Madison Church of Christ gathers on Hughes Road in the city of Madison, Alabama, a few miles west of Huntsville. The congregation worships in the historic style of the Restoration Movement, with a cappella singing, a weekly observance of the Lord's Supper, public readings from Scripture, and prayers offered aloud by members of the church. Two morning worship services, a full slate of Bible classes, and ministries for every stage of life have made Madison a hub for Church of Christ families across the North Alabama region.
Sunday Worship and Midweek Bible Study
Worship takes place on Sunday mornings at 8:30 and 10:30 AM in the auditorium. There are no choirs, organs, or instrumental ensembles; instead, the congregation sings a cappella, a hallmark of churches of Christ, with song leaders drawn from the members themselves. Each service includes the weekly observance of the Lord's Supper, public readings from Scripture, and prayers voiced from the front. Visitors are warmly invited to remain afterward to study the Bible, be baptized, or pray privately with one of the shepherds or ministers. Worship services are livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.
Bible study is treated as central to life at Madison. Two scheduled times anchor the week: Sunday evenings at 5:00 PM and Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM. The Sunday gatherings are organized as Connect Groups by life stage, while the Wednesday studies are multigenerational, with everyone meeting at the same hour in classrooms arranged around the auditorium. A current fall quarter features studies on Ephesians, Deuteronomy, parenting, the Twelve Steps, prayer, and evangelism through God's creation. Bibles and study materials are open and inviting; participants are encouraged to bring honest questions.
Connect Groups by Life Stage
The Sunday-evening Connect Groups are designed to put people of similar life circumstances around the same table. There is a College and Young Professionals group for students and twenty-somethings, with college students meeting in the South Balcony Classroom and young professionals meeting in Room 201. A Young Couples group gathers in Room 200, the North Balcony. Preschool Families meet in the Fellowship Room, elementary-age Faith Builders gather in Room 206A, and Teen Families meet in the Madison Room. Empty Nesters meet in the Echo Room, and the Young at Heart seniors meet in the Auditorium. Each group runs at its own pace but shares the same goal of helping adults grow as disciples in a setting that fits the realities of family life.
Iglesia: A Spanish-Speaking Congregation Within Madison
Madison's Iglesia ministry serves the Hispanic community in and around Madison with a parallel set of services in Spanish. The Iglesia meets for worship on Sunday at 10:30 AM, for Bible study on Sunday at 9:30 AM, and for midweek Bible study on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. The Iglesia minister, Beto Huamani, joined the Madison ministry team in January 2016 after years of ministry in Peru and other states. A graduate with a degree in Arts Education and currently working on a Masters in Ministry, he and his wife Emily, whom he met on a medical mission trip in Lima, are part of the broader Madison family. Spanish-language resources are integrated into every corner of the church's life, from bilingual Kids Care registration forms to bilingual Ladies Ministry materials like the Spiritual Battle Plan.
Madison Kids Care Preschool
Madison Kids Care, often called MKC, is the church's weekday preschool program for infants through kindergarten. The school operates on a faith-based philosophy summed up in four words: heart, soul, strength, and mind. The co-directors, Elesha Hunt and Angie Olree, lead a staff that completes state-required background checks and follows DHR recommendations for childcare in Alabama. Preschool runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM with options for two-, three-, four-, or five-day enrollment. Limited before- and after-school care extends the day from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and kindergarten students attend Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The school observes fall, holiday, spring, and summer breaks. Chapels are held throughout the week, with ministers volunteering to lead age-appropriate lessons and songs. Parents communicate with teachers through the Procare app, which shares photos, daily updates, and billing in real time. Families interested in MKC may join the wait list online.
Children's Ministry
The children's program at Madison partners with parents and grandparents to help children grow up rooted in the Bible. Bible classes run alongside the 10:30 AM worship service, and during that hour three-year-olds through kindergarteners leave the auditorium for a dedicated worship time built around their age group. Vacation Bible School is offered each summer for ages three through fifth grade, with captivating themes, storytelling, crafts, and hands-on activities. The children's ministry also hosts seasonal family events throughout the year, including Spring Fling and Trunk or Treat. Parenting classes, workshops, and practical resources are offered to support families between Sundays. The children's minister, Jordan Abrams, joined the team in March 2020. A Bible and ministry graduate of Harding University, he and his wife Lindsey and their daughter Mallory lead the ministry together.
Lads to Leaders and Leaderettes
Lads to Leaders and Leaderettes is a long-standing youth leadership training program at Madison. Children from preschool through adults can take part in coaching, mentoring, and judging at a local level, with the program culminating each year at one of six national conventions. The Madison congregation attends the convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, the program's original and largest site. Local participation is offered free; convention participation involves registration, travel, and lodging. The program offers thirty-seven events, including Bible Bowl, Oral Bible Reading, Scripture Memorization, Puppet Theatre, Speech, Song Leading, Debate, and Art Says It. Core events that get participants into the Bible or develop worship leadership skills are required before children can add elective events. Adults serve as coaches, judges, coordinators, and chaperones, and the Madison budget covers the first hotel night for every member family attending. Assistance is available for families who want to attend but face financial strain.
Youth Ministry: Reaching In, Reaching Out, Reaching Up
Madison's youth ministry serves seventh through twelfth grade families through a family-based model. The youth motto is "Reaching IN, Reaching OUT, Reaching UP," drawn from Jesus' two greatest commandments in Matthew 22. Reaching In describes growing in personal relationship with Christ; Reaching Out describes using one's influence to draw others closer to God; and Reaching Up teaches that God must come first. Weekly Youth Hangtime meets in the Madison Room, and the first Wednesday of each month features Hangtime plus a catered dinner. Other rhythms include Youth FAM Groups (Faith, Accountability, Mentoring), which pair students with adult mentors, monthly area-wide devos, and seasonal retreats such as the Junior High Retreat at Camp Ney-A-Ti and the Senior High Retreat. The youth ministry is led by Richard Turner, who joined the team in 2018 after graduating from Freed-Hardeman University, and Seth Miller. Ashley Peeden serves as the youth ministry administrator and is also a notary public who can notarize parental consent forms.
Men's Ministry
The men's ministry at Madison aims to provide opportunities for spiritual growth, mentorship, and fellowship. The cornerstone is the Men's Prayer Breakfast, held every Tuesday morning at 6:30 in the Madison Room. A different man leads a devotional each week, and the group shares in prayer together over breakfast. A men's book study meets on Thursday evenings in Room 203A. Each year the men gather for an annual retreat, often featuring golf, fishing, and outdoor activities designed to build relationships across generations, and for the Man Feast, a low-country boil that brings men of all ages around the same table.
Ladies Ministry and WinGS
The Ladies Ministry is organized around four areas called WinGS: Women in God's Service. The Hospitality area coordinates meals for new births, bridal and baby showers, sister socials, and the nursery rotation. Encouragement and Involvement covers meal trains for illnesses and surgeries, the College Care program that sends cards and packages to students, card writing, the play group, and S.H.I.N.E., a fitness and spiritual health gathering. Spiritual Growth includes the Ladies Bible Class on Thursday mornings at 10:00 in Room 206A, one-on-one Bible studies, an audio/visual team, and special events like Ladies' Day, the Ladies Retreat, the Boo Hoo Breakfast, and the Thoughtful Supper. Service covers the Solos ministry for women who are single, living alone, divorced, or widowed, Caring Sisters who support the Solos, Care Bears, Komfort and Kindness, and Affinity Hospice freezer meals. A monthly Ladies Day and other special events are scheduled throughout the year.
SMiLES: Special Needs Ministry
SMiLES, which stands for Special Ministry in Loving Exceptional Souls, supports families affected by special needs. The ministry pairs individuals with special needs with peers for inclusive participation in Bible studies and church events, and provides a quiet space during the 10:30 AM worship service equipped with fidget items, busy bags, and a livestream of the service. The goal is for the whole family to be able to worship together at Madison. Caretakers can connect with the ministry through smiles@madisonchurch.org.
Counseling Ministry
Madison's Family Counseling Ministry provides professional, faith-based counseling to members and to others in the community. The team includes Darren Crowden, an Associate Licensed Counselor with a background in sexual addiction work and twenty-three years in the U.S. Air Force; Becky Kelly, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor who specializes in EMDR, play therapy, and childhood trauma; and Olivia Renfroe, an Associate Licensed Counselor whose experience spans crisis intervention, adolescents in the juvenile justice system, and substance abuse treatment. The H.E.A.L. Cancer Support Group - Hope, Empathy, Acceptance, and Love - is facilitated by Beverly Reed and meets to encourage those diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers.
Local Outreach
Madison's local outreach arms stretch in many directions. The Care Bear Ministry gathers monthly at the church building to stuff, sew, and decorate stuffed bears that are then delivered to Huntsville and Madison hospitals. Komfort and Kindness, formerly called Blankets for the Homeless, meets on Mondays to make bag mats for the homeless and disaster relief, blankets and quilts for homeless communities and local hospice, fidget mats for Alzheimer's and dementia patients, knitted and crochet hats for cancer patients at Clearview Cancer Institute, and port pillows for patients with ports. The Bible Correspondence Course sends Bible studies by mail to students across the country, with members at Madison responding to completed lessons. Madison volunteers also deliver weekly home-cooked meals and treats to Affinity Hospice's office on Hughes Road, where the nurses pass them along to patients who can no longer cook for themselves.
World Missions
Madison partners with missionaries and efforts across the globe, including North and South America, Africa, Asia, India, and Europe. Mission partners include workers in Hungary, the Middle East, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Panama, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras, India, South Korea, the Micronesian Islands, New Zealand, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The Linda Glover Christian Foundation supports an orphanage and school in Liberia. The World Missions ministry works through the missions committee, reachable at missions@madisonchurch.org.
Shepherds, Deacons, and Ministry Team
The spiritual oversight of the church rests with a group of shepherds (elders): Kraig Behel, Mike Dozier, Brent Gaddes, David Glenn, Norm Glock, Bob Houghton, Mark Kelly, Keith Olree, Keith Parrish, Vic Pratt, and David Wade. Deacons serve in areas including Assemblies, Benevolence, Church Operations, Edification, Education, Missions, and Outreach, with specific assignments in children's ministry, College and Young Pros, Ladies Ministry, Men's Ministry, New Member Engagement, Lads to Leaders, Kids Care, Media Outreach, Hispanic Ministry, SMiLES, and the Bible Correspondence Course.
The preaching ministry is shared by Brandon Pressnell, who has served Madison since January 2000 after previous roles as youth and family minister, and Andrew Itson, who joined in June 2021 from the Robertsdale Church of Christ and the University Church of Christ in Montgomery. Both hold graduate degrees in biblical studies and serve the church in preaching, planning worship, and walking alongside families.
Richard Turner and Seth Miller lead the youth ministry. Jordan Abrams leads the children's ministry. Jason Helton serves as Media Outreach Minister, having joined the team in 2007 as youth minister before transitioning to his current role in 2017. Beto Huamani leads the Iglesia. Siegfried Bill serves as the full-time prison minister, working with the honor dorm at Limestone Correctional Facility and with Project Rescue, an addiction recovery program for men in Priceville, Alabama.
A History Going Back to 1879
Madison's story reaches back to the early days of gospel preaching in North Alabama. In 1814, John Smith traveled through the region planting seeds of faith. Barton W. Stone came through the Huntsville area in 1841 and stirred two streams of growth, one down the Tennessee River into Lauderdale County and the other along the Huntsville Road into Madison County. In 1879, T. B. Larimore was invited to preach at a meeting in the small community of Madison. The meeting resulted in several conversions, and the decision was made to build a meeting house. From those roots the present-day Madison Church of Christ has grown into a large, multi-generational congregation with two morning worship services, a Spanish-language Iglesia, a preschool, a counseling center, and a worldwide missions footprint, while continuing to keep weekly worship simple and rooted in the Word.