Our church family here is a loving, close-knit group of Christians trying our best to live for Christ. We’re not perfect, of course, but we’re striving each day to let God’s Word be our guide for everything we do—in everyday life, at work, at school, at church. . . everywhere. Many of us come from different backgrounds, and we work in different fields, but we share a common love for Jesus Christ and His church and look for opportunities to share that love with others.
Maybe you’ve realized there’s a void in your life, like something’s missing. We would love to have you as our guest! This could be a perfect opportunity to connect with Christians in this area. It’ll be a non-threatening environment, and you won’t be singled out or made to feel uncomfortable in any way. Just come join us for this simple worship service where we’ll reflect on what Jesus Christ has to say to our lives.
We’d love to see you soon. We’ve saved you a seat!
A Brief History of the Williamsburg Congregation
The Williamsburg church of Christ congregation began in 1927, meeting in the home of Donald and Winifred Southworth at 701 Powell Street. Services were interrupted from 1942 to 1945 while the Southworths resided in Washington, DC.
On the first Sunday in April 1959, Bruce Jackson, the minister from the Newport News church of Christ, along with their song leader, Charlie Tucker, came to hold services in the home of Arthur Kessler with 14 people present. In the fall of 1959, Tom Hancock came from Richmond and began preaching regularly in an upper room at the Clay Cadillac Oldsmobile Dealership.
The first gospel meeting and VBS were held in the summer of 1960 when the Glendale church of Christ of Florence, Alabama, sent Richard and Mable Taylor here to help with these efforts. The Taylor family moved to Williamsburg in September 1960, and the church started meeting at 1336 Richmond Road in an old building used for everything from a restaurant to a beauty parlor.
In April 1961, property was purchased on Highway 168 (presently Merrimac Trail, Highway 143), and a permanent facility was begun. The first meeting in this locality was held in April 1962. A new auditorium was added in April 1970, additional classrooms were added in 1985, and the auditorium was renovated in 2016.
Other preachers to serve besides Richard Taylor are Bruce Jackson, Tom Gilliam, Forrest Pennington, and Bill Butterfield.
Congregations in Denbigh, Gloucester, and Smithfield were begun out of the need for members living in these areas to worship closer to their homes.
Many come to Williamsburg for academia, military assignments, career opportunities, or tourism. The church family has been blessed by the opportunity to welcome and be uplifted by all those who have come and gone, whether their stay was years long or just a day.