. It was prior to the war of 1812. It is stated in the old records of the
congregation that valiant men served with honor in all the wars of our country.
Early in the 1800's, a number of Presbyterian and Episcopalian pioneers had
moved from North Carolina and Virginia into the Tennessee Valley River Valley
and adjoining areas of Tennessee, some of them founding a community in Warren
County, Tennessee, which became known as Old Philadelphia. These were religious
people, without a preacher, and they studied the scriptures together. Soon they
were worshipping as one body, calling themselves Christians and the church only
as the church of Christ.
A post road from Knoxville to New Orleans was opened in 1805 and some two years
later, when the territory of Alabama, then largely occupied by the Cherokee
Indians, was opened to white settlers, among the first to arrive and settle in
North Alabama was a group from Warren County, Tennessee. Some of these people
located near the post road at the foot of a mountain and built a community
called Antioch. This was in 1807.
Among these white settlers were William J. Price, baptized in 1811 at Old
Philadephia, Tennessee, and his wife and a slave named Moses. They selected a
home site near a spring they found by following a game trail, and named the
place Rocky Springs. It was a plantation located a little over a mile south of
Antioch. W.J. Price was a prominent leader in the church until his death in
January 1868. His grave lies just across the street from the church building in
the Rocky Springs cemetery.
A community grew up around the Price home on the post road to Rocky Springs. A
post office, trading post, a tavern, and stables for changing horses on the
stage coaches were all built here.
On June 12, 1847, the congregation moved into a new building at Rocky Springs
and 82 members all committed themselves to the Lord. W.J. Price had deeded the
property to the church where, even to this day, it still stands. The records
recognized the elders: Elisha M. Price, William King and Andrew Russell. In
June 1851, the congregation had grown to 130 members. Deacons and elders were
present in the church at this time.
The Civil War was most disastrous to the church. A letter written by Washington
Bacon pointed out that there were ten widows with thirty-five children in the
congregation and they were destitute. Many of the men of the church had been
called to fight in the war and most all were killed. In the winter of 1864, the
church building was burned by the Union Army. Most of the remaining members were
scattered, but some returned in 1865 and resumed worship and slowly began to
rebuild, completing the building in 1870. By 1875, the church had out grown the
building and still larger one was built. The present building was erected in
1912 and additions hae been made since then.
As a point of information for those who mistakenly suggest that the church of
Christ was founded by Alexander Campbell , it may be shown that Old
Philadelphia Church of Christ came into existence not later than 1810, that the
Antioch (Rocky Springs) church began in 1807, that Campbell arrived in America
September 29, 1809 and did not preach his first Gospel sermon until July 15,
1810 at Washington, Penn., and that Campbell did not cease to work within
association of the Baptist church until 1827. Thus congregations of the church
of Christ were in existence in America for at least 19 years before Campbell
laid aside his denominational ties and also began to worship according to the
New Testament pattern.
We will be celebrating our 192nd anniversary Labor Day week-end September 1999.
Because better communication is in the brotherhood, especially on the internet,
we are finding a few more congregations that started around that time in middle
Tennessee. If you know of a old, continuous Church of Christ, please let us
know.
Today, the Rocky Springs church is a small congregation of about 40 people.
Several surrounding towns like Bridgeport, Stevenson, and South Pittsburg have
drawn away have drawn a lot of people away from Rocky Springs. The new 4 Lane
Highway 72 comes within 100 yards of our building. If you are driving on
Highway 72 near Bridgeport, please stop and worship with us. We have signs
directing you toward our building. Turn North on County Road 209 and the
building will be on the left about 100 yards up at the intersection of County
Road 209 and 574. We would be glad to have you as our honored guests.