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| An organization meeting
held on May 27, 1948 marked the birth of the West End Church of Christ. Meeting
on that Friday were Joel H. Anderson, Sr., Charles M. Camerone, Curtis Franks,
Robert Foster, Harry Harwell, John Johnson, M. Howard Sanders, and Mack Tucker.
Twenty-nine people assembled on Sunday, May 30, 1948 in the home of Dr. J.B. Neil for West End's inaugural worship period. Mack Tucker preached the first sermon entitled, "The Greatest of These is Love." Through its rich history the West End family has met in four different locations. The congregation moved from the Neil house to Bearden Elementary School on September 12, 1948, then into their newly acquired property on Lyons View Pike on November 18, 1950. On March 26, 1969, the West End family moved to its current 16-acre location on East Walker Springs Road adjacent to Interstate 40/75. The congregation has flourished from the 29 people who attended the first gathering in 1948 to a membership exceeding 1000 members. Of the original group, Curtis and Cleo Franks remain members of West End. |
 Curtis and Cleo Franks December 2002 |
On August 29, 1948, Brothers Anderson, Sr., Franks, and Tucker were appointed elders and Brothers Foster, Johnson, Neil, O'Guin and Sanders were installed as deacons to minister to the needs of this newly formed congregation. Over the fifty-plus year history of the West End congregation, twenty-four men have served as elders.
| Elders | |
| Joel Anderson, Sr. | 1948-1959 |
| Curtis Franks | 1948-1994 |
| J. Mack Tucker | 1948-1978 |
| M. Howard Sanders | 1954-1972 |
| Ralph McKnight | 1959-1961 |
| George Kinnie | 1959-1975 |
| Hall C. Roland | 1963-1996 |
| Marvis Cunningham | 1967-1977 |
| Paul Shirley | 1967-present |
| David Macon | 1971-1975 |
| Paul Haubenreich | 1971-1988; 1992-1996 |
| James Newbill | 1971-2001 |
| Everett Tomlinson | 1985-1988 |
| Robert Ward | 1985-1995; 2001-2006 |
| Fletcher Luck | 1990-1991 |
| Bill Carson | 1992-1997 |
| Jim Worley | 1992-present |
| David Rollings | 1996-1997; 2001-present |
| Ray Slate | 1996-2001 |
| Stanley Strong | 1996-2000; 2006-present |
| Bob Waters | 1996-present |
| Oliver Cook | 2001-2006 |
| Steve Lipsey | 2001-2006 |
| Steve Van Slyke | 2001-present |
| Chuck McCallister | 2006-present |
| Mark Newby | 2006-present |
From May 1948 until August 1952, various men of the congregation and occasional guest speakers, notably C.P. Roland and Roy Willingham, performed the preaching duties. In September 1952, Leslie G. Thomas became the first of eight full-time ministers who have served West End.
| Ministers | |
| Leslie G. Thomas | September 1952-September 1960 |
| Howard Allen | October 1960-September 1963 |
| Hall Roland | September 1963-March 1964 |
| Ed Coates | March 1964-August 1970 |
| Hall Roland | September 1970-September 1971 |
| Tom Huckaba | September 1971-August 1976 |
| Tommy Daniel | December 1976-October 1979 |
| Roger MacKenzie | May 1980 - July 1995 |
| Russell Cook | July 1995-present |
In addition, several men have served West End as ministers with emphasis in specialized areas. They include:
| Associate Ministers | |
| Robert O. Wilson | 1977-1986 |
| Roger MacKenzie | 1995-1999 |
| Youth Ministers | |
| Glen Laird | 1983-1985 |
| Mike Lewis | 1986-1995 |
| David Skidmore | 1996-2000 |
| Kyle Wright | 2001-2004 |
| Paul Davis | 2005-present |
| Outreach Ministers | |
| Dan Reed | 1989-1993 |
| Ron Bamburg | 2002-2004 |
| Stanley Strong (dual-role) | 2004-present |
| Involvement Minister | |
| Peter Morphy | 2004-2007 |
| Family Minister | |
| Rob Hall (part-time) | 2004-2005 |
| Education Minister | |
| Matt Miller (part-time) | 2004-2005 |
| Stanley Strong (dual-role) | 2005-present |
As reflected by its mission statement, the West End congregation has been continually involved in mission work to further the cause of Christ by establishing congregations in the Knoxville area and in mission fields all over the world. The congregation currently sponsors seven missionaries in widely dispersed locations (Biabou and Belmont, St. Vincent; Benoni, South Africa; Lima, Peru; Aurangabad, India; Escobedo, Mexico; and Mascot, TN) and supports over seventeen other missionaries.
January 2008
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~ Our Mission ~
To go and make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded. (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV paraphrased)