History of the Northside Church of Christ

April 3, 1966 – Present

"How will we know where we are going if we don't know where we came from?"

The Beginning of the Northside Church of Christ in Jasper

The wise man Solomon in Proverbs 29:18a spoke these words,

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

The following is a historical account of a few faithful men who had a vision of the Lord's church being established in Jasper, Georgia. May God continue to bless us in our effort here at Northside to spread His word to our neighbors and friends in Pickens County. With faith in God and a firm foundation based on the teaching in the New Testament, the early Christians in Jasper began planning for the Lord's church in this area. 

Like any beginning of the Lord's church in a particular area it goes without saying it had its problems. However, without the dedication of Brother H. C. Owen and with the help of Dewey Medlin the church of the Lord would not be here today in Jasper.

With much anticipation and excitement fifteen members with eleven children were among the area congregations that made up the first worship service on April 3, 1966. The first service for the Northside Church of Christ was held in the "Youth and Recreational Center" (now known as Sharptop Mountain Arts Association) building in Jasper. Brother James R. Lundy from the Avondale congregation in Atlanta did the preaching. Brother Owen wrote that the meeting was well attended with visitors from several congregations. 

Shown in the picture above is Brother H. C. "Sid" Owen (R) and Brother Dewey Medlin (L) standing in front of the building where Northside Church of Christ was meeting for the first time (April 3, 1966).

After years of planning and months of assembling at the home of H. C. and Alice Owen they started meeting at the old High School down from the Youth and Recreational Center.

In planning H. C. Owen purchased two lots located on Hickory Street. This was going to be the future site for the Westside Church of Christ. The local denominational residents objected and had it zoned to prohibit the church from building a place of worship. Brethren from another church with doctrinal differences had already rented a place on old Highway 5 and called themselves the Jasper Church of Christ. Brother Owen spoke about problems these brethren were causing.

They had to look for a new location to build a church building. They found the present property and purchased it from Mrs. Julia Bell Burton. Much hard labor was involved in clearing the pine trees. This was done mostly by Brother Owen, Dewey Medlin and Reed Thompson. Riley Hembree did the grading of the site for the building. 

Bonds were sold for the building, and H. C. Owen and Dewey Medlin signed the security for the loan. This is how the Northside Church of Christ came into being.

Plans Made for a Full Time Minster

The responsibility for the support of a full time preacher was accepted by the Trion, Georgia congregation. Brother C. T. Kidwell was the first full time preacher for the Northside congregation. He delivered his first sermon in Jasper on May 16. 1966.

After Brother Kidwell left, Brother Bill Hardin and Brother Earl Barfield from the Marietta church began to assist Brother Dewey Medlin and Brother Owen for almost two years. Brother Richard Holbrook from Marietta also assisted in some of the preaching.

In the fall of 1968, Brother Broome who preached for the Canton Church of Christ was at the time holding a meeting in Oklahoma and came in contact with Donald Musgrave a young preacher just out of Sunset School of Preaching. He was looking for a Church of Christ to do the Lord's work. Brother Broome recommended the work here at Jasper to him. The work here was taken up before the Okmulgee Church of Christ in Oklahoma and they agreed to send him here to Northside Church of Christ in Jasper. They agreed to support him here in Jasper if the Northside congregation would move him here and pay his rent and utilities. This was agreed on.

Houses were very scarce in Jasper in those days, but they finally found one which was not very desirable. In February 1969, Donald Musgrave, his wife Donna and their two children, Cindy and Donald Jr. arrived here and he began his work as a full time preacher for the Northside Church of Christ. During the year of 1969 the church managed to build a nice three bedroom brick home on Hickory Street for the preacher to live in. 

In the infant stages of the Northside Church of Christ, Brother Owen said that they were very familiar with sorrow, hardships and sacrifices which go along with any preachers trying to establish the Lord's church in any area.