History

A Brief History

Members of the Kinston Church of Christ who lived in Pitt County met at the home of N. F. Merritt, Jr. (305 Meade St.) on July 5, 1961, and decided to start a congregation in Greenville. They met the following Sunday in Merritt's home with seven people present. The Highland View Church of Christ in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, sent C.E. Mannon to serve as minister of the new church on August 24, 1961. They continued to meet as a "house church" until October 2, 1961, when services were moved to the Rotary Building on the corner of Rotary and Johnston Streets. Property in the Eastwood Subdivision was purchased on March 20, 1962, and construction of the building began on September 3, 1962. The first service was held in the building on November 4, 1962.

In the Fall of 1965, an African American couple asked to become members of the congregation and the church became the first church in Greenville to be integrated.

C.E. Mannon continued to serve the congregation until September 1967, when the Oak Ridge church sent Jim Swafford to work with the church, and he continued until June of 1969. That fall, several new families moved to Greenville, and a college-age Bible class was started. However, the next year, almost half of the congregation moved from Greenville.

When Jim Swafford moved, the Oak Ridge church asked the church to select its own minister, which they would continue to support. The congregation chose Mike Brooks, who continued to serve the church until June 1973. In the Fall of 1974, Edmund Hicks became the minister and served until the Spring of 1977. He was partially supported by the church in Oak Ridge. In 1976, the congregation became self-supporting. Following Ed Hicks, Brian Whelchel, Phil Pugh, Carl Etchison, Matthew Stead, and Ty Nicol have served as ministers of the congregation. In February 2026, we welcomed the Robert Murphy family. Robert currently serves the congregation as our minister.

Greenville is a very transient city with people moving in and out of town. Since Greenville Church of Christ began in 1961, over 700 people have been members of the congregation, and more than 200 people have become Christians.