Church History

A Brief History of First Christian Church of Greater New Orleans
in Metairie, Louisiana

The history of First Christian Church of Greater New Orleans parallels the history of the Campbell / Stone Movement in Southeast Louisiana.  Tracing its roots to the original Christian Church at Camp and Seventh Streets in the Central Business District of New Orleans, First Christian Church came into being as a separate entity in 1981.

According to a June 2, 1974, article in the New Orleans Times Picayune, the original central city congregation, which was founded in 1845, was "challenged by the organ controversy" at which time a dozen or more families withdrew from the downtown church to form congregations at other locations in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. 

The remaining congregation worshiping at Camp and Seventh Street is recognized as the oldest congregation of the Church of Christ, non-instrumental, in Louisiana and has subsequently relocated from that location.

With population growth and demographic changes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations were organized in Bucktown, later in Uptown, in what is today St. Charles Avenue Christian Church, in the Gentilly area, on the Westbank and in Jefferson Parrish.

Specifically, First Christian Church of Greater New Orleans arose out of a time when the leadership of St. Charles Avenue Christian, in the years following World War II, saw the need to establish mission churches in the rapidly expanding suburbs.  To explore this possibility, home church meetings began in the newer areas of the city and adjacent parishes resulting in the creation of Gentilly Christian Church in 1949 and Jefferson Christian Church in 1954.

Both congregations constructed permanent buildings and continued as separate entities until 1981 when it was decided by the two congregations that good stewardship would be better served by combining their resources. 

Thus, FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS came into existence and began to worship as one congregation in the facilities formerly known as Jefferson Christian Church.

In 1988 the church added a multi-purpose building including a gym, classrooms, restrooms, and a kitchen.  In 1998 the church built a new sanctuary and remodeled a portion of the existing facility to accommodate a growing church with expanding programs.

First Christian Church of Greater New Orleans is affiliated with regional and general manifestations of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

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