In 1948, a small group led by Nile Songer, Bill Wheatley and Bob Coons, asked the elders of

the Central Congregation for guidance and help to begin a new congregation in Hialeah.

 

While looking to purchase property for the church, they had permission to meet in the Benny Bobcock Park.  The caretaker of the park failed to open the building that Sunday morning so, Nile, Ruth, Louis & Nadine Songer, Bill, Beulah & Margaret Wheatly, Margie & Ronnie Frederick (Collins was at work), George & Kathryn Fornshell and the minister at Central, J. Roy Vaughn held the first service of the Hialeah Church of Christ under a shade of a tree at the park.

 

The new congregation met for a short time in the part.  Later then we were able to move to the Hialeah City Hall Council Chambers.  Jack Birch and Tuck Andrews did most of the preaching.  The ond week of September 1949, a graduate from David Lipscomb College named Staley Blackman was hired as the first full time preacher of the Hialeah Church of Christ.  He and his wife Annice moved and began the work at Hialeah.

The little group grew very rapidly and shortly they purchase a piece of property on the corner of East 4th Avenue and 11th Street.  They erected a building on that site, doing most of the work themselves at night and on Saturdays.

 

As the congregation grew there wasn't enough Bible classrooms.  Plans were drawn to erect a classroom and office building.  And again, most of the construction work was done by the membership.  With the rapid grow that Hialeah was experiencing, additional plans were made to build a ond floor. 

 

Our building had three unique features:

As Hialeah grew, we started The TV Ministry, Meals on Wheels for shut ins, Phone Ministry, "The Christian Education Center" which later became "The Atlantic Christian School," & "Palmetto Christian Academy."  Many wondeful programs began because of Hialeah, such as, the Bus Ministry, Camp Hiabica, Junior & Senior Banquet for South Florida Church of Christ, Track & Field Meet, Vacation Bible School, Paper Collecting Drive for our Youth.  We had Virgil and Dorothy Powell, Del & Mabel Allen, Joe & Eva Wallards as our first three Christian Homes caring for children.

 

We moved to 7700 West 20th Avenue in November 23, 1973, where we presently meet and worship.  We have had and continue to have wonderful men to serve as our preachers such as, Stanley Blackman, Albert Lemmons, Jimmy Moffett, Bro. Jones, Bud Thompson, Willie Hamblin, Arlen Chapman, Luis Capiro, T.A. Isaacs, George Brown, Steve Rook, Roger Mills, Don Mc Brayer, Cliff Laird, & Robert Ball who started working with us in June 1992, and is still with us today.

 

We also have a branch of Sunset School of Preaching (Atlantic International Bible Institute...AIBI), Christian Homes for Children, Iglesia de Cristo sharing our property.

 

Please come and visit with us, and give us a chance to get to know you!