Episode 150: How a church from the 1920s is still ahead of its time in the 2020s (Harold Shank)

How many Church of Christ congregations in the United States baptized 8,000 people in their first 20 years?

Central Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, did.

Forming in 2025, the Central Church of Christ did not choose to assemble in the desirable, fast-growing, upwardly-mobile parts of Nashville. Rather, the congregation chose to put down roots in the highest-crime, highest-poverty part of town.

Backed by philanthropist A.M. Burton, Central Church of Christ activated a dazzling array of community services and ministries that would seem ahead of their time even today. Led by minister E.H. Ijams, the congregation operated from the belief that announcing the kingdom of God and practicing neighbor love are one and the same.

In this episode, Ijams's protege and student, Harold Shank, talks about the legacy of Central Church of Christ and what congregations around the world today can learn from it today.

Link to The Christian Chronicle's archive of coverage of the Central Church of Christ

Link to It's All About God, Harold Shank's book about E.H. Ijams and the Central Church of Christ

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