In early April, Richard Harris and I visited Leonard Grider, one of the founders of EBCOC, to chat about how EBCOC came into being. We talked for over an hour about the how several families met in his basement for about six months, how they finally got enough money together to buy a small lot at East Brainerd and Graysville Road (now the Elks club) and how they constructed a small meeting house(the lumber cost $1200.00). He took a 2 week vacation, he and some more men dug and poured a footing for the building. They didn't know the the footing needed to be level, they thought the block layer would do the leveling. He told how much extra time they spent chipping away at the footing to get it level. They learned a lot about building the LORDS church. The building even had a baptistry and Richard and Leonard told of this one time when this man was being baptised and sort of got away from the preacher and was splashing around in the water trying to get out and at the same time saying 'praise the lord - praise the lord'. They kidded him later that he almost drowned, and he said it "might have been a good time to go". The told of the times that all the men of the church would meet to discuss the business of the church. One time they met to decide if they should start serving communion on Sunday night as they had a man that worked on Sunday morning that couldn't attend AM service. It is amazing to me how all the pieces finally fit together. Even with all struggles and problems they had, only one reason they suceeded was the guiding hand of GOD, as is being done in the congregation today.

Brother Grider is 85 years old and lives by himself (his wife Alice passed on 9 years ago). He seems to be in pretty good health and attends church regularly, albeit at another congregation here in Chattanooga. He told of the "big meetings" they had and how many souls were brought to salvation in this community. He told how they had services three time a week. He told of the sacrifices that were made to build the building and to hire a preacher full time. How all this brought them closer together as a church family. This closeness still exists today. He told of the different preachers and their different personalities (just like today). They credit Homer Daniel era with the most growth of the church. When they decided to buy and build on the present property, the small church was packed full at every service.

So when you read the history of our congregation, be aware that there were folks before us that sacrificed much for us to have a pretty good place to meet and pretty good folks to meet with.


Al Taylor

Richard Harris and Leonard Grider

April 2002