|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Church Info!! CHURCH HISTORY
The congregation located at 2600 Lawrence Street in South Dallas is the second oldest black Church of Christ in Dallas. The Lawrence and Marder Street Church of Christ was organized in 1928 approximately four years after the Cedar Crest congregation. In 1924 Oklahoma based Evangelist K.C. Thomas relocated to the area to help revive a congregation that had been established under the leadership of the 10th and Van Buren Church of Christ. The church is now known as the Cedar Crest Church of Christ. Once the Cedar Crest congregation became successful, Thomas and the leadership decided to organize another congregation in North Dallas. They asked members who lived in the area to assist them in this effort and in 1928 the North Dallas Church of Christ was organized meeting at 3612½ Thomas Avenue. The church met at the Thomas Avenue location until 1941 when the government began purchasing property in the area for the development of low-income apartments. Philip Thomas, P. Thomas Brown, K.C. Thomas and Robert Crawford at varying times served as minister of the North Dallas congregation. Under the leadership of Evangelist H. H. Gray the church purchased property at 2443 Macon Street and moved to the South Dallas location. The congregation, within a two-year period, made another move this time to a V-shaped lot at 2600 Lawrence Street. The congregation now became The Lawrence and Marder Church of Christ. A small house was placed on the lot in 1941. In 1944, Oklahoma City based contractor; Roy Winston constructed the Lawrence and Marder Church building. The small sanctuary was enlarged to include classrooms and kitchen facilities in 1957. Contractor Frank Carter built the annex (educational wing) for $600.00. In 1959 a new auditorium was constructed under the leadership of evangelist Grover C. Washington. The auditorium, constructed by the Reynolds Construction Company, was financed via a bond issue. The Lawrence and MarderChurch was one of the first black congregations in Dallas to finance a building project via bonds. In 1974, Brother Washington, the elders and members decided to relocate to Marsalis Avenue in Oak Cliff. This new congregation became the Marsalis Avenue Church of Christ. However, several members of the initial Lawrence and Marder Church family decided to continue the work of the church at its original South Dallas location. They secured a $60,000 loan to purchase the church property, which had been sold, and continued to serve area residents and teach the Gospel of Christ Jesus. In 1994 the Lawrence and Marder Church retired the $60,000 obligation giving it clear title to all church properties. The church has since acquired additional property on Lawrence Street for future use. Since 1928 many Gospel ministers have served at this historic South Dallas Church including: Grover C. Washington, H.H. Gray, Ulysses Turner, Jerry Norris, James Maxwell, J.S. Winston, Leon Ivory, and Carl Haley. Evangelist Jesse Jackson served as minister from April 1988 to June 1991. On June 8, 1991, Robert E. Coleman of Benbrook, Texas became the congregation’s tenth minister. Under Brother Coleman’s leadership the congregation made significant gains in its mission to teach the Gospel throughout the community. Brother Coleman died on July 20, 1998. In August of 1998 Brother Washington returned to Lawrence and Marder as interim minister. Brother Willie Tucker succeeded Brother Washington as minister on February 9, 2002. The Lawrence and Marder Church of Christ for over 70-years has trained ministers, teachers and church leaders. These individuals have made a significant impact on the spread of the Gospel of Christ Jesus by establishing congregations throughout Texas Joe W. Pouncy MISSION The mission of the Lawrence and Marder congregation is to teach the Gospel of Christ and train future teachers, ministers and evangelists. Additionally, the church must fulfill its commission given to it by Jesus Christ and be a positive factor in the lives of residents in the greater South Dallas area. VISION The church will execute it mission and assume a greater community service role in outh Dallas by providing certain social, educational, community developmental, youth and employment related programs to residents. According to City of Dallas census/demographics data there are 24,000 residents in the outh Dallas area. The area is bounded by the Oakland Street bridge to the North, the Texas State Fair Park area to the East, Rochester Park and the Trinity River to the South. To meet the needs of South Dallas residents the LMCC Family will implement the following objectives:
Copyright
2010, Lawrence
and Marder Church
of Christ.
All rights reserved. |
