About this time a disagreement arose among the membership over the use of an organ in worship service and over organizing missionary societies.  This contention continued for ten years or more and ended with about one-third of the members removing themselves from the church.  The larger group (called Progressives) stayed in the same building and in 1913 they became the First Christian Church.  The group which removed themselves (called the Non-Progressives) began meeting in the courtroom and organized the Church of Christ.

The first known meeting of the Church of Christ in Coleman was in 1902.  J. C. White, a pioneer preacher and his family, moved from Glen Cove and with other Christians, began worshiping in the courtroom of the Coleman County Courthouse.  Charter members were Mr. and Mrs. Banks Forsyth, W. H. Ransberger, Cole Lewis, Mrs. C. E. Derrick, Mrs. Nidever and Phillip Putman, the Idol family, of whom Edna Idol Taylor, still lives in Coleman and worships with the church.  Other early members were Mr. and Mrs. Bickle, J. R. Lane (preacher), J. T. Livingston, Ed Love (singer), Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Knight, G. C. Cathey, Walter Cuthbertson, Dave Simmons, Nathaniel Simmons, Dr. Barber and Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Henderson.  Bowers White Russell, daughter of J. C. White, came as a baby with her family and still worships with the church here.  Ruth Bickle Ransberger was a member until her death in December 1973.  Naomi Knight Scott, daughter of D. D. Knight, has attended services all her life and was an influential teacher of the children many years.  Caskey Livingston, son of J. T. Livingston, is a member, songleader and has served as an elder.  Winnie Cathey McQueen, daughter of C. C. Cathey, has served as secretary for the church six years.  Elders serving in the early years of the church were: W. H. Ransberger, who served more than twenty-five years, Walter Cuthbertson, Dave Simmons, A. D. Burdick, B. F. Bickle, C. C. Campbell and R. L. Beaman.

The church continued to meet there until 1910.  Preachers during those years were: J. C. White, J. R. Lane, Evangelist C. R. Nichols, Foy Wallace, Sr., and Early A. Arceneaux.  The elders also served as preachers.

The church membership was growing, there was need for more room, and in 1909, they built a white frame building at 401 South Concho (corner of Elm and Concho) to seat one hundred-fifty people.  This building was built by private donations, volunteer work and under the supervision of W. H. Ransberger.

From the year 1910 to 1920 some of the members were Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Burdick, A. W. Burkett, Will Jordan, Wylie Sylvester, Vernon Sewell, Frank Smith, R. L. Beaman, D. L. Riley, Ollie Bradley, Mrs. C. M. McHorse, C. W. Baker, Pebble Purcell and Lula Armstrong.  There was much growth in this ten year period.

The first hired preacher, W. A. Kerchville, came in 1921 and served until 1923.  Since there was no minister’s home, the Kerchville’s lived five blocks from the church building at 315 W. Mesquite Street.  That house has since been remodeled and enlarged; only the front is the same, and it has been the home of the W. H. McDowell’s since 1923.

C. F. Mickey came in 1923 and worked until about 1928.  The membership had grown to one hundred forty and the elders saw the need for a larger building.  In 1925 a committee of C. F. Mickey, W. A. Powell and Vernon Sewell worked out plans for a new building.

The eldership had made some changes; new elders were chosen to serve with W. H. Ransberger.  They were L. Emet Walker, who served forty-one years, A. W. Burkett, John F. McKinney and R. L. Beaman.

The building at 401 South Concho was sold to the black congregation of the church to serve as their place of worship.  It was moved to North Colorado Street (400 North Colorado Street) across from the city light plant and was used continuously until 1980.  The building has been referred to as the “little white plank house” and it still stands today at the same site (1983).

Some of the members during the 1920’s to 1930’s were Mr. and Mrs. L. Emet Walker, James Wash, Willie Henderson, George Smith, J. M. McDonald, W. A. Powell, Ross Russell, Walter Sewell, N. D. Van Dalsem, J. R. Eudy, Granville Riley, H. T. Morgan, Mrs. Lester Cox, Vera McDowell, Lorene McNutt, Martha Jackson and Mrs. C. J. Rush.

C. F. Mickey, built a house adjacent to the church building during his tenure with the church and when he moved, the church bought the house. It served as the minister’s home until 1954.  It was sold to Marvin and Mary Kemp who moved to 801 E. Tenth Street.  This was a good time for the church; a new church building, a preacher who did not fail to “declare the whole counsel of God,” with elders who were diligent workers and overseers of the flock.  The membership was about one hundred fifty.

The Great Depression in 1929 brought difficult times.  The church was in debt, the people had no jobs or money so the church had no funds to hire a preacher.  The preacher, C. F. Mickey, moved away.  Men came from Abilene Christian College to preach; R. C. Bell, W. R. Smith, Jesse Sewell and others.  Some of the elders and deacons were able to preach and carry on the work, also.  Special contributions were taken to help pay the notes on the building.  A businessman, W. C. Taylor, a member of the church, helped much by using his money to preach the Gospel and pay off the debts.  In dying, he left money to help carry on the work of preaching the gospel.  Preachers who came in the 1930’s were C. M. Moser, Forest Waldrop, Troy Cummings and Lynwood Bishop, who at present time (1983) is preaching for the church in Santa Anna, and Grady Pricer, a Coleman Countian.  Evangelists who preached for meetings were Cled Wallace, Glen Wallace, Melvin Wise, Ira A Douthitt, Cecil Douthitt, and Hulen Jackson.  J. Pat Salyer was a preacher who lived in Coleman and helped a lot when the church could not hire a preacher.  Listed from memory, some new members in the 1930’s were Perry Cummings, Bert Scott, W. H. McDowell.

In 1939, Paul Wallace came for three years.  This was wartime and many changes were being made.  Paul met and married Fay Coursey.  He acquired business interests in Coleman County and has been a vital part of the county and church ever since.  Foy Wallace, Sr. followed Paul to preach and after that came D. L. Hukel.  All the while the elders were doing much of the preaching and the membership grew to three hundred.  In 1948, Dan Fogarty came as the preacher.  The elders were: J. M. McDonald, George M. Smith, L. Emet Walker and Ross Russell.  In February 1949, W. H. McDowell and N. D. Van Dalsem were appointed to the eldership.  N. D. Van Dalsem served until 1966.  Deacons serving at that time were: J. A. Deveny, Ivan Hill, D. D. Knight, Joe Pharris, C. C. Yarbrough, Earl Ziekle and N. W. Purcell.  Song directors were: J. A. Deveny, Willard Holmans, Joe Pharris, Ovilee White and Raymond Wiginton.

Names of some of the members in the 1940’s were Mr. and Mrs. Henry Berry, J. A. Bozeman, Elsworth Brandon, Cecil Stovall, Carl Stovall, J. A. Forbess. Ancil Forbess, and daughter, Mildred Rodgers, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Smith, W. D. Terry, Claude Tyler, Herb Wood, Raleigh McCullough, Dr. and Mrs. C. C. Yarbrough, Dr. and Mrs. J. A. Deveny, Dr. and Mrs. J. Ray Martin, Jimmie Hayes, Mabel Eubank and son, Max, Lucille Morris and Ola Terry.  Church growth at this time was the greatest in its history; more room was needed.  A contract was given to R. E. Ewing, a contractor and member of the church, to enlarge the building.  Classes were shifted, the foyer enclosed and the balcony raised and one hundred more people could be seated.  The membership still grew and in 1952 more space was made available by adding classrooms on the back and a wing on the northeast side of the building which made the seating capacity four hundred fifty.  The church at this time entered into a far reaching missionary program by helping with work in Germany, Italy, Mexico, northeast and northwest United States and later in Austria, Poland and Japan.  The rapid growth in membership in 1951 - 1952 made it necessary to conduct two worship services on Sunday morning to accomodate the people.

Several outdoor meetings were conducted in the early 1950’s.  The only other outdoor meeting previously held was in 1925 on the lot where the present church building stands.  Two meetings “under the stars” were held where the Chevrolet garage is now.  The next outdoor meeting was on the lot where the First Christian Church building stands, with James LeFan doing the preaching.  Dan Fogarty returned in 1952 or 1953 to hold an open air meeting in north Coleman where the Colonial store has been built.  Such meetings were successful and contributed to church growth.  There were over one hundred baptisms in 1951 - 1952 and fifty more placed membership after moving in to the community, making a total of six hundred members.  In September of 1954 more elders were appointed: Ivan Hill, Curtis Lindsey and N. W. “Perky” Purcell, to better serve the church.

The growth in membership brought about a discussion of organizing another congregation under the elders at Elm Street, but the final decision was to build a large auditorium adjacent to the present building.  Bonds were sold and plans were made to build.  It was necessary to move the residence next to the church building so it was sold and moved.  A lot was then purchased at 704 W. Cedar Street and work began on a residence for the minister.  With Ivan Hill as supervisor, and volunteer workers, the house was soon finished.  In August 1954, Herb Swinney and family moved into the three bedroom house.  The Swinneys had come in 1953 and he had a successful two years’ work.  All effort was then directed to building the auditorium, it was completed the summer of 1956 to seat 1050 people.  Eddie Myers and family came to work with the church in 1955 and moved before the completion of the new auditorium.  Paul Wallace was the first minister to preach in the new auditorium.  He stayed three years and the membership grew to six hundred fifty.  Another minister in the 1950’s was Austin Sibert with his wife, Imogene and three children, Elva, Myra and Charles.  Some of the members in the 1950’s were Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Caruthers, John Tolar, R. A. Powell, C. C. Burkett, Curtis Lindsey, Pete Floyd, Alfred Williams, Bob Farley, R. C. Childers, Henry Creek and Fred Jackson.  Later Fred Jackson was appointed deacon and also served as a “greeter” for eighteen years; 3 services each week.  Fred died in May 1983.  Deacons serving in 1950’s were Ralph J. Hayes, Willard Holmans, John W. Holtz, Sammy Johnson, J. R. Lane, Bill Lawrence, James P. (Jake) LeMay, Caskey Livingston, J. Ray Martin, Joe W. Pharris, C. VI. Wilson and C. C. Yarbrough.

In the 1960’s ministers were Douglas Robison, David Fultz and Bill Wiley.  Names of some new members in this period were Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Crockett, Ed Choate, Edwin Smith, Johnny Baugh, Bill Casselberry, Victor Cardinas, Lorene Shelburn, Mary Ann Petty, Harold Bragg and Bill Beaver.

The Glen Cove church disbanded and moved to Coleman in 1963.  Those coming in to work with the church in Coleman were Mr. and Mrs. Isaiah Whittington, Tex Whitttington and Raymond Wiginton.  Raymond served as a song leader, deacon and as an elder the last two years of his life.  He died in 1976.  In 1966, the Fisk church also came into Coleman.  Those members were Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Powell, Shernill Tisdale and Edgar Nealey.  Deacons during the 1960’s were A. B. Bailey, Henry Creek, Jimmie Driskill, Bill Lawrence, Willard Holmans, Fred Jackson, S. H. Johnson, Bob Farley, Pete Floyd, J. F. Scott, Roy Smith, James Tisdale, John Tolar, Raymond Wiginton, Donald Williams, C. W. Wilson, Gerald Ragsdale, J. Ray Martin, Aubrey Crockett and Caskey Livingston.  During the 1960’s there began a decline in population of the town and the church.  Three elders resigned during the 1960’s:  L. Emet Walker, N. D. Van Dalsem and N. W. Purcell.  Therefore three more elders were appointed to fill those places.  In November 1968 Aubrey Crockett, Caskey Livingston and J. Ray Martin were appointed.  W. H. McDowell and Ross Russell were still in office: making a total of five elders.  In 1971 Lawson Mayo came from Massachusetts to preach for the church.  The membership had decreased to four hundred seventy-five.  The Mayo family was the first to live in the new brick home purchased as a minister’s home at 205 Palestine Street.  Robert Bostick came to preach for the church in 1972 and worked with the church four years.  Allen Harper preached from 1976 to 1978 followed by Perry Zumwalt from 1978 to 1980.  Deacons in the 1970’s were Johnny Baugh, J. A. Bozeman, Harold Bragg, Raymon Childers, Gene Christian, Henry Creek, Wayne Crye, Max Eubank, Jimmie Hayes, Fred Jackson, Edgar Nealey, J. F. Scott, Roy Smith, Wesley Smith, James Tisdale, John Tolar and Herb Wood.