A Brief History of the North Atlanta Church of Christ

The North Atlanta Church of Christ had its first meeting on June 7, 1959.  Members of the Burnt Hickory Church of Christ in Smyrna saw the need for a congregation in the northern region of Atlanta initiated the church.  Five families were present for the first worship service that was held in a Masonic Lodge Hall in the Sandy Springs area.  During the first three decades, the church was known as the "Sandy Springs Church of Christ."

In 1960, the church moved to a nearby school where it met for ten years when property was purchased and a building was built on a ten-acre tract on Mount Vernon Highway in Sandy Springs.  At the end of the 1960s attendance was approximately 125.

During the 1970s, Bill Long began serving as the preacher and the church enjoyed serving the community better through use of its own building.  As the church grew during this decade, it became known for its emphasis on outreach and world missions, emphasizing mission efforts in the Caribbean.  By the end of the 1970s, attendance was approximately 500.

As growth continued in the 1980s, the Sandy Springs church began to meet in two morning assemblies and two Sunday schools.  Local outreach was enhanced by a weekly television program called "Jesus Alive."  With growth of the city and the church, members were scattered over a large area making creating more of a "regional" church.  In December of 1987 a new facility was completed on Roberts Drive in Dunwoody with an auditorium large enough for the entire church to meet in one assembly.  Reflecting the nature of the church and the desire for outreach to a broader region, when the church moved locations it changed its name to "North Atlanta Church of Christ."  At the end of the 1980s, average attendance was around 1100. Success in the Caribbean missions led the church to assume a key role in evangelizing the country of Venezuela, which was near previous mission points.

With members spread over such a large area, in 1991 a small group ministry was started to create a better atmosphere for fellowship and outreach.  These groups began meeting in homes on Sunday evenings and over time groups meeting at other times during the week have been added.  In response to community and church needs for family counseling, North Atlanta opened the "Genesis Center for Christian Counseling" in 1992.  As the Soviet Union became open to outside influence, North Atlanta added Russia to its target countries for missions emphasis. Increasing needs and growth in the Atlanta area led the church to target local missions by supporting the Lakewood Church of Christ in the central Fulton County and to plant the Grace Chapel Church of Christ in Forsyth County.  By the end of the 1990s, Don McLaughlin was serving as the pulpit minister and Ken Snell as the involvement/worship minister along with a diverse ministry staff.  Average attendance at the end of the decade was approximately 1300.

From its inception, members of the North Atlanta church have tried to fulfill God's purposes in their lives. As a group, the church seeks to be focused on God's purposes which are typically expressed as honoring God (the purpose of "magnification") as growing disciples (the purpose of "maturity") by loving and serving all people (the purpose of "ministry"), helping them become devoted followers of Jesus (the purposes of "mission" and "membership").  As these purposes have become more clearly defined, the church has used them as a basis for every aspect of church planning.

This is a story of God at work through his people and credit for any accomplishments must go to him. North Atlanta members have always focused on sharing the message of Jesus by ministering to the needs of our community, the Atlanta region and the world.  What a blessing to have new people become a part of the history of this church. May God use each member in a great way as he writes the next chapters of this story.