Set back from Oak Hill Road on the north side of Evansville, the Oak Hill Church of Christ is an independent, non-denominational congregation that traces its roots to the broad Restoration movement of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Members describe themselves as part of the thousands of Churches of Christ across the country (the church points to Romans 16:16 for the name), pursuing what they call the "restoration plea": a return to the simple, New Testament pattern for the church, free from creeds and denominational labels. The congregation has met at its present location since the late 1980s, and it is known locally for a cappella worship, weekly communion, careful Bible preaching, and a sustained missions partnership with a church in El Salvador.
What a First-Time Visitor Will Find
Visitors are greeted at the main entrance by a member at the door. Parking is available in the front of the building, with overflow parking in the back, and handicap spaces sit to the left of the main entrance. The rear doors are locked during the service, so everyone is asked to come through the front once the worship hour has begun. There is no dress code: some members wear a suit and tie, others wear jeans, and guests are welcome in whatever feels comfortable. The only things a visitor is asked to bring are an open heart and a willingness to grow in Christ; Bibles are available in the pew racks alongside the songbooks if a guest does not bring one.
Families with small children will find a nursery just outside the auditorium doors for the morning worship service. Parents who prefer to keep infants with them are encouraged to do so, and members note that the sound of youth in the church is the sound of the church's future. Worship begins at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, so arriving a few minutes early gives visitors time to find a seat and meet a few people before the service begins.
A Sunday at Oak Hill
The rhythm of a Sunday is built around three gatherings. Sunday morning worship begins at 9:00 a.m. in the main auditorium and includes the elements the church considers part of the New Testament pattern:
- A cappella congregational singing - hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs led from the front without the accompaniment of any instrument, drawn from passages such as Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19.
- Weekly communion - unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, served every Sunday in memory of the death of Christ, following the example of the first-century Christians in Acts 20:7 and the instruction of 1 Corinthians 11:23-28.
- Prayer - led at various points by different members of the congregation.
- A collection - given voluntarily by members to support the works of the church.
- Preaching - drawn strictly from Bible texts and supported throughout by applicable scripture, with the goal of giving the hearer a clear word from God.
Bible classes follow the morning service at 10:15 a.m., with classes for every age. The adult class meets in the auditorium and is taught by the minister or another member. Youth classes for older children and teenagers meet in the classroom down the hallway under the stairs; visitors who need help finding the right room are invited to ask any teacher. A second worship gathering takes place on Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m., and the week closes on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. with another Bible class. Many of the sermons from these services are recorded and posted online, so anyone who misses a Sunday can go back and listen at another time.
The Restoration Plea and the Distinctives of the Church of Christ
Oak Hill is one of many independent Churches of Christ that identify themselves simply as the church described in the New Testament, taking the plea "Christians only" as their starting point. The church teaches that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the sole authority for spiritual matters, and it tries to reproduce the simple practices of the first-century church rather than the patterns of later denominational history.
Each of those practices carries a specific New Testament reference. The all-singing, no-instrument model of worship is rooted in passages such as Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19. Communion is taken every Sunday because Acts 20:7 describes the disciples meeting on the first day of the week to break bread. Baptism is understood as essential to salvation and is performed by immersion, the mode the church sees described as a burial in passages such as Romans 6:3-4 and Colossians 2:12. Becoming a Christian and joining the church are treated as the same step: those who hear the gospel, believe, repent, confess Jesus as Lord, and are baptized for the remission of their sins are added to the church by God (Acts 2:38, 47).
The church is led locally by a team of elders (also referred to in scripture as shepherds, overseers, pastors, or bishops) and served by deacons. The preacher is called the minister or evangelist rather than "pastor," a term the church reserves for the elders. Members do not use the title "Reverend" for the minister, noting that scripture applies it to God alone (Psalms 111:9).
Teaching the Bible Across Generations
Bible study is a weekly staple rather than an occasional program. In addition to the Sunday morning adult class, the church runs youth classes on Sundays and Wednesdays for high school students, along with children's classes during the same windows. Children and teenagers are folded into the wider life of the church through a few regular events. Each summer the congregation plans and hosts a Vacation Bible School, typically with classes for toddlers through sixth grade and an adult Bible class for those not serving with the children. Many children and adults travel together each summer to Spring Mill Bible Camp. Every fall the church combines its annual Fish Fry with a trunk-or-treat event for the children, and in February the congregation gathers for a Valentine's party and singles' luncheon. The youth ministry is shepherded by Deacon Ryan McNally, who oversees youth programs and education.
For older members, the Senior Ministry, led by Terry Liles, meets regularly for fellowship and outreach. The group takes visitation trips, invites in special speakers, and spends time together over shared meals.
Missions and Benevolence
Missions and evangelism are a daily part of the church's identity, and they shape a sizable portion of the budget. The Oak Hill congregation supports a network of efforts through Churches of Christ and related ministries: Shults Lewis Child Fund and Family Services in Valparaiso, Indiana; Childplace in Jeffersonville, Indiana; the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team; Healing Hands International; World Bible School; World Radio; and The Malawi Project. Giving to these works comes from the regular Sunday collection.
Deacon Shawn Rockett oversees the missions, outreach, and fellowship work of the local body, while Deacon Zach Wunderlich oversees finance and benevolence. The church also encourages members to mark a recurring giving rhythm through the Sunday collection, in keeping with the pattern of 1 Corinthians 16:1-3.
A Growing Church in Apopa, El Salvador
The most visible long-term missions project is the Iglesia de Cristo en Apopa, a Spanish-speaking Church of Christ in the suburb of Apopa just outside San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. Oak Hill has been supporting the beginnings of that congregation since 2016, working with the local minister, Victor Abrego. Apopa has a population of just over 150,000 and very few churches, making it a strategic location for evangelical work. Members of Oak Hill, including Minister Jon Riley, have traveled to Apopa to preach through translators and to encourage the small group of believers there. The Apopa congregation maintains its own Facebook page, where updates can be followed between visits.
The Leaders of Oak Hill
Jon Riley has served as the Oak Hill minister since July 2014. A graduate of Freed-Hardeman University, he works in preaching and in the missions and evangelism segments of the ministry. He and his wife, Brittany, have three children and live in the Evansville area.
The spiritual oversight of the congregation is shared among four elders: Paul Wunderlich, Larry Horn, Paul Exline, and Scott Fordyce. The deacons carry out specific works of the church: Derek Cremeens (building maintenance), Ryan McNally (youth programs and education), David Gray (adult education), Shawn Rockett (missions, outreach, and fellowship), George Schnur (interior building maintenance and security), Barry Watwood (general maintenance), and Zach Wunderlich (finance and benevolence). Terry Liles directs the Senior Ministry.
Reaching Oak Hill
Oak Hill Church of Christ meets at 4311 Oak Hill Road in Evansville, Indiana. The phone number is (812) 477-5516, and email correspondence goes through oakhillcocevansville@gmail.com or info@oakhillcoc.org. Recorded sermons are posted on the church's sermon page and can be visited at any time. Sunday morning worship begins at 9:00 a.m., Sunday Bible class at 10:15 a.m., Sunday evening worship at 6:00 p.m., and the Wednesday Bible class at 6:30 p.m.