A Brief History of the New Burlington Church of Christ

At the close of World War II, New Burlington was a small community on the northern outskirts of Cincinnati. With no churches in the vicinity, the White Oak Christian Church, along with four member families in the New Burlington vicinity, agreed to plant a new congregation that would become the New Burlington Church of Christ (NBCC).

The first meeting of NBCC was on the afternoon of June 29, 1947, with Bro. Barton McElroy, the minister of the White Oak Christian Church, preaching. Initial services for NBCC were held at the little white church in the cemetery on the corner of Mill Road and Springdale Road. Under the leadership of the White Oak Christian Church, the Sunday afternoon services for NBCC continued until February 29, 1948.

In January 1948, Harry Porter, a student at the Cincinnati Bible Seminary, was called to be the congregation’s first minister. Though he began his ministry in February and only served until August, NBCC began to see significant growth and meetings were moved to the Community Hall in New Burlington. The Community Hall was shared with various other local organizations and use of the facility meant that the church was responsible for keeping it clean for community use.

Soon after the calling of John “Bill” Wade to the NBCC ministry in the summer of 1949, the congregation began meeting in the old New Burlington School House. When the New Burlington School District voted to join the Mt. Healthy School District in 1949, the New Burlington School House became available for the congregation’s use at the cost of $1.00 per year and upkeep. Though the congregation began to set aside money for the construction of a more functional church building, they met at the old school house from 1950-1957.

By 1955, the members of NBCC had acquired three acres of property and began drawing up plans for the construction of a new house of worship. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new church took place on September 19, 1956, and a formal dedication of the completed church building occurred on December 1, 1957. During this time, the church continued to expand its influence through evangelism, world missions, various ministries, and numerous other Christian activities.

Due to an increased attendance in the Sunday service and Bible School, discussion for building a new worship auditorium and fellowship hall emerged in 1969. Once plans were approved the construction began. The new addition to the church was dedicated in a special service on October 10, 1971. At that time, the old auditorium was remodeled and converted into classrooms for the congregation’s use.

Though no longer on the “outskirts” of northern Cincinnati and no longer the only church in the New Burlington vicinity, NBCC continues its tradition of serving the Lord though various ministries, Bible study, and Sunday worship. As recent at November 2013, NBCC added the Rainbow Thrift Shop as a ministry to the community. As in previous years, NBCC tries to stay faithful to God’s Word, while sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel.