Susan Harber, Daily News Journal, January 10, 2015
“Shall we gather at the river?” What fateful and prophetic words for a minister to proclaim each Sunday, as the adjoining Stones River would soon infringe the foundation of the church itself. The Old Jefferson Church of Christ was on the cusp of the low banks of two rivers flowing together into one. A bustling congregation on Jefferson Pike was the height of goodwill in the once thriving town of Old Jefferson. This original, one-room, white-shingled church was the center of the community.
Paul Rogers standing beside the original Old Jefferson Church of Christ in 1953.
James and Henreta Wade, relatives of church leader Walter Lenoir, deeded the lot to the trustees of the Church of Christ in 1915. The church building was then erected for $1,000 with boxes used as temporary benches in the assembly room. In 1949, seating was installed; and three classrooms were added in 1953. A school bus and wagons were two mediums of transportation in the 1920s to and from the building. In the 1930s, a pot-bellied stove kept the solitary meeting room warm on a cold Sunday morning; and in 1953, gas heating was installed.
The Jefferson Church of Christ related to 314 Old Jefferson Pike on the eastern edge of Smyrna, Tennessee.
This exciting church welcomed every stranger with open arms and was well known as a friendly and inviting assembly. Long-term attendees included several families with a namesake of Lenoir, Waller, Fergus, Dunn, Lannom, Wilkinson, Francis, Wilkerson and Wilson.
The women wore their best attire on Sunday mornings along with hat and gloves. They were the definitive “movers and shakers” of the church prospering behind the scenes to make this church stand tall.
Ruth Dunn taught a children’s class for years and taught my mom, Judy Johns, in Sunday school. Wide-eyed boys and girls sat in different corners of the large room awestruck by the stories brought to life by this endearing teacher.
At Christmas, there was a decorated tree in the church building, and every child received a special gift. Notable historian Martha Wright of Murfreesboro relates that members Walter Lenoir and Lee Victory delivered Christmas presents 61 years ago to the children of the congregation. Lee Victory dressed as Santa and gave Martha a Bible at 9 years of age that she still has today.
Paul Rogers’ first day preaching at Old Jefferson CoC (on the chalkboard is written 9-28-1952).
Before 1958, there were no elders. The church was united as team players in decision making. There was no baptistry within the building, and baptisms took place in the nearby Stones River. These waters could be chilling on a winter day. My grandmother was baptized in these waters in 1928; and my mother, wearing her best attire, followed her in 1948.
Church dinners were rare in the 1940s and 1950s in a one-room church. Yet, inviting guests into personal homes was an enduring trend. My grandmother Emily Johns was a member for 35 years and promoted an open door on Sundays and greeted visitors and traveling preachers to “come home with me and have lunch.” Emily and Glendon Johns awaited these guests to their home with a delicious meal and welcomed them as part of their family.