Greeneville

History Of The Greeneville Seventh-day Adventist Church

By Carolyn Coolidge 1985

Revised 2003, 2009

In 1906 the first church was organized and this is the background of its beginning. In the winter of 1906 - 1907, W. M. Woolsey sold his farm near Cortland, Nebraska, and returned to Greene County. He bought his wife's ancestral home "The Brannon Place" about five miles south of Greeneville. Today this is known as the "Experiment Farm." The Woolsey's were the first Seventh-day Adventist family in Greene County.

They were converted to Adventism in Nebraska by W. B. Hill, a Seventh-day Adventist Minister. During those early years, Mr. & Mrs. Woolsey were members of the Knoxville church, but were seldom able to attend because of the distance.

Their children were Arthur and Ada. Miss Ada became a registered nurse. Arthur and his wife, Cora Fox Woolsey were missionaries to China in the early thirties. They are deceased now. They were the parents of four sons and one daughter. One son is Elder Raymond Woolsey, retired Vice-President for Editorial Services and head book editor for the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland. These five children attended the church school here. Emma made her home with her daughter, Miss Ada, residing at 609 West Main Street, in the gray and white trimmed house between the Burkey and Harmon homes.

In the fall of 1908 two colporteurs came to Greeneville selling the book "Bible Readings for the Home Circle". Their weekends were spent at the Woolsey home. Many books were sold in Greene County that fall.

In the month of June, 1912, Elder P. G. Stanley and Elder J. B. Locken came to Greeneville and conducted a series of lectures on the Bible prophecies in a large tent on a lot on Summer Street, adjacent to the old post office building. Elder Stanley remained four weeks with Elder Locken continuing on with the meetings. He, Mrs. Locken and their four daughters, ranging in age from five to fifteen, lived in three small tents, made comfortable with flooring,  carpets and partitions. Mrs. Locken served as pianist and the girls would furnish the special music.

One of the daughters was Lorraine Locken Herring, a long-time Greene County resident, now deceased. Elder Locken was an earnest speaker. The meetings were well attended and held throughout the summer. As a result of this effort, fourteen people began to keep the seventh day Sabbath.

On the 16th of March, 1913, Elder W. H. Branson, then President of the Cumberland Conference, with Elder Locken, organized this company into a church with a full corps of officers, taking the name Seventh-day Adventist Church of Greeneville.

By unanimous vote Brother Locken was elected. Elder; Brother Woolsey, Deacon; Sister Woolsey, Deaconess; Sister Sam Lamons, Treasurer; Sister Lizze Click, Clerk; and Sister Janes, Librarian. Members listed on March 16, 1913, in the clerk's record are the following:

• Elder J. B. Locken
• Sister J. B. Locken
• Ruth Locken
• Margarette Locken
• Brother W. M. Woolsey
• Sister W. M. Woolsey
• Sister Lizzie Click
• Brother S. I. Lamons
• Sister S. I. Lamons
• Sister J. F. Janes
• Gladys Locken
• Mary Garber
• Frederick Zook
• Mary Vaughn

Quoting from the records of Lizzie Click, church clerk, she stated "The blessings of the Lord attended the organization of this church and we greatly rejoiced in the blessed hope of the soon return of the Lord."

Through the faithful effort of Elder Locken, means were gathered for the erection of a church building. In the summer of 1913, Mr. Sam Lamons, one of the first converts, gave a lot on the corner of West Main Street across from the former Crescent School building. A complex of brick structures occupy this area today.

Mr. W.M. Woolsey donated much of the lumber used in its construction. Elders Branson, Locken and Sharp (the latter a minister from Asheville, North Carolina), worked right along with the carpenters.

According to a history complied by Mrs. Herring, the size of the frame building was 20 feet by 45 feet. It was dedicated in the fall of 1913.

During the summer of 1913 an epidemic of typhoid fever struck Greeneville, claiming the life of 12 year old Gladys Locken. Her funeral, preached by Elder W. H. Branson, was the first service held in the new little church.

A school room was built on the rear of the church in September of 1913 and school opened the 22nd of September. Miss Ruby Lee was the first teacher. Four families had children and sensed the need for a church school. It is interesting to note that the teacher's request at a business meeting of the church indicated a few articles were needed, the most important being a dictionary.

Other teachers who taught in this school were Pearl Hall, Louise Dillard, Mrs. R. L. Underwood and Irene Tolhurst. Mrs. Mary Aiken Conduff (now deceased) was a student in this church school in the later years of its operation. It could not be determined by the records if this school was in existence continuously from 1913 until 1925.

From the church records it is noted that Elder V. B. Watts conducted a series of tent meetings on Summer Street in June of 1920. Miss Dorothy Thrailkill was associated with him as Bible worker. These meetings continued for six weeks. Seven persons joined the church at that time. Others were added by profession of faith that same year, among them Mrs. Minnie Aiken, mother of Mary Conduff.

For a period of nine years there was no regular pastor of the church. Conference workers came four or five times a year and quarterly services were held to celebrate the ordinances of the Lord.

A brother, R.A. Pickett, who moved with his family to Greeneville in 1913 would give Bible studies on Sabbath during the eleven o'clock hour.

In the fall of 1925, Dr. L.E. Coolidge and family came to Greeneville from the Washington Sanitarium and Hospital in Takoma Park, Maryland. He opened a small hospital downtown on Main Street in a two-story frame building, across from the former Greeneville Sun. Prior to Dr. Coolidge's using the building for a hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bowen of Takoma Park, Maryland, operated treatment rooms and a cafeteria. Mr. and Mrs. V.R. Bottomley came from Takoma Park along with needed nurses in 1926. This helped to increase the church membership and gave additional leadership.

With the beginning of a nurses' training program, this further increased the congregation. On January 6, 1929, the membership stood at 34. There were 41 members at the beginning of the 3rd quarter in 1933. Always in an institutional church there are additions and deletions. Until 1935, when a second new church was built on Takoma Avenue at the foot of the hospital hill, worship was held in the frame church on West Main. Larger facilities for worship were needed with a growing membership.

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Reaves, who had donated the land for the hospital on the hill which opened on December 29, 1927, also generously gave the land for this church, which was built in 1935 at a cost of $9,000.00. It was dedicated on August 25 of the same year. The resident pastor was Elder W. G. Kneeland. Elder S. A. Ruskjer, President of the Southeastern Union of Seventh-day Adventists gave the dedicatory address and the dedicatory prayer was given by Elder H. E. Lysinger, President of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference.

In 1936 Mr. and Mrs. Sam Lamons, charter members from 1913, arrived for church in their horse and buggy, tying it to a cedar tree on the site formerly occupied by the Medical Group of Greeneville.

Through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Reaves they gave a corner lot next to the nurses' dormitory for a parsonage and the gray shingle house was built in 1940. Rooms in the rear of this second church building were used for the grade school and since 1935 there has been a continuous operation of a church school.

In l950 the Greeneville Junior Academy was built behind the church, offering grades 1-10. It was a white frame building consisting of two spacious classrooms, with two apartments on the second floor providing living quarters for the teachers.

These educational facilities became outmoded and a new plant was needed. In late April of 1973 the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Greeneville Adventist Academy took place. This school building, including a gymnasium was completed in September of 1974. The total cost of this plant was $284,661.88.

There are six classrooms, a library, principal's office and an office for a secretary. Dr. John Shaw served as building chairman. In 1996 the school was completely renovated. The church lost its original appearance when it was remodeled in 1957. The front of the building was changed completely, increasing its width and adding a second level for children's classrooms. Two adult classrooms were made on the main floor just off the sanctuary.

The interior of the church was redecorated in 1968, new chandeliers installed, and the sanctuary painted. Dr. R.B. Gibson served as chairman of this committee. Dr. and Mrs. James Ray McKinney in 1969 graciously donated a Rogers organ for the sanctuary. Also, that same year the church was fully carpeted. Again in 1984, refurbishing of the sanctuary included re-carpeting and painting. It was felt these renovations were needed to make the church more presentable. During Elder Henry Uhl's ministry he held two church services on Sabbath morning to accommodate the congregation.

The first mention of a Dorcas Society in the records was found to be in 1934, its leader Mrs. G. B. Thompson. A community services organization has always been a strong one in this church. In 2002 a commodious center was opened and dedicated to serving the needs of the county.

The Voice of Prophecy continues to be aired on Radio Station WGRV, having begun around 1966. The Pathfinder Club plays a vital part in the life of our youth. The first club was organized in 1954 with Everett Coolidge as leader, assisted by Elder D. G. Anderson and Carolyn Coolidge.

Having completely outgrown the church on Takoma Avenue, eight acres of land on the Asheville Highway were purchased in 1981 to build a larger facility. This was the former location of the Ashway Drive-In Theater.

Through the generosity of Mrs. Fannie Fry, in her will she left a substantial sum of money for the building of the church. Total cost of the church was $1,200,000.00. Groundbreaking for the new church was on July 29, 1984. On December 01, 1984, the first fellowship dinner was held in the middle of all the construction, with no rooms and a few walls. The first service in the new church was the funeral service for Barry McKinney, son of Dr. & Mrs. J.R. McKinney. The first church service was held on June 22, 1985. Elder A. C. McClure was the keynote speaker.

In 2008 renovations were completed with upgraded kitchen, fresh paint, and new floor covering for the classrooms, hallway, isles and platform in the sanctuary, newly paved parking lot, and other needed items. God has blessed and the church has continued to grow since it began 103 years ago. The church has now grown from fourteen charter members to 647 members as of July 28, 2009.

Now you will find a vibrant church with many ministries:

• Adventurers
• CHIP (Coronary Health Improvement Project)
• Community Services
• Fellowship
• Hispanic Company with a shared Bilingual Pastor
• Mission trips
• Pathfinders
• Prayer Team
• Prison Ministries
• Sabbath School
• School - grades 1-12 in cooperation with Atlanta Adventist Academy
• Sunshine Band to Nursing Homes
• Tape Ministries
• Three different active Prayer Meeting classes
• Vacation Bible School
• Youth Ministry with a full time Youth Pastor
• And many others

Pastor Jeremy Arnall has recently joined us as Senior Pastor along with his wife Tina, and two sons Jason and Jordan. We welcome you to join us any Sabbath as we worship and serve our God.