The beginning of the Loretto Church of Christ resulted, among other events, from a sermon preached by brother T.C. King of Lawrenceburg TN in 1920 at the Loretto City Hall in the upper story of the Augustin Store Building, which later became Hunt’s Store on Second Avenue.
The Loretto Church of Christ was chartered in 1920 with 12 members according to records in the Lawrence County Courthouse. Some of these were Arthur and Mamie Davis Sills (later Mamie Simpson), Robert F. and Ida Mae Bumpass, Sarah Tidwell, Daisy Tidwell Tungstill and Lena Arthur Cole. The Sills family moved to Loretto from Minor Hill in 1917. They had been attending services at St. Joseph by buggy.
Dais Tidwell was the first to be baptized during the church’s organization. Dr. A.D. Cole was baptized in 1921 and became Sunday School Superintendent. Estha and Eva Cole were baptized in 1925 by J.C. Hollis.
Baptisms were in creeks in two locations (south of the bridge over Clax Branch on Church Street and below Blue Water Bridge on the Lexington Road. Later the baptisteries of surrounding churches were used, until the construction of our present baptistery.
At the start, services were held in member’s homes, and then in the Loretto Elementary School (unfortunately our government has changed and would not allow this today). Summer gospel meetings were held under brush arbors and tents. There was usually a crowd with people standing around the sides and at the back. Preaching was loud (no public address systems) and strong in doctrine.
On November 28, 1923 the deed for the present property was conveyed from W.C. Caperton and his wife Leona to R.R. Whitworth, M.E. Davis and W.E. Osborn, elders of the Loretto congregation, their successors and assigns.
The purchase price was $225.00 for lots 20, 21, and 22 of the J. Allen Littrell subdivision. The deed states, “the above described lots are purchased for the purpose of erecting a building in the future for the Loretto congregation of the church of Christ, and there is to be no musical instruments used in the worship in this proposed building.”
In April of 1924, the construction of a one room concrete block building was started. In order to finance the building, Dr. A.D. Cole and Mrs. J.M. (Vera Damell made available $1250.00 to be repaid in $250.00 annual payments over a period of five years. R.R. Whitworth, M.E. Davis and Dave Hughes signed as elders of the Loretto congregation of the Church of Christ.
Tragedy occurred in this construction when Dallas Sills was killed by a scaffold falling and a concrete block crushing his chest. He was Arthur Sills’ brother and had been married to Mattie Grimes for only a few months. Merie Hottle of Kentucky was the first minister to preach in the church building. J.C. Hollis of Florida dedicated the church building in July 1928.
Maurice Clymore conducted the first gospel meeting. In those early years, there was Sunday morning worship with preaching once a month and a summer meeting.
Limited records were kept of church activities and attendance. The following is recorded in a 1944-45 minute book; “Sunday average attendance 25, average contribution $10.00. Dennis Noles and Dr. Cole were usually the ones conducting the service and leading in prayer. January 23, 1944 brother B. G. Hope preached and Esley Shelton waited on the table for the first time. The John Pechonicks with their new baby were in attendance. February 20 no men members were present and Eva Cole conducted the Sunday School class. January 13, 1945 the congregation named Dennis Noles, Dr. Cole, and Vemon Potts as trustees to conduct the business of the church. C.H. Adams was one of the Sunday School teachers.”
Leadership was weak during the beginning years of this church because of a limited number of men members. This was particularly true of song leaders. Often some of the women would “pitch” the song from the pew and the congregation would sing. Without the concern and dedication of these women, the church may not have survived.
Bread for the Lord’s Supper was not purchased as it is now. Mrs. Sills and Mrs. Darnell baked it. The fruit of the vine was provided by home grown grapes, processed and bottled by the Cole family. White linen cloths used on the communion table were made and laundered by Mrs. Vera Darnell. She also took care of the communion.
All Sunday school classes were held at various locations in the one room building. Heating was by wood or coal, with a fire having to be built early on Sunday morning. Later heating was by oil and then by a gas floor furnace.
Visiting ministers, and often their families with them, stayed in the member’s homes during gospel meetings. Sometimes they were invited out for a noon meal (sometimes not) during 10 and 14 day summer meetings. Services consisted of two sermons daily, 10:00 in the morning and 7:30 at night. There was no air-conditioning, but an electric fan might be centered on the preacher for his comfort, while the audience waved the air back and forth with “funeral home” pasteboard fans.
In 1947 some improvements were made to the building including a one stall restroom for the men and one for the women, and a few classrooms. In the early 60’s, two window air conditioner units were installed. In the mid 60’s pews were purchased, which replaced theater type seats.
Major improvements were planned in 1970. In order to accomplish the plans on the present lot, additional land was needed. Through the generosity of the W.H. Augustin heirs, land was given to the church and the improvements were completed.
by 1971 the improvements were a front porch, construction of six classrooms, a baptistery, dressing rooms, a church office, carpet, installation of central heat and air, and the entire building was bricked. Candice Dickerson was the first member to be baptized in our baptistery on March 7, 1971.
In 1979 the auditorium was paneled and the pews cushioned. In 2006 a wall was removed and the fellowship room was enlarged and painted. During 2007, the men of the church sacrificed their time and gave themselves to working every Saturday for the whole year in constructing walk-in restrooms and a nursery upstairs.
In 2012 new lighting was installed in the auditorium. In 2013 the auditorium paneling was painted and sunscreen was placed over the windows. In 2016 the church purchased a security system. In 2021 a restroom was added in the back. In 2022 the church purchased the lot on the upper side of the building.
More remolding and updating was done in October 2022, when the classrooms, dressing rooms, church office, along with all the rooms in the back were painted. After the paneling was painted, new flooring was put down in the back. In 2023 shelves, more cabinets and counter tops were added in the kitchen, along with the purchase of an electric range.
Ministers of the Loretto church:
1928 Maurice Clymore
1929 Clayton James
1929-34 Gladdis, Willcutt and Underwood
1934 Gilbert Shaffer
1935 C. L. Overtuff
1937 Gilbert Gibbs
1939 Rye
1941-42 Granville W. Tyler
1943-44 B. G. Hope
1945 Lytle White
1946-48 W. C. Quillen
1949 Carl Lancaster
1950-51 Edsel Burleson
1953 Andrew Brown
1955 Howard Blazer
1955-57 Eugene Crunk (full time minister)
1959 Granville Allen
1960-77 Russell Dickerson
1977-78 Kenneth Weldon
1978-81 Larry Harper
1981-83 Bobby Sims (full time minister)
1983-87 Kevin Dillon
1987 Roy Arnold
1988-96 Tim McCafferty
1996-98 Pat Gibbons
1999 to present – Danny Pettus