The Echols Church Of God was first established in 1922 and for several years, the meetings and services were held in the homes of the members in the Rockport and Echols area. When the membership of the Church increased and outgrew the home meetings and services, the old Bank Building in Rockport was used as a temporary Church. Work was started on a new Church building. It was to be located on Main Street, and next to the Bank Building. I don't recall church services ever being held in the old Bank Building. This time frame may have been in the early forties. The Rockport Bank ceased to operate in 1926 and the old building was sold in 1927. This old building has seen many tenants, mostly of the restaurant type. A few of the many uses of the old building include, a Church, barber shop, grocery stores, living quarters, as well as many restaurants. Years of neglect and a storm brought the old building down and eventually, the ruble was hauled away.

My first recollection of this Church Of God Church was in the year of 1949. Sister Louise was the pastor and lived across Main Street from the Church. She lived in the big two story house that once belonged to the Reid's. This Church believed that musical instruments, other than a piano or an organ, could be used for Church services and in the warmer times of the year, the large double doors of the Church would be opened for all to hear and enjoy the Church music. Mr. and Mrs. Oakley Bratcher and Mr. and Mrs. "Fuzzy" Bratcher were some of the active members that I can remember.

This Church continued to expand and membership, active and inactive, continued to increase. The governing board decided it was time for a larger church building. The Church Of God, in its' Rockport location, was limited on expansion due to the small size lot where it was located, and a decision was made to move to a larger lot in Echols, Kentucky. Somewhere in the time frame of the mid-fifties, a basement was built on the new lot in Echols. The basement was sufficient enough for Church Services and a new Church became known as the Echols Church Of God. With dedication and hard work from its' members, the basement church has now grown to the present church which includes a four bedroom parsonage. There is now sufficient rooms to hold Sunday School Classes where one class will not interfere with another. A content and proud church membership exist and with reason to be proud.

Betty Shaver is the pastor of the Echols Church Of God.

3/26/11 Update:
Mrs. Lois McCoy was kind enough to take the time to send an e-mail that contained some more information on the history of the Echols Church Of God. The following is a summation of her input. Thanks Lois.

Churches are only as good as the members make them. Like schools, small communities, even big cities, etc., Churches not only have to have financial help, they need members willing to work and go the extra mile. Occasionally, a special person or a married couple will come along and go that extra mile in helping expand or to help make a Church a better place of worship. Brother and Sister Lee Messer were just that married couple for the Echols Church. The Messer's worked hard and long hours to help take the empty lot in Echols and expand it to make the beautiful Church that it is today. Where only a simple basement stood, a new Church arose to make the members proud. When Brother and Sister Messer left in 1978, the Echols Church of God not only consisted of a Church building, with extra rooms for offices, and enough separate rooms to hold Sunday School Classes, the property also contained a separate parsonage. A big thanks to the Messer's.

Note: To all members of the Echols Church Of God: I have written the above few paragraphs about your Church from memory. If any members of the Church, either collectively or singularly prefer a different write-up or changes that need to be made because of errors, feel free to let me know and I will gladly abide by your wishes. Thanks for looking and thanks for reading.

See you.....
jrd