The church of Christ was built and purchased by Christ, established on the first Pentecost after His resurrection. It is the most important institution in the world! It is our goal to be the church one reads about in the New Testament. Hence, in addition to our warm welcome at Holden Avenue, you will find a place where the pure Gospel is preached, where a dedicated body of people assemble to worship, and where souls are devoted to the Lord and His Word.
The Holden Avenue congregation first began to meet in 1919. Four families made up the small congregation that met in the county courthouse. These families were part of what is known as the restoration movement. This movement, which began in the mid 1800's, was a "back to the bible" movement whose motto had become "speak where the bible speaks, and be silent where the bible is silent." Each congregation is self-governed with Christ as the head and seeks to model its practice after the example given in the New Testament.
The Newport congregation began to grow and the need for their own meeting space became apparent. In 1921 the church moved into a building that was still under construction on the lot where the church still meets today.
Church Building circa 1940s
By 1949 the congregation had once again outgrown its facilities. The church began to meet in one of the local schools while part of the building was sold and moved and the rest torn down. The new facility was completed in 1951. This much larger facility included a large auditorium and many classrooms. Two modern additions for the time was the use of a sound system and air conditioning.
The church was very active in the community in reaching out to the lost and sharing with the less fortunate. Their efforts along with a growing community meant an ever-increasing attendance. In 1964 the church added a new auditorium with a seating capacity of 900 and converted the older building into a fellowship hall and classroom space. By the 1980's church membership was over 600 making it the largest church in Jackson County. The 1990's were a difficult time economically in and around Newport. Many younger families moved away as manufacturing jobs disappeared.
Currently we have a membership of just over 300 with an average attendance of 270. We continue to be active in our community in helping those in need and reaching out to the lost through our many ministries. Our purpose is to be the physical representation of Jesus Christ in the world today.
