First Building
1917-1924
There are very few records located in any one place that give information about the history of the Church of Christ in Canyon, Texas. I am deeply indebted to many sources for the material presented here. Among those sources is a copy of an article which appeared in The Canyon News on Thursday, July 20, 1939, edited by the late S.H. Jones, a copy of an annual report to the church in 1950, edited by Joe F. Watson, and numerous notes written by the late Sister W.W. Clounch. These sources are from the files of Sister Clounch and made available by her granddaughter Lorena Piper. Some information was gleaned from a copy of the 1974 University Church of Chirst directory. I also was privileged to receive a letter from the late S.J. Woodruff in July 1977. At that time, Brother Woodruff was 97 years of age, and, as far as I was able to determine, the last surviving charter member of the church in Canyon. I share a portion of that letter with you:
"When I first went to Canyon there was no congregation of the Church of Christ, but it was not long until Harding Nall came with his family and we met in his home. Among our early members: Harding Nall and family, Frank Copeland and family, Omer Kirk, Bates, Bro. Money. There were others but sixty five years can make images mighty dim, and I have been no exception."
The first meeting of the Church of Christ in Canyon was on the first Sunday in January 1913, in the J.H. Nall residence located north of the Santa Fe depot. The church conducted its first gospel meeting in 1914 with Brother Liff Sanders of Lubbock doing the preaching.
The first resident emember was C.P. Money. The next resident members were probably Mr. and Mrs. D. Mack Stewart who moved to Canyon in 1914. Among the early West Texas State student leaders were J.H. Nall and family, J. Frank Copeland and family, C.H. Kirk, S.J. Woodruff, J.T. Carder, Lee Davenport, and C.N. Browning.
From 1913 to 1917, the church met in residences and rented rooms. In 1917 the church in Lockney made a contribution to be used for the purchase of a building in Canyon. Charles Watkins, J. Frank Copeland, and C.N. Browning were named as trustees, and a small two-room house, located on Third Avenue west of Seventeenth Street, was purchased and converted into the first church building.
First Building
1917-1924
In 1924, a new building 30 by 50 feet was eredcted across Seventeenth Street and the old bulding continued to be used as a meeting place for classes and various activities of the church. In 1936, an addition of 30 by 54 feet was added to this second building, completing the structure as it stands today.
Second Building
1924-1952
In 1947, growth of the church made planning for more space necessary, so a building fund was begun and $3,000.00 was contributed toward a new building. By January 1, 1951, that fund stood at $25,352.46, and the plans were drawn for a new building. A large new building was erected on Fourth Avenue at Twenty-First Street. In 1953, that building, which provided seating for 460 people plus 15 classrooms, was completed. When the church moved into that building in February 1953, it was designated as the "Central" Church of Christ.
Third Building
1953-1974
The Central building was used to its fullest capactiy for a number of years as the church continued to grow. In 1960, the congregation committed itself to either enlarging the Central building or erecting a new one. As time went on, it became apparent that the only feasible plan was a completely new, expandable building with ample land around it. That building was completed with 30 classrooms and an auditorium seating of 725. It is designed so that it may be enlarged to accommodate 1,000 in the auditorium when the need arises. It was thought appropriate to change the church's designation from "Central" to "University" Church of Christ at the time of its move into the present facility in December of 1974.
The Canyon church continued to grow and the need for additional classrooms became evident. The Fellowship Hall was not large enough to accommodate the entire congregation. Plans were made and in 1999 a new preschool classroom wing and Family Activity Center which also has two large classrooms for the youth of the congregation was completed. The preschool classroom wing also provides classrooms for the Tuesday/Thursday school and Mothers' Day Out program.
Present Building
1974-Present
The first elders of the church in Canyon were selected in 1920. They were C.N. Plaster, J.W. Harris, and C.S. Terry. Those who have served the church well and sacrificially since that time as elders include: D. Mack Stewart, Melvin Roberts, G.W. Cox, R.H. Jennings, J.R. Devin, Carl W. Smith, J.B. Roberts, T.F. McKinney, John A. Williams, Hampton Lisle, Jess Rhodes, Wesley Cox, Vernon Harmon, John Coleman, R.W. McNeill, Bill Cooper, Ray Eller, Bob Loe, Wes Bourn, and Hank Holt. Those presently serving as elders of this congregation are: Bob Burgoon, Jim Christopher, Troy Don Collier, Ray Eller, Roger Gist III, Dudley McNeill, Jeff Reid, and Bob Shepard.
In the early years of the church in Canyon, there was no full-time preacher. Among those who cam eonce or twice a month to preach were: G.F. Mickey, S.E. Templeton, H. Earl Smith, W.S. Taylor, Raymond Hopelette, and Wright Randolph. In 1926, the services of the first full-time preacher were acquired in the person of J.W. Brents. Those who have served as preachers since that time are Luther G. Roberts, John O'Dowd, E.C. McKenzie, James D. Willeford, H.M. Harriman, Earl L. Craig, Raymond T. Boyd, J.H. Williams, Virgil Jackson, Joe L. Banks, B.B. Harding, Raymond Whittington, A.F. Thurman, Lyle Bonner, Joe F. Watson, Ray Beason, Bob Wear, Herman Alexander, Dwayne Dennis, Bob Crass, Don Browning, Brent Adams, and David Lough. Interim and fill-in preaching was done by Brother E.R. Carver of Amarillo and Brother Graves of Stinett.
Probably the most productive work done by the University (Central) church is the campus work at West Texas A&M University. The Church of Christ Bible Chair was established to devleop the spiritual lives of Christian students at WTAMU and to evangelize the University community. The Bible Chair began in a house across from the Panhandle-Plain Historical Museum. It has grown into on eof th emost outstanding works of its kind among Churches of Christ. The north side of the present facility was completed in 1955 and the south wing was added in 1969. Althought the University church provides the bulk of support for the Bible Chair, a number of area congregations provide monthly support.
Bible Chair Building
Bible Chair directors of the past were: Earl Craig, C.L. Kay, Douglas Rohre, and Gordon Downing. Additional campus associates have included: Tonly Allison, Homer Cole, Larry Suttle, Tom Chapin, Kirk Willis, Randy Daw, David Watlington, Mark Tidwell, Alan Nickson, Marcus Melton, Kirk Collier, Andrew Burgoon, J.T. Oden, Trent Tanaro, and Lane McFarland. Bob Shepard serves as director of the campus ministry. He began his thirty-first year in 2004.
Youth minister for the University church have included: Bill Mayes, John Featherston, Mark Corkery, Jack Holland, Tom Harguess, Brad Thompson, and Hal Blackburn.
Through the years, the University Church of Christ has helped support several missionaries throughout the world. This work includes missionaries in Thailand, Mexico, India, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, Guyana, and North Dakota. Many members of the University congregation have traveled to these different countries to help spread the gospel. The youth of the congregation as their mission work have traveled to California, Houston, and Colorado. In Houston, they work with inner-city children at a summer camp, and in Colorado the youth taught a Vacation Bible School
Due to good leadership, cooperative members, a support community, and above all, the blessing of our Lord, the future looks very bright for continued growth and the develop of love for each other and the lost of our world. The University church is read to meet every challenge.
We are deeply indebted to Brother Hampton Lisle for most of the work in putting together this historical information. May it be a valuable keepsake to those interested in the Church of Christ in Canyon, Texas.