201 Church of Christ | Congregation History

of the

CONGREGATION

2nd Gospel Meeting Baptisms

HISTORY

In 1930, Bro. Whittle invited the late Bro. Marshall Keeble to come to Bradenton, Florida

to preach the gospel to persons residing in the area. Bro. Keeble accepted and invited,

the late Bro. John R.Vaughner and the late Bro. Lonnie Smith to join him.

On the corner of 9th Avenue East (now known as Martin Luther King Avenue) and 1st

Street (U.S. Highway 301) a large tent was erected. Bro. Keeble preached each night for

two weeks. Bro. Smith was the song leader and Bro. Vaughner did the baptizing. Each

night the tent was filled to capacity. There were as many people standing on the outside

as were under it. As the close of the meeting, 287 persons had obeyed the gospel and

were baptized for the remission of their sins.

Soon afterwards the congregation was in need of a place to worship. The brethren of the

church were able to obtain upstairs rooms in the Green Goose Building located on 9th

Avenue East next to the site where the tent had been pitched. After looking the building

over, they decided to remove the inner walls of one of the apartments to make the room

large enough to accommodate persons attending worship services.

Bro. Marshall Keeble

In 1931, Bro. Keeble, Bro. Vaughner, Bro. Luke Miller and Bro. Smith returned to Bradenton to conduct another gospel meeting. At the close of this meeting, 278 persons obeyed the gospel and were baptized. It has been said that those meetings were the greatest ever held in Manatee County.

After some months had passed, the late Mr. J.K. Singletary donated the land on 10th Avenue East in the 200 block for a permanent edifice to be built. Under the guidance and leadership of Bro. Charlie Covington, a Master Craftsman, the brothers, some of which could neither read nor write, built an edifice, which now serves as the fellowship hall. While the brethren labored relentlessly, the sisters provided the meals. Soon the worshipers had adequate accommodations, a lovely yellow stucco building with ladies and gentleman's restrooms and and a baptismal.