The Freetown Road Church of Christ is a determined congregation in Grand Prairie, Texas, committed to reproducing in its own time the simple worship and organization described on the pages of the New Testament. Members come from different cultures, backgrounds, and ages, and the focus each week is on the same five acts of worship that the earliest Christians practiced: singing, prayer, preaching, giving, and the Lord's Supper. The congregation identifies with the Restoration Movement and its distinctive plea for religious unity based on the Bible alone, speaking where the Bible speaks and remaining silent where the Bible is silent.
A Congregation in Transition
The Freetown Road Church of Christ's mailing address is still 1038 Freetown Road, Grand Prairie, TX 75051, but a banner notice on the church's printed materials announces that effective Sunday, December 14, 2025, all classes and services have been meeting at 4701 S. Robinson Rd., Grand Prairie, TX 75052. "Until further notice, classes and services are being held at the Robinson Road Church of Christ building." The move is administrative and physical, not doctrinal. The phone number, (972) 641-4596, and the office email, freetownroad1038@gmail.com, continue to serve the membership. The Robinson Road arrangement allows the congregation to continue its ministries, its class schedule, and its pulpit ministry uninterrupted while the longer-term facility situation is worked out.
Five Acts of Worship on Sunday
Sunday morning worship begins at 2:30 p.m., preceded by Bible classes for adults and youth at 1:30 p.m. The Sunday evening service is not currently meeting. Greeters hand a bulletin to visitors at the door, and the bulletin explains what to expect and how the worship is organized. Visitors are not asked to participate in any way.
The order of service follows the New Testament pattern. Singing is congregational. Prayer is led by various men of the congregation: an opening prayer, a prayer for the family, and a prayer at the Lord's table. Preaching is the central teaching moment, with sermons that typically run thirty to thirty-five minutes. The Lord's Supper is observed every Sunday morning, with sealed communion cups distributed in the foyer, each containing a piece of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, which is non-alcoholic grape juice. The collection follows the communion, with a brief prayer offered over the giving. Visitors are not expected to give and are never pressured to do so. The translation used in the pulpit and the pews is the New American Standard Bible 1995 edition, and copies are available for anyone who needs one.
A Cappella Singing from the Pews
One of the most immediate things a visitor notices at Freetown Road is the lack of mechanical instruments. The congregation explains, "We believe, according to Scripture (Eph. 5:18-19, Col. 3:16, 1 Cor. 14:15, Heb. 2:12), that we are to sing to one another using our voices alone." For that reason there are no choirs, no praise teams, and no soloists. Hymnals rest on the pew backs and the words also appear on a screen at the front of the auditorium. The congregation explains that this principle also eliminates candles, incense, and other similar elements: there is no scriptural authority for engaging in acts of worship not found in the New Testament.
Bible Classes for Adults and Youth
The adult Sunday morning class is currently studying "The Plan of Redemption," seen throughout the Bible, taught by Mike Lane. Youth classes are taught by Gary Gough, Perry Grace, and Otha Cole. "Our classes cover a variety of subjects all in an effort to deepen our faith and understanding of God, Scripture, and our place in God's plan," the congregation explains. "Comments and questions on the subject under discussion are always welcome." The classes are discussion-friendly and intergenerational, and visitors are encouraged to sit in.
Thursday Nights in Song and Scripture
A second weekly gathering meets on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. The adult class is called "A Study in Song," and members look at the Scriptures that lie behind the great hymns of the church, tracing each text from its biblical roots into the lines that congregations have sung for generations. The Thursday evening class mirrors the Bible-class style of the Sunday morning hour, with open discussion and a single teacher at the front.
The Restoration Plea
The doctrinal statement draws on a classic article by Batsell Barrett Baxter that explains the plea of the churches of Christ. Members of the church do not see themselves as having started a new denomination in the 19th century. "Rather, the whole movement is designed to reproduce in contemporary times the church originally established on Pentecost, A.D. 30." The plea is for religious unity based on the Bible. In a divided religious world, "it is believed that the Bible is the only possible common denominator upon which most, if not all, of the God-fearing people of the land can unite."
Distinctive convictions at Freetown Road include the Bible as the only infallible guide, the autonomy of the local congregation, a cappella worship, baptism by immersion, weekly communion, and free-will giving on the first day of the week. The sixty-six books of the Bible are considered divinely inspired, infallible, and authoritative, the final word in every religious question. Each congregation is self-governing under a plurality of elders, with no central headquarters, no conventions, no annual meetings, and no official publications. Baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo and literally means "to dip, to immerse, to plunge." Only those who have reached the age of accountability are accepted for baptism; faith must always precede baptism, so infants are not baptized. Members assemble for the Lord's Supper each Lord's day, following Acts 20:7, and the emblems are carried to the home when illness prevents attendance.
The congregation holds to the virgin birth of Christ, the deity of Christ, the resurrection of the body, the reality of heaven and hell, and the absence of purgatory. Salvation requires both God's part and man's part: God's part is grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and man's part is to hear the gospel, believe, repent, confess Christ as Lord, be baptized for the remission of sins, and then live a faithful Christian life. The free-will offering on the first day of the week is the only financial request the church makes. "There are no assessments or other levies. No money-making activities, such as bazaars or suppers, are engaged in."
An Eldership in Waiting
The Freetown Road Church of Christ agrees with Scripture that God's design is for the local body to be governed by a plurality of qualified men called elders or shepherds (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1), and not a single pastor. At present, no eldership is in place. "Until such time as qualified men become available, financial and legal responsibilities are maintained by a select group of trustees. Larger matters are discussed and decided by the congregation while consulting the scriptures."
The trustees handling legal and financial matters are Gary Gough, Dwaine Gough, Barry Seymour, Tommy Seymour, Mike Lennard, and Perry Grace. Pam Gough serves as the church secretary, with Barry Seymour as treasurer and Gary Gough as co-treasurer. The congregation similarly does not formally have men holding the title of deacon, since there are no elders, although several men "work in different areas from worship, to maintenance, to youth. However, they do so without the official title of a deacon." The congregation is candid about the situation and frames it as a season in which the congregation continues to function in trust until qualified men emerge.
Mike Lane at the Pulpit
The pulpit minister is Mike Lane, who joined the Freetown Road congregation in December 2019. Before coming to Grand Prairie, Mike served as the lead minister for the Trenton Church of Christ in North Texas. He is a graduate of the Southwest School of Bible Studies in Austin, Texas, and holds completion certificates from The Master's Seminary and The Expositors Academy. He has preached in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas, and has written articles for several brotherhood magazines. He and his wife Rachel have two children.
His favorite verse comes from Micah 6:8: "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?" (NASB). Mike's preaching on Sundays and his midweek Bible teaching anchor the congregation's worship and study life.
Sermon Outlines and the YouTube Archive
Sermon outlines beginning in 2025 are available. "These outlines can be used as stand-alone personal studies, group studies, or assist you with developing your own sermons." Recent outlines include "The Examination (Pt. 1)" and "The Examination (Pt. 2)" from January 2025, and "O Captain, My Captain!" from January 19, 2025.
For a complete catalogue going back to 2022, the church maintains a YouTube channel at Freetown Road Church of Christ on YouTube. The archive includes recent series such as "The Examination," "The Disciple," and many standalone sermons including "What is a Christian?," "The Attitude of Gratitude," "Is Christianity Too Narrow," "The Power of Endurance," "The Foundation of Love," "Stop Playing Church," "Living Victoriously in Christ," "The Great Commission," "Generosity and Contentment," "Contentment in God's Provision," "The Attitude of Gratitude," "Living as Transformed Hope-Bearers," "A Transformed Heart and Mind," "Hope Beyond the Grave," "Hope Beyond Challenges," "Pressing Forward in Hope," "The Power of Endurance," "God's Unconditional Love," "The Foundation of Love," "Recognizing God's New Thing," "Resolving to Seek the Lord," "Thy Will Be Done," "Hallowed Be Thy Name," "Who is in Heaven," "God the Father," "Praying Deeply," "Man in the Mirror," "Salt of the Earth," "The Shema," "Mental Illness and the Christian," "Power of the Word," and "Sin No More." Guest speakers include Brian Petty, Jerry Morris, Charles Page, Gary Workman, and missionary Rohan Jones.
Weekly Bulletin Articles
Every week Mike Lane publishes a substantial bulletin article that walks through a single verse or short passage, working through the Hebrew and Greek vocabulary, the immediate context, related Old and New Testament passages, and contemporary application. Readers can sign up to receive each new article by email. Recent examples include:
- Psalm 68:19 - Blessed Assurance, on the Hebrew word sha'ef ("bears our burden") and its connection to Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28-30.
- Job 19:25 - Confidence in Crisis, on the meaning of go'el, "Redeemer," as Job's affirmation of faith amid suffering.
- Esther 4:14 - For Such a Time as This, on God's providence and the meaning of 'et, "a specific moment appointed by God."
- Nehemiah 9:5 - The Call to Worship, unpacking the Hebrew terms qum ("arise"), barakh ("bless"), and shem ("name") in the Levites' call to bless the Lord.
- Ezra 7:10 - The Model of Devotion, on hekhin libo ("set his heart") as a portrait of study, practice, and teaching.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 - Seeking and Forsaking, on the reciprocal relationship between God and His people, drawing on the Greek term egkataleipō for "forsake."
- 1 Chronicles 29:17 - The Heart Examined, on David's integrity (yashar) and sincerity (tamim) before God.
- 2 Samuel 7:22 - Not God but God, on David's confession "there is none like You," and the phrase e'in kamokha.
- Genesis 1:1 - The Cornerstone of Christian doctrine, on creation ex nihilo and the meaning of Elohim.
- Exodus 14:14 - Finding Peace in God's Sovereignty, on the Lord as the Divine Warrior who fights for His people.
- Leviticus 20:26 - Understanding Being Set Apart by God, on the meaning of qadosh, "holy," and badal, "set apart."
- Numbers 23:19 - A Reflection on God's Unchanging Word, on God's inability to lie and the meaning of kazab and nacham.
- Deuteronomy 7:9 - Living in God's Covenant, on emunah ("faithful"), berit ("covenant"), and chesed ("lovingkindness").
- Joshua 1:8 - The Torah in Joshua's Leadership, on the command to meditate (hagah) on the Torah day and night.
- Judges 3:9 - From Cry to Deliverance, on Israel's first judge Othniel as a type of the ultimate Deliverer.
- Ruth 1:17 - Death and Devotion, on Ruth's covenantal vow and the meaning of chesed (lovingkindness).
- 1 Samuel 16:7 - Beyond Appearance, on God's rebuke to Samuel and the phrase el ha-lev, "to the heart."
These articles build on one another week by week, walking through the Old Testament in order and pairing each text with the New Testament passages that complete its arc.
Walking Through the Door
The congregation makes a first visit simple. The dress code is informal: "Not sure what to wear? Wear whatever you may feel comfortable in that is appropriate for a worship service. Is it a suit? A dress? A t-shirt and jeans? That's ok!" Free Bibles are available for those who do not bring their own. Greeters meet visitors at the door with a bulletin and information about the congregation. Visitors are not asked to participate in the service and are not expected to give. The regular Sunday morning schedule runs as follows: Bible classes at 1:30 p.m., worship at 2:30 p.m. The midweek Bible study meets Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Communion is offered each Sunday morning, and members and visitors may take it as the trays are passed.
Resources for Deeper Study
The congregation recommends a wide range of outside resources for deeper Bible study. Television programs include Gospel Broadcasting Network, In Search of the Lord's Way, International Gospel Hour, Give Me the Bible, Good News Today, Tullstar, and Bible Land Passages. Brotherhood magazines listed include Seek the Old Paths, Think Magazine, The Christian Chronicle, Gospel Minutes, Gospel Advocate, and Reason & Revelation. Podcast listeners are pointed to The Light Network, and readers interested in Christian evidences are pointed to Apologetics Press. YouTube channels recommended include Cougan Collins, Dewayne Bryant, Dale Ferguson, and Paul Mays.
The resource list also recommends schools of preaching for men considering ministry training: Southwest School of Bible Studies, Brown Trail School of Preaching, Bear Valley School of Preaching, Memphis School of Preaching, Texas School of Preaching, World Video Bible School, and Online Academy of Biblical Studies.
A Church Built on the Word
The Freetown Road Church of Christ continues in its distinctive plea: to speak where the Bible speaks and to remain silent where the Bible is silent. With its acappella worship, weekly communion, plan-of-redemption Bible classes, Thursday-evening hymn studies, weekly bulletin articles, and an extensive library of archived sermons, the congregation offers a clear, simple pattern of Christian faith and practice to anyone seeking to follow the New Testament church as it was in the beginning.