The Shadow
The Johnson Creek Mission was started on December 12, 1948. The first meeting was held in the little Cold Spring Store Building which was owned by Mr. Grayden Reed. Before this meeting, the members of the Men’s Evangelical Club of the Little Brick Church in Edgemont had surveyed the territory and decided that this was the very best location available for the mission to begin. Seventeen persons attended the first Sabbath School. This number grew each Sabbath and before long the room was filled to capacity.
In the summer of 1950, it was decided to select a building lot and a committee was appointed to do this work. Several lots were considered desirable, among them one owned by Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Cartwright. This lot was later donated by Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright and the present building sits on these lots which consist of four acres.
In the summer of 1952, Rev. W.O. Ragsdale was pastor of the Edgemont Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Covington. He was released to come live on Johnsons Creek to get a building program started.
With the lot cleared the first bricks were laid by Ed Walton on October 18, 1952. The chapel had a fellowship hall, three classrooms, and a small kitchen. This was designed as an education building so that a sanctuary and other rooms could be added later. During Rev. Webster Curry’s pastorate, an addition was built: a 200-seat sanctuary, four classrooms, three restrooms, and a study. The old furnace room was removed so that the kitchen could be enlarged. Pastors have been: Rev. George Morrison, from Edgemont served the church until its first full-time pastor was received: Rev. B. Dale White, Rev. Webster Curry, Rev. Renon Latham, Rev. David Ellis, Rev. David Walkup, Rev. Mike Keifman, Rev. Paul Burns, and the present pastor, Rev. Jim Giles.
All are welcome to attend the services each Sabbath: Morning Worship at 10:00 a.m., Adult Sunday School at 11:00, Bible Study on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m.
