In the winter of 1988 Brother Charles Davenport and Brother Ralph Jones discussed the idea and desire of establishing a congregation of the Lord’s church in the Gilbert/Batesburg-Leesville area of western Lexington County. After some prayerful thought, these two brothers decided to approach the elders at St. Andrews Road in Columbia, where they both were members, and make it clear to them that there was no animosity or dissatisfaction that prompted the decision, but a genuine desire to serve the Lord in an area where the truth of God’s Word was needed.
With the blessings of the St. Andrews Road elders, Brother Jones and Brother Davenport then approached the elders at the Lexington church, where the plan was explained. They were assured that everyone felt the two works were separate enough that both efforts would not overlap. The elders at Lexington also wished them well and God speed.
On April 30, 1989 the first assembly of the Twin City Church of Christ took place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Rikard in Leesville with thirteen people in attendance. Arrangements were made to meet in the Community Room of Newberry Federal Savings and Loan in Batesburg. The church met there the month of May 1989.
We felt we needed something more spacious and accommodating so a search led to the American Legion Building in Leesville. We agreed with the officers of the legion building on a rental fee and began meeting there the first of June 1989. The church in West Columbia donated a communion set and the St. Andrews Road church in Columbia donated used song books. The Lexington church donated used furniture for the beginner’s class. Brother Jim Eargle volunteered to bring folding chairs from St. Andrews Road as long as there was a need for them.
We were without a regular preacher and Brother Ralph Jones preached most of the time with Brothers Jim Eargle, Tony Mosley, and Andy Jennings preaching from time to time. Other brethren who filled in were: Craig Hinrichs, Don Nix, Mac Cooper, Rudy Senn, Haskell Yenny, Ed Kelleher, Mike Hinrichs, Joe Manning, Jim Farley, Stanley Swartzel, Jack Claypoole, and Iras Dunbar. We are indebted to these brethren for their support in this critical period.
In March 1990 we invited Brother Mike Hinrichs to join us as a part-time evangelist. To our delight he agreed to do so and preached his first sermon May 6, 1990. We began a building fund June 1990. We decided that all funds remaining in our checking account and uncommitted on the last day of each month would be transferred to the building fund plus any contributions made specifically for that fund. It was determined in June 1990 we would purchase a building site.
In May of 1991 Charles Davenport and Jim Eargle negotiated the purchase of 1.19 acres at the corner of Mitchell and Highland Streets in Batesburg. We then set our building fund goal at $10,000.00 which would enable us to proceed with plans to build on this site. We reached that goal in April 1992and the construction started on a building with a seating capacity of 100 and 6 classrooms. This was completed October 1, 1992. The steeple of the building was originally used at the St. Andrews Road Church of Christ in Columbia. The baptistry came from the Lexington Church of Christ. In the summer of 2001, a picnic shelter and covered entrance were erected on the property.
Those men who served as ministers through the years were: Mike Hinrichs from May 6, 1990 through February 16, 1997; Don Klieves from July 13, 1997 through December 6, 1998; Sam Soper from December 20, 1998 through August 2002; Porter Young from January 2003 through May 2004; Michael Golwitzer from June 2004 through July 2006; Stewart Schnur beginning October 2006 continuing through May 2012.
The Twin City Church of Christ was served by two elders, Ralph Jones and Sam Soper and two deacons, Charles Davenport and Larry Oswald until Brother Ralph Jones passed away January 16, 2012 and the eldership was dissolved.
Beginning January 1, 2013 Tommy Johnson became our full-time preacher and served through March 31, 2014.
Those men who preached for us from April 2014 through June 2015 were: Sam Soper, Pervis Gibson, Harvey Allen, David Pharr, Porter Young, Bill Young, Caleb Young, Haskell Yenny, Mike Hinrichs, John Macon, Darrell Macon, Darrell Hall, Jason Pancake, Barry Trout, Randy Trout, Ramdeo Ramdeem, Justin Johnson, Ted Gantt, Tom Graves, Wallace Beasley, Steve Hughes, Ronnie Pernell, Don Iverson, Chad Garrett, Jariell Cooper, Shane Boyd, Alex Arrington, Andy Barton, and Phillip Murphy.
Wade Phillips began the work with us as our full-time preacher on July 1, 2015. He came to us from Milton, FL along with his wife, Joanna, and children, Jordan and Gracie. Wade ended his work with us on June 30, 2019 to pursue mission work full time.
Antonio (Tony) Lopez began working with us as our preacher on June 14, 2019 and served us through August 2, 2020. He left Austin, TX to be with us, and brought along his wife, Kati, and their daughter Addi.
Chris Starks began leading us through his preaching in September of 2020. He and his wife Anita began serving with us in September of 2020. Chris is a graduate of the Central Carolina School of Preaching.