Roots & Wings

Lamar Avenue Church of Christ, 3535 Lamar Avenue, culminates its 150th-anniversary celebration, “Roots & Wings” on the weekend of Sept. 7-8. The festivities culminate on Sunday, Sept. 8 with a worship service in the church auditorium at 9 a.m. followed by Sunday School Classes taught by former members and ministers of Lamar Avenue.

Dr. Randy Johns, preaching minister at Lamar Avenue, will bring Sunday morning’s message during Worship Service, “You Will Be My Witness” (Acts 1:1-11).

Johns served Lamar Avenue from 1985-92 as the Church’s youth minister and returned to Paris in 2018.

“We certainly welcome our community to join in this milestone of this great historical Church,” said Dr. Kyle Jones, Church Elder.

The day of celebration is open to the community.

Following the Worship Service and Sunday School Classes, members and guests will assemble for a catered luncheon at Love Civic Center begin between 12-12:30 p.m. Following the luncheon, several former ministers will reminisce on their time at the Church interspersed with a proclamation, music by Won Heart, Rock Solid, Kids for Christ and an award-winning Leadership Training for Christ quintet.

The congregation began the celebration in April with an evening service in the Biardstown community at the site of the old Antioch Church of Christ, the location of the first Church of Christ in Lamar County and one of the oldest churches in the early days of Texas statehood. James M. Biard was the first minister for the Paris congregation known as Lamar Avenue Church of Christ.

The purpose of going back to Antioch in Biardstown is to remember this first congregation in Lamar County and contributions it made and the influence it has had in Paris, Northeast Texas and beyond.

Scheduled to teach Sunday School Classes include Dr. Jeff Christian, who served 1999-2002 and is now the preaching minister at the Bearing Drive Church of Christ, Houston, TX; Keith Kilmer, whose late father, Dean Kilmer, served Lamar Avenue from 1988-1998 and Keith is the pulpit minister at the Robinson Avenue Church of Christ, Springdale, AR. The father and son team of Dr. John Cannon (1977-88) now retired and living in Paris, and his son, Patrick Cannon (2003-17), now the preaching minister at Walnut Church of Christ in Texarkana will team-teach a class providing three options.

Jones noted the Sunday School and Worship Service time has “flip-flopped” effective September 8 with Worship assembly beginning at 9 a.m. and Sunday School to follow.

“Few churches can boast this lengthy service in one community and we are grateful for the ministers, leaders and church members who have stood firm for the cause of Christ,” Jones said.

Reservation for the catered luncheon provided by Lamar Avenue may be made by calling 903-785-0387 or by email, lacoc@suddenlinkmail.com.

Deadline is Monday, Aug. 26. There is no charge for the meal.