Our Church History

By Pastor David Morris |  August 22, 2013

      The rich heritage of this church has been felt by all that have come to be a part of this celebration. This church came from a small group that had received the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues and found themselves with no church to go to in the early 1900's. They started the Green Mission on the south side of town on the corner of 3rd and H Street the building had green painted shaker shingles hence the name " The Green Mission". A small group wanted a bible believing church that accepted speaking in tongues, they found the Church of God in Cleveland, TN. That group later moved into an old one room barn heated by an old potbelly coal stove, they had moved to 100 N. B Street and started the Church of God in Gas City in 1919.
     Later in the 1940's during the war they began a building program to build the church that is presently on B Street. This task was very difficult because the men were at war and it was hard to get materials. The Church needed a new building so they fund raised by capping bottles for Owen Illinois (being short on laborers because of the war) right in the church.
      As the war went on Ina Hyatt (Orpha Meyers's mother) found herself as the Pastor. They had dug the basement and could not get lumber to build the church because wood was rationed during the war. Being sick one day Pastor Ina stayed home and received a phone call from a contractor named Maynard. He asked why they had not gone up with the building. She explained why. He told her to talk to the Mayor Bob Ray. The Mayor managed to get lumber for the church building. Pastor Ina only paid for the materials and the contractor Maynard volunteered to build the church for The Church of God.
      In the late 60's Pastor Frank Hughes found that they had once again outgrown the building on 100 N. B Street and purchased the land on 10th Street and began the process of selling the old church. Pastor Frank Hughes was followed by Pastor TJ Jared. Several months after he became pastor they sold the church on B Street. In the meantime they started holding services in different locations around town such as the Library, City Hall's basement, and North View School. Pastor Jared and the men of the church built the Education Wing in the early 70's and they began holding services in the fellowship hall. In the years to follow they built the sanctuary and the parsonage.