The seed of the kingdom is the Word of God. (Luke 8:11) The kingdom of God came with power on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit controlled apostles of Christ, told the believing men to repent and be baptized for the remission of sin. Those who gladly received the word were baptized and were added to the apostles. Thus, men were added to the Church of Christ and by the same teaching it grows and spreads to different communities.

The congregation can trace its history back to a faithful Gospel Minister, W. L. Butler, who preached repeatedly and helped to form the Jericho church of Christ in Mocksville, N.C. as early as 1870. Among families converted there were the Stonestreets. The Stonestreet families spread the truth to Kannapolis in about 1922. For a while, the church met in houses and also in an upper room over C.C. Stonestreet’s store, at the intersection of South Main Street and Bethpage Road. A small frame building on Shadey Lane Street near Easy Street was used until the congregation located on Plymouth Street in 1946. This was a milestone year for the congregation. The building on Plymouth Street included classrooms and also allowed the congregation to hold two gospel meetings with Jack McElory of Nashville, TN and Burrell J. Prince of Statesville, NC. Membership grew from 34 to 56.

As membership grew, so did the contribution. This allowed the funding and construction of church building for the Smith church of Christ, now known as the Centergrove church of Christ.

During the Plymouth Street years, a variety of men acted as part time preachers.

• Adrian Maynard
• Jack Byars
• Jack McAmus
• Jerry Slatton
• Bruce Curd
• Ralph Brewer
• Leon Gibson
• Harmon Caldwell

Emory Flannery became the first full-time minister for the congregation. The Plymouth Street congregation continued to grow. In 1953, the original Kannapolis congregation became debt-free and self-supporting. The church experienced continual growth over the next twety years. In a ddition to the Salisbury and Centergrove congregations, the Kannapolis family were instrumental in starting congregations in Albermarle and in Concord.

The congregation outgrew the Plymouth Street location and another move was necessary for adequate classrooms and parking. Land was purchased on at the Concord Lake Road during the late 1970’s and plans were made to build a 200 seat auditorium, to expand the parking area, and build several classrooms that would convert to a larger area for fellowship. These goals were accomplished and in 1982 the congregation moved to the present location, 2315 Concord Lake Road.

In 2000, a large addition was constructed to include a large fellowship area, a fully equipped kitchen additional classrooms and restroom facilities, a library and a preacher’s study and a conference room. The congregation continued to grow and it was decided to that a larger auditorium was needed and addition classrooms and fellowship area, so in 2008 The next phase was started to expand the facilities.

The lists below are for record purposes.

Previous Preachers (In Order of Service)

• E.L. Flannery
• R.L. Gibson
• Harmon Cardwell
• Bruce Curd
• Ralph Brewer
• Jack McAmos
• Jerry Slatton
• Jack Byers
• Adrian Maynard
• George Kesler
• Mitchell Floyd
• Michael Stone
• Bob Prichard
• George Marshall
• Mike Lane
• Kirk Sams – Current

List of Elders (Past and Present)

• H.R. Buttler
• Wilson Burton
• Darrell Carroll – Current
• Frank Crunk
• Frank Deaton
• Robert Higbee
• Ed F. Hill
• Floyd G. Jones
• Elliotte Lawing – Current
• Lance Lemasters
• Charles McFalls
• Mike Mobley – Current
• Chris Shuping
• Bret Simoneaux – Current
• Carroll Street