History:

Central Academy church of Christ was formed about 1900. The first gospel preacher to preach in this area was Bro. Fuqua preaching under a brush arbor. A one-room schoolhouse was bought on Central Academy Road and used for a meeting place for about forty-five years. Then land was acquired on Highway 6 east of Batesville and a block building was erected that would seat about 100 people. The membership at the time of this move was about 40 Christians. Some of the first preachers were brethren J. C. Brister, Tate Ring, and A. Y. Howell.

A brick building was completed in April, 1966 with a seating capacity of two hundred and ten. At that time, there were 115 members. In 2003, the congregation completed an addition to the building which provided several classrooms, a preacher’s office, a library, and fellowship area.

One of the most successful meetings ever held at Central Academy took place in May, 1967. O. B. Porterfield of Montgomery, Alabama, was the evangelist. During the meeting, 41 restorations and 14 baptisms took place.

The first full-time preacher at the congregation was Leonard Leggett who preached his first sermon on October 8, 1967. Others who have preached for the congregation include J. M. Brandon, Cecil May, Richard Curry, Edward L. Burns, Keith Dixon, Tom O’Neal, Roger Jackson, and Riley Nelson.

At the time of this writing, the congregation has three elders and three deacons. The membership is about 90. Paul Meacham, Jr., is the local preacher.