Our Heritage 

The Singing Oaks Church of Christ is a community of believers identified with a tradition generally known as the Stone-Campbell Movement or the Restoration Movement. While it has European roots, it began as a viable movement in America in the early 19th century. Its mission was "to unite the Christians in all the sects" by means of a restoration of primitive Christianity.

There were two frontier movements - each with a passion for the unity of all believers - one led by Barton W. Stone and the other by Alexander Campbell.. These two movements merged in 1832, forming a religious community that eventually identified itself as Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches. Numbering about 25,000 in a few hundred churches in 1832, there are now some seven million members in approximately 25,000 congregations. Churches of Christ - with over 3,000,000 members worldwide in 13,000 congregations -- are part of this tradition.

While Churches of Christ are generally Protestant in doctrine - such as believing in the divinity of Christ, the priesthood of all believers, and the inspiration of the Bible - they are unique in that they are part of a movement "born and bred with a passion for Christian unity," as our earliest historian expressed it. This means that we not only reject sectarianism, but that we seek unity and fellowship with all those who accept Jesus as Lord and obey him according to their understanding.

Our founding pioneers believed they had discovered Biblical principles that would make Christian unity both desirable and practicable, enabling all believers to be one in Christ in spite of differences. These principles centered in making the basic truths of the Christian faith - the core gospel -- the basis of unity and fellowship. They expressed this principle in a simple axiom: "In essentials, unity; in opinions and methods, liberty; in all things, love." Still another axiom - "We are Christians only, but not the only Christians -- was their way of saying that by laying aside all sectarian names and looking to Christ alone we can realize our Lord's prayer that His church be one.

As heirs of such a rich heritage, Singing Oaks Church of Christ, along with all other Churches of Christ, can view our mission and destiny as threefold:

1. To become a devoted and responsible community of faith - Christ-centered and Spirit-filled - that accepts its share of the responsibility that rests upon the church at large to reach out in love and compassion to suffering humanity with the gospel of Christ.

2. To exemplify in our own congregation that unity for which Christ prayed, to be united by such love and mutual respect that may one day unite all Christians.

3. To look to a future - beyond our present vision but not beyond our faith and hope -- when we will lose our identity as Churches of Christ, and along with all other believers, become simply the one body of Christ upon earth.

Our History

Singing Oaks traces her roots to the gracious activity of God revealed in the nation of Israel, in Jesus Christ, and in the early Christian Church. We exist because of God's love. Although our roots run deep, we are also associated with a modern day expression of the ancient faith, the American Restoration Movement, also know as the Stone-Campbell Movement. This movement began around two hundred years ago and functioned as a reformatory movement within American Christianity. It spawned three main Christian groups, including the Disciples of Christ, the Independent Christian Churches, and the Churches of Christ. Singing Oaks is affiliated with Churches of Christ which, since their beginning on American soil, have spread to most countries of the world.

The Churches of Christ became active in Denton prior to the Civil War, yet the first organized congregation wasn't established until May 27, 1868. Terrell Jasper, the first minister, provided the leadership that helped the church develop in those early years. The Church of Christ met in several locations prior to occupying the piece of ground at Pearl and Bolivar in 1905 where the Pearl Street Church of Christ still meets.

The church enjoyed great growth in those early years and during 1948 Pearl Street helped form a new congregation in the city located at 501 North Wood, now Singing Oaks.

By the early 1950's the Wood Street congregation was enjoying growth and development.  Lyle Price was the church's first full-time minister. L.W. Hayhurts followed him. Lyle Price, Paul Phillips, Carl Peltier, Marcum Eddie, John Ferguson, and Rowe Meador are among the ministers that served the Wood Street Church of Christ. The first elders to serve the congregation were Charlie Mercer, Elmer Phillips and Hiram Anderson.

By 1968 it was apparent that the Wood Street location was inadequate for the continued development of the church, so a new site was secured at the corner of Cardinal Lane and East McKinney. Singing Oaks became a reality with the construction of a new building which is presently the Singing Oaks sanctuary. Rowe Meador was the minister and George Inman, Clayton Byrom, J.R. Sitton and Louis Gay were the early elders at the new location. Later, Ralph Godfrey assumed the work of preaching minister of this growing congregation.

In 1974, as additional space was needed, construction began on the part of the building which is presently known as our Community Room. By 1980 there was an urgent need for more classrooms and the educational wings were added. The sanctuary was also remodeled to its present state at that time. Growth continued and additional educational space became necessary. A 27,000 square foot addition was completed in 1988 which provided more classrooms, a Reception Room, an activity center, a commercial kitchen and a new office complex. During this exciting time of growth, the congregation's preaching minister was Don Browning.

It was during this time of expansion that the congregation began ministering to college students on both university campuses. A Campus Center facility was purchased on Hickory Street in 1984. That ministry continues to serve many students each year.

The excellent facilities presently owned by the congregation allow it to be flexible in developing ministries that serve the needs of individuals in Denton. A good example of such a ministry is the Children's Corner Preschool that is housed in our building. Additional ministries will continually be added when appropriate.

We believe that our history, which began in the mind of God before all things, will not be completed until our Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory and all things are consummated. Until that glorious day, our desire is to bring glory to God, remain faithful to Jesus Christ, and live in the power and communion of the Holy Spirit.