Who We Are

          Fairlawn Church of Christ is a congregation of believers having their roots in the Restoration Movement. We are located one mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway, on the outskirts of Galax, Va in the rural Coleman community.

 

A History of Fairlawn Church of Christ

          The church began in early 1900 with services held in a nearby grove or in the old two-room Coleman Schoolhouse. Occasional services were held by N.A. Cox. In 1925 Lavie Cornett and Ileta Finney, who taught in Coleman School, requested permission from the school board to hold Sunday School services which included Bible studies, songs, and memory verses.

          On July 29,1926, a tent was erected and meetings were held by E. Roy Gentry. This tent stood to the left of the present cemetery. For the tent meetings, slat benches were purchased from Coal Creek Church and an organ and song books were borrowed. After a few days, interest grew and it was decided that a temporary church building would be built with the intention of eventually building a permanent church. This temporary building was erected in one day and services were held in it that night. The meetings lasted for a time period of over two weeks. There were several responses with approximately twenty-six baptisms and twenty-eight membership transfers.

          The temporary church building was a one room structure made from the lumber of the nearby sawmills of the community. It had a dirt floor and a stage across the back for the minister and the choir, and lights were provided by oil lamps fastened to posts.

          Mr. E. Roy Gentry’s mission in this area was to organize a church. After he left, the state board sent ministers not only to this church but to all other Christian Churches in the county. From 1927 to 1929 one of these ministers was A.C. Knibbs. He traveled about on foot from church to church. Once a month he preached in the morning at Coal Creek, in the afternoon at Fairlawn, and in the evening at Lambsburg, and Mr. N.A. Cox ministered in his absence. During this period, the church membership grew to seventy-three.

          In 1929, the construction of the original church building began. The rafters were put in place in February of 1930. On February 11, 1930, Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Davis conveyed the land for the church property and the first service in the newly constructed church was held on March 16,1930 under the direction of Wake Leake.

          A dedication service was held May 31, 1931. Soon after the dedication service, the name of the church was selected. Included among the participants was Lloyd Wilson who at that time was living in Pennsylvania.  He suggested the name “Fairlawn,” since that was the name of the church he was then attending. After some discussion, the name “Fairlawn” was adopted.

          On July 6, 1931, the debt for the original church building was paid off, just two years after construction began.

          The first Sunday School rooms were added in the basement and classes were held in the unfinished rooms on April 11, 1956. In 1962 a new addition was added onto the south wing of the existing church and classes were held on December 16, 1962. The baptistery and two dressing rooms were added in 1975. The church expanded on the south side once again in 1991, adding a fellowship hall with bathrooms and more classrooms in the basement below the new addition.

          In 2008, due to extensive termite damage and an inadequate heat system, the original sanctuary was torn down and in July 2008 groundbreaking was held for the new sanctuary.

          The steeple, windows, baptistery and baptistery painting were all saved from the old building. Chestnut lumber from the subfloor of the old sanctuary was used in the construction of the cross now hanging over the baptistery.

          On January 18, 2009, the first service was held in the new sanctuary under the direction of the youth group.