Meridianville Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Meridianville, Madison County, Alabama

1857 - present

Robert Donnell Presbytery

Synod of the Southeast


Meridianville Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Box 188
11696 Highway 231/431 N
Meridianville, Alabama 35759


A History of our Church
1857 - 1982

On October 23, 1858 the congregations of the Bethlehem Church, near the Three Forks of Flint River, Madison County, Alabama, and the Liberty Church nine miles west of Bethlehem, met in Meridianville, Alabama, with the Rev. W. D. Chadwick, presiding, and organized the Meridianville Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

The elders of the two churches, Louis A. McBride, J. C. Steel, C. W. Strong, W. F. Johnson, J. E. Laughinghouse, and W. M. Douglas, being present, were then organized, according to the rules of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, into the Session of the Meridianville Church.

The land on which the church was built was given by Mr. W. M. Otey. The original deed was lost during the reconstruction period at the close of the Civil War; so in order to straighten the record, the lot, with a brick church on it, was sold by the administrator of Mr. Otey's estate to the Elders of the Meridianville Church for the sum of $75.00 and deeded to the same on December 3, 1868.

Originally this church was affiliated with the Tennessee Presbytery. Our last delegate to that Presbytery was sent to Cowan, Tennessee, on October 11, 1889. About that time the Robert Donnell Presbytery was formed and our next Presbyterial Delegate went to Stevenson, Alabama, on March 13, 1890.

On October 7, 1889, the church burned and thereafter services were held at the school until the present church was built on the original foundation and dedicated on September 9, 1900 with the Rev. Caldwell of Huntsville, officiating.

After the merger in 1906 of a large portion of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. the name of the Meridianville Church, contrary to the wishes of the congregation, was added to the role of the U.S.A. Presbytery. On September 6, 1906, in accordance with the wishes of this church, the elders: Alex Mitchell, W. H. Grimwood, W. B. Hampton, and P. E. Green, petitioned that the name of the Meridianville Church be dropped from the role of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.

In the year 1907, a steeple and a vestibule were added to the new church building. The columns were made of wood and plaster, which provided unsatisfactory and were replaced by square columns of brick with arches between each column. Later the steeple was removed when a new roof was installed.

In 1922 the first Sunday School rooms were built on. Then in 1956 the new Educational Building was erected which contains six Sunday School rooms, recreation hall, and a kitchen. The old addition was converted into a pastor's study, two restrooms, and a ladies lounge. In addition a Scout room and much storage space was constructed.

In 1962, under the leadership of the Rev. Jerry Anderson, the church took on a new inward and outward appearance. New wall-to-wall carpet was installed with twenty new pews. A new front and pastor's study was added. Also, a new roof and steeple.

In the year 1968 with the Rev. Dale M. Shelton as pastor, the church undertook another remodeling program. Sunday School rooms, restrooms, kitchen, nursery and the fellowship hall were remodified with air-conditioning and heat being installed.

Additional property, adjacent to the old manse, was purchased for future plans. New parking area was constructed and made possible. In 1981 a new manse was constructed on the sight originally purchased for that purpose.

An incomplete list of the pastors up to this time consists of the following:

C. W. Mitchell
J. M. McDonald
W. E. Gabord
B. F. Lawrence
A. N. Eshmon
C. P. Talliferro
Will Hereford
Herbert Walker
W. G. Milligan
A. Witherspoon
Dwyer
R. L. Stem
W. S. Bridges
N. R. French
E. R. Knox
H. E. Jones
Burroughs
C. E. Bishop
L. N. Garner
Jerry Anderson
George C. Krieg
Dale M. Shelton
John W. Malone


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Updated October 18, 2007

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