During the westward expansion of the 1800s a great movement of God swept through the Midwest. The movement was characterized by a return to the Bible alone for authority in the life of the church. The movement rebelled against the strict formalism of the organized churches of the day. One of the reformers was Barton W. Stone, a former Presbyterian minister in Kentucky. His followers were sometimes called the “New Lights”.
In 1861, twenty-six people who had been touched by this movement, the New Light Christian Faith, decided to start a church of their own. Jane Kern, wife of Adam Kern, Jr., who lived one-fourth mile east of the corner of roads 38 and 39, rode a horse east of Kirklin to get Rev. T. R. Allen to meet with them in their home to write a creed for their new church. On, Tuesday, March 21, 1861, these twenty-six met and decided on the name of Antioch, because that was where the disciples were first called Christians.
To read more of our history click here and you'll be taken to a PDF version of our church's history that was compiled for the 150th anniversary celebration in 2011. The PDF contains the full story and photos taken during our 150 year history.
