House of Worship: 4-member Church of Church congregation keeping their faith

Don Wilkins, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·3 min read

Jan. 29—A faithful four have gathered every Sunday at 10 a.m. inside the home of Pat Norris' Philpot home, 3313 Oaklane Drive, for nearly two years.

But prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Norris said the small Yellow Banks Church of Christ congregation had been meeting at the H.L. Neblett Center since the summer of 2019.

"It was our meeting place until mid-March 2020," Norris said. "COVID closed the doors to many places. So we then transitioned to what became known as the 'house church.' ...A lot of churches went online, but we didn't do that and didn't want to do that; we thought we would be breaking commandments. So therefore, we continued assembling, and we took every precaution we could."

Although there are Church of Christ churches in Owensboro, it's similar to other denominations in that it has dividing points of doctrinal issues that lead members to establish subdivisions.

For Norris and her fellow believers — Jerry Payne, Angela Crabtree and Melissa Clemons — they separated over the doctrine of drinking from multiple cups or a single cup and eating from multiple loaves or one loaf while observing the Lord's Supper, also known as Communion — the sharing of wine and bread — during their weekly worship service.

Norris said it was after receiving in the mail a booklet called "The Lord's Supper — Unity in One Loaf and One Cup" by Brad Hickey that she began rethinking how she was observing Communion.

"In the winter of 2018, I began the search on the one cup and one loaf of the Church of Christ," Norris said. "We have four Churches of Christ in Owensboro, but we don't have the one cup and one loaf group."

Norris said she grew up in a Church of Christ church that believed in using multiple cups and loaves. She added that her group believes in keeping the congregation together instead of separating for Sunday school classes or Bible study based on adults, teens and children.

"The dividing factor is the cups, loaves and classes," said Norris, adding that they use grape juice and unleavened bread. "We are the one cup, one loaf and no classes."

Norris said two of the current members drive more than an hour to attend the service each Sunday because this is the closest Church of Christ for them that practices the one cup and one loaf doctrine.

Norris added that there was a movement in the 1950s to go away from church members drinking from one cup and eating from one loaf because of the worry over passing germs.

"The nearest (one cup and one loaf Church of Christ) to here is Paducah," Norris said.

And there is a rotation of four evangelists — Stan Owens of Sharonville, Ohio, Phillip Scott of London, Kentucky, Ova Baker of Mount Vernon, Kentucky, and Robbie Barron of Eubank, Kentucky — who travel to Norris' home each Sunday to preside over the service.

Norris said the group has had its setbacks, but that they haven't become discouraged because going through trials increases one's faith.

She added that first century Christians held services in their homes until they were able to expand.

"The challenge is to grow the church, and we're committed to that," Norris said. "And the challenge is to stay faithful and to stay spiritual minded. Just be faithful in spite of rejection."

Anyone seeking more information about the Yellow Banks Church of Christ can call 606-878-8104.

Don Wilkins, dwilkins@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7299