Montana Street Church Of Christ

WELCOME TO THE MONTANA STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST HOMEPAGE!

Location: 3101 Montana Avenue

The times for our services are:

• Sunday morning worship — 9:45 – 10:45
• Sunday morning Bible class — 11:00 – 11:45
• Sunday evening worship — 6:00 – 7:00
• Wednesday evening worship — 7:00 – 8:00
• Thursday morning ladies Bible class (Sept – May) — 10:00

NOTE: With members going out of town due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, there will be no church services on the following days:

• Wednesday, December 21, 2011
• Sunday, December 25, 2011
• Wednesday, December 28, 2011 

Church Office Telephone Number: 915.565.8731

Church Office Email Address: montanachurchofchristep@yahoo.com

Elders:

• Dempsey Williams —  dmzdriver@elp.rr.com
• Robert C. Hyland — rchyland@juno.com

—Mike Riley – Webmaster

A Brief History Of The Montana Avenue Church Of Christ (1969)

The Church of Christ had it’s beginning in El Paso on the second Sunday in November, 1907. That’s when nine people met in Miss Mamie Young’s room in a boarding house in 1000 block of Magoffin Street. Those present were Mamie Young, Mr. and Mrs. R.D. Helvey, Mr. and Mrs. G.C. Helvey, Mr. and Mrs. Peter B. Johnson, and a Mrs. Moorehead and her son, S.T. Moorehead. In 1910, Mrs. J.W. Gillespie and her daughter, Mrs. Alfred F. Keer and Frances Gillespie (The present Mrs. A.L. Mcknight) were added to the group. Worship services were held in various homes until about 1913, when the old Court House became the place of the Lord’s Day worship.

J.W. (Jasper) Dunn preached in a gospel meeting about 1912 and later returned to become the first regular minister of the church. Succeeding ministers were Lee P. Mansfield (1918), W.A. Schultz (1919), W.M. Speck (1922), Fred Blanchard (1924), J. Emmett Wainwright (1928), John Wolfe (1930), Ira Winterrowd (1934), J.A. McCall (1935), Jess Hall (1944), Bomar Gist (1945), A.H. Kennamer (1946), W.P. Dennis (1950), Monroe Tharp (1951), T.B. Crews (1956), E. Heulan Masters (1962), Guy Southern (1965), and C.J. Horton (1968).

The first elders were installed about 1919. They were J.B. Hancock and J.W. Cowan. Deacons were Searcy Ballard, Dan Lovelady and Ferd Daugherty. Succeeding elders who served were W.M. Daugherty Sr.; S.E. Dabbs, C.L. Duncan, Elbert Kelly, Earl Smith, L.M. Ward, John F. Hay, Jesse Mac Sewell, J.H. Lundy Sr.; C.C. Crownover, O.P. Bond, O.J. Bradley, and the present elders, Ernest Bentley, Darwin R. Carroll, Ben V. Crockett. R.T. Gentry and Johnie A. Simpson.

The first property purchased by the church in 1914, was located at the corner of Trowbridge and Lamar Street. Trustees making the purchase were Mrs. Alfred F. Kerr, Miss Mamie Young and Mrs. Bertha Craig. This property was later sold and lots at 3001 Montana Ave. were purchased. The congregation first worshipped in the new $7,500.00 building on Sunday July 4, 1915. J. W. Bedford was the contractor as well as an elder. He was also the father of our own Mrs. W.A. Woldert and the grandfather of Dorothy Erickson. After the building was completed and he had received payment, he endorsed the check and turned it over to the treasurer of the church as a donation.

Later, the property at 3101 Montana Avenue was bought and on February 20, 1949, the first service was held in the new $135,000.00 building. The educational building has since been added, bringing the total monetary investment to $255,000.00. The church also owns a preacher’s house at 8804 Lait Street.

The first membership directory printed in 1929 listed 162 names. The 1942 directory listed 448 members. The 1947 directory listed 450 members, and the 1967 directory listed 330 members.

The last figure reflects the results felt locally from members moving to newly established congregations in the city, such as Grandview, North Loop, Northside, Eastwood, and Westside.

Bible classes were first organized in 1915. A Vacation Bible school has been conducted each year since 1947. Gospel meetings have been on the annual church calendar since 1907. Among those who conducted meetings were Jesse P. Sewell, Trine Starnes, Melvin Wise, Horace W. Busby, John T. Smith, and J. A. McCall. In 1965, all El Paso congregations participated in city-wide “Campaign for Christ” with Jimmy Allen doing the preaching. Total responses during the meeting were 98 baptisms and 290 restorations. There was a similar campaign in 1967 also conducted by Jimmy Allen.

There was also a predominately black congregation that met on Cebada Street. The building was purchased by an oil company to build a gas station. This congregation built a new building on Esther Street in the lower valley. Their minister was Isaac Dietrick. Their second minister was Rudoph James and after him came Alfred White. This congregation was merged in the mid seventies. Members went to different congregations according to their own preferences. Some went to Montana Avenue; Gus Stoker, Gertie Butler, D.E. and Aliene Williams in particular. Samuel and Christine Hooper went to Grandview. others went to North Loop including Raleigh and Ruth Gallington, Gloria Bennett, Cornelius and Dolly Byrd. Other members at the time were Carl and Ruby Ladson, Lelia Cannon, Thomas and Leora Portley, Wayne and Susan Strickland, Mary Strickland, Wendell Betts, Connie and Janice Golphin, Leora Childress and her son, Levi, Celoa Manaway and her four children; Soloman Jr. Cindy, Tyrone, and Ricky went to the Northside congregation.

The congregation has engaged in mission and benevolent work since its beginning. In October 1967, the church sent Kerry and Tommie Cain to Auckland, New Zealand to preach the gospel and establish the Lord’s church there. This congregation also supported Cebada and Esther street works.

The first proposed budget in 1935 was $3,000.00. Some of the later budgets were: 1942 – $8,330.00; 1947 – $16,812.00; 1962 – $63,024.00 and 1969 – $62,120.00.

The Montana Avenue church as been privileged to participate in the beginning of every other church of Christ in the city.