BLOOMINGTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Bloomington Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was organized when a group of people met with William Curby (Bill C.) Smith in the old Bloomington School house (located across the street from where the present church building stands) on October 27,1912. Plans to organize a permanent church had been in the making for a year or more.
Prior to that time, church services were conducted by traveling ministers holding revivals or preaching an occasional sermon while passing through the community.
In September 1912, Mr. Charlie Coop, this time assisted by Bill C. Smith held a memorable revival in the old school house at Bloomington. Sixty two people, most of whom were adults, came forward, either by confession or rededication. Many of them became charter members of Bloomington Christian Church when it was organized the following Month on October 27th.
After the revival,plans were drawn up for a larger building to accommodate the larger crowds that were attending the church services.
The land for the church was donated by H.E. and Frank Amonett (brothers).
Trees were donated for the lumber to build the church. A large white oak tree was donated by A.Y. Tidrow for the roof. John Cross and Jim Jones made the boards used for roofing the church. The weather boarding was made from yellow poplar and was sawn and dressed by the men of the community (some of whom were not members), who donated their labor for the building. The mid-day meals for the workers was prepared by Mrs. Lydia Cross and Mrs. Kate Amonett.
The church building was completed in 1913,a few weeks after the plans were drawn up. Less than one hundred dollars in actual cash was spent on the entire building.
The old one-room building served the community until 1961 when it was replaced by a modern brick building. The old building that had stood for forty eight years was sold and torn down for materials to construct a dwelling house that now stands on a lot near the old factory building that is now used as a teen center.
The brick building constructed in 1961 has had two major additions, one in the late 1970's when the addition now known as "The Shed" and a baptistery and storage rooms in the basement were constructed. The second addition was conducted in the summer of 2007 when a fellowship hall and classroom wing were added.
Organizationally, BCC remained with the Disciples of Christ until the late 1960's. The Disciples had been studying its organizational structure for several years and in 1968 went through a process called "Restructure" taking the steps required to designate itself a denomination. Many of the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ in the USA chose to remain independent and asked the United Christian Missionary Society to remove them from the annual listing of Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ). Approximately two thirds of the pre-1968 congregations are now know as independent Christian Churchs and Churches of Christ.
Bloomington Christian Church is among those.
As the Church has grown physically, the congregation has held to the beliefs upon which it was founded almost on hundred years ago. It is still governed by a board of elders and deacons with a minister who preaches the good news on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings. Bible studies are conducted on Sunday mornings and Sunday evening, Monday and Wednesday evenings and Friday mornings.
BCC is a vibrant congregation that seeks to reach out tot he community through a variety of programs designed to follow Bible teachings and spread the Good News o salvation through Jesus Christ throughout the world.