OUR HISTORY
Dudley Christian Church began when Lola Isabelle Thornton married William Ralph O'Berry and moved to Dudley. Having been active in the Mill Creek Christian Church and educated at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton), she was concerned that there was no Christian Church in the community. Like the early Christians, they began meeting in homes and in a schoolhouse near the present location in 1907. Eventually her husband agreed to build her a church. In 1908 or 1909 construction began on a one acre site across the road from what is now the May-Brannon home. Because that location was too far from the community hear the railroad, the church was constructed at the present site. The congregation was formally organized on Aug. 31, 1914. To provide for the expanding Sunday school, an addition was completed in 1945. Earlier a log cabin was constructed on the church property as a meeting place for the Boy Scouts and also served as a Fellowship Hall for the church. Due to the severe damage rendered by Hurricane Hazel in 1954, the building was completely refurbished. The enlarged sanctuary and addition was dedicated on November 25, 1956 with Dr. Allan R. Sharp presiding. On Monday before Easter, March 24, 1986 a fire destroyed the log cabin; however, a year and a half later a new Fellowship Hall was dedicated on Homecoming 1987. In 1993-94 the Sharp Wing was built consisting of three Sunday school rooms, a nursery, and two handicapped accessible bathrooms.
During the years of 1914 to present, Dudley Christian Church (DOC) has had seventeen ministers - full or part time. Dr. Allan Sharp served faithfully for more than half of that time, giving him the distinction of having the longest tenure at the same church of any minister in our denomination. Tentative plans were under way for the celebration of his fifty years as pastor and retirement when failing health and, eventually, his death made this impossible. During the last years of Dr. Sharp's pastorate, Douglas Dexter served as associate minister and was appointed as Interim Minister. Blane Smith was called to serve Dudley Christian Church as its pastor in November 2003 and continues to serve faithfully.
In August 2005 a Ground Breaking service was held for the initial phase of the Community Life Building. After the shell building was completed in 2006, Jim Brannon was selected to serve as the general contractor for the Phase II portion. Completion of the inside of the building moved rapidly and by Homecoming 2006, everything was ready for the dedication of the new Community Life Center. The CLC was dedicated to the mother of this congregation, Mrs. Isabelle Thornton O'Berry.
