The Green Plain church of Christ , located near Hazel, Kentucky, in Calloway County, was organized January 28, 1854. Nine charter members signed a constitution stating: “We, the members of the Church of Christ whose names are subscribed, do organize ourselves into a congregation and pledge ourselves to take the New Testament scriptures as a guide for our faith and practice.”
In 1868, Abe S. Thompson donated an acre of land on the Murray Paris Road that was to become the location of the meeting house for the Green Plain church of Christ. It is possible that prior to 1868, the church had been meeting in the Green Plain School building about a half-mile west of the Green Plain Cemetery on Highway 641. It is assumed that the church moved from the cemetery area to the new location because a new road had been built connecting Murray to Paris, Tennessee, and more people would be able to stop for worship. Mr. W.F. White and Mr. and Mrs. Elwood White have donated additional property.
The first services held for the newly located congregation was on the second Saturday in October 1868. John McCoy was the preacher in this service and continued as the regular preacher for the congregation for several years. He would preach both Saturday and Sunday once a month; his pay was by contributions, sometimes receiving no more than $2.50 for the two days.
As the church membership changed over the years, so did the church building itself. A new building was built in 1912. In 1946 a basement was dug and the building was remodeled and moved onto the basement. Additional classrooms were added in 1970. In 1999, an annex was built which is used for classrooms and fellowship activities.
Baptisms during the early days of the Green Plain church were quite different from today’s baptismal services. The baptisms were conducted in the Jenkins Green and Clarks River. A baptistery was installed in the church building in 1948.
Taking the New Testament Scripture as the guide for our faith and practice means that we strive to duplicate the pattern of the first century church as
we find revealed in the New Testament. We do not conform to this world (Romans 2:2), or to the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9); but we constantly strive to be transformed that we may show and teach what is good, acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). This transformation causes us to constantly put on the new man, which we became when we obeyed the Gospel. This is down by renewing our minds in the knowledge of God’s Word (Romans 6:4; 12:2; Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17). It is our desire that all people who believe the God of the Bible and in Jesus Christ His Son will join us in being just “Christians” as we find in our New Testament.
The Green Plain church of Christ is now more than 160 years old. If the past years are any indication of the church’s future, things look bright for the congregation. We believe the close adherence of this congregation to the will of God will insure the Green Plain church of Christ a place in the future of Calloway County just as she has in her history.
Gospel Preachers who have served at Green Plain:
2011 – ____Jonnie Hutchison
2006 – 2011 Robert Meredith
2003 – 2005 Andy Erwin
1992 – 2003 Virgil Hale
1986- 1992 Gilbert Gough
1982 – 1986 Mike Kiser
1977 – 1982 Dean Crutchfield
1973 – 1976 Cecil Corkren
1970 – 1973 Priestly Scott
1967 – 1970 Dean Crutchfield
1963 – 1967 James Yates
1961 – 1963 Jay Lockhart
1960 – 1961 Bill Phillips
1958 – 1960 Doyle Karraker
1956 – 1958 Robert Usrey