History
The Rivergate Church of Christ was organized in 1903 as the Edenwold Church of Christ after the name of the community in which it was located. T.L. Curtis supervised the building of the first meeting house in 1903. The building burned the first night after its completion but was immediately rebuilt at the same location. Some of the early elders of the congregation were: Bros. Kendrick, Edward Davis, W. W. Grant, W. F. Burkhardt, T.L. Curtis, R. E. Wilhoite, B. F. Bixler, J.L. Hunter, W. C. Carney, Granville Campbell, Comer T. Huffines, and William W. DeSheles. These men all Served the congregation during the first several years of its existence. Other elders who served this congregation in later years are: E. A. Daniel, Sr., O.A. Wakefield, Maurice E. Litton, Maurice G. Grayson, H. Benton Huddleston, B. Ivan Matthews (all deceased), A. O. Denton, Paul Dorris, James Williams, Odell Braswell, Gene Hill, Joe Ahern, Fate Evans, Bobby More and ,Charles Hicks, and Billy Harrell.
The name Edenwold was retained until September of 1957. At that time, the building had to moved back due to the widening of Gallatin Road. The first phase of our Gallatin road building was constructed at that time. At that same time, the Edenwold Post Office was closed. In keeping with the changes in the community and the construction of the new building, the name of the congregation was changed to Gallatin Road Church of Christ. Several additions were made to this structure, and it served the congregation well during many years of rapid growth.
Due to the construction of a large shopping mall in the area named Rivergate, the surrounding area came to be identified by this name. In 1972, the name of the congregation was changed to Rivergate to better locate and identify with the immediate community.
In 1987, the congregation accepted an offer from a local development company to purchase its property on Gallatin road. A parcel of land located at the corner of Alta Loma Road and Gleaves Street was purchased for the purpose of constructing a new facility.
Construction of the beautiful new functional building was begun in September of 1987. The first service in the new building was conducted on June 26, 1988. The dedication service was conducted on July 10, 1988 with Bro. Jim Bill McInteer as the principal speaker. Bro. Kevin Collier was the song leader and one thousand and one (1,001) were present.
Some of the former preachers of this congregate are: Bros. Virgil Bradford, Harold Savely, W. A. Thomason, Joe Gourley, Danny Cottrell, John W. Jarrett, Ralph Carnahan (deceased), and Clifford S. Owens, Sr., who served the congregation for twenty-one (21) years during two different tenures with this congregation. Sellers S. Crain, Jr. came to work with the congregation on April 1, 1989.