Gordon Street Christian Church will celebrate its 170th birthday Sunday, making it one of the oldest churches in Lenoir County. To mark the church’s birthday is an annual event for us, but each time it reaches another decade point, the day seems extra special. Now we will be saying for a while, “We’re 170-something years old!”
The congregation began at the Little Sisters’ Meeting House on Hugo Road with five women and four men covenanting to become a church. The signers were Cynthia Dunn, Patsy Dudly, Elizabeth Bond, Lany Jones, Persis Parrott, Jacob Parrott, Robert Bond, Water Dunn Sr., and John A. Parrott. They simply called themselves the Church of Christ.
The small, committed group erected a little wooden chapel on the corner of Gordon and Herritage streets on the banks of the Neuse River. Sitting across from what is now Lenoir Oxygen Company, it served the congregation for 40 years. The growing congregation then erected its first brick building on Caswell Street in 1891 (in what is now the post office parking lot), before moving to the present location of 118 E. Gordon St. in 1915.
The 20th century was a time of growth and expansion for the church, helping it to become one of the larger and most active congregations in Kinston. Even today, I will meet people who say that they were married or baptized at Gordon Street, or that they played basketball and bowled here in the church (referring to activities in the recreation building that stood from 1924-1971).
Like many mainline churches, our church of today is leaner than in the 1960s era (we average 115 per Sunday), yet still we are strong and vibrant. People today are likely to know us for our commitment to the downtown area, the scouting program, our handbell choir, our leadership in the Association of Congregations and other ecumenical endeavors, our benevolence ministry, as well as for our facilities.
I sense that we are also known as a place where many folks can find a spiritual home. We are short on dogma and long on diversity, welcoming a broad range of thoughts and ideas, and respecting individual journeys. The commitment that unites us is our devotion to God through Jesus Christ, and yet that gets lived out in various ways. Some of us are pretty traditional people, others are very progressive. We accept that, like it that way, and are committed to being together.
We are looking forward to Sunday’s 170th birthday celebration, and it would give us great joy to welcome those of you who have had or do have an interest in our church. Please consider coming as our guest to the 11 a.m. worship and the luncheon which will follow in the fellowship hall. We will be glad to see you.
Happy Birthday, GSCC!
Mark Benson is pastor of Gordon Street Christian Church. Reach him at markgscc@embarqmail.com.