THE HISTORY OF SHILOH CPC:

As the first organized church in Ellis County, the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church congregation was chartered with twenty members on July 25, 1847. This was two years before the formation of the county.

The church began under the leadership of the Rev. Finis E. King, a pioneer area minister, along with the assistance of the Rev. J.C. Provine  from Lamar County. Worship services were first conducted under a brush arbor. Later, services were held in a cedar log tabernacle constructed by Matt McElroy and his eight sons. In 1872, during the pastorate of the Rev. D.G. Molloy, the present frame sanctuary was completed. J.P. Laughlin built the structure using lumber from Cherokee County in East Texas.

Since the earliest days of settlement, the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian congregation has led in the development of Ovilla and the surrounding area.  Many other pastors and families have helped contribute to our rich history and dedication in serving God.  Shiloh continues to thrive today with the sustained leadership of our Lord and Savior along with our minister, the Rev. Patrick Wilkerson, and our Ruling Elders and Deacons.

WHO ARE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIANS?

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is the third largest Presbyterian denomination and its beginning dates back to the period known as the "Great Awakening". An outgrowth of the Revival of 1800, the founders disagreed with the Presbyterian church on issues such as predestination and the educational requirements for ministers on the frontier. They believed the scriptures supported a "who-so-ever will" gospel with God's grace available to all who would accept it.

Three ministers founded the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1810 in a log cabin located in what is now Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson, Tennessee. The church grew rapidly, spreading the gospel in the expanding frontier and supplied ministers to meet the needs of the many pioneering families.

Today, the denomination supports various institutions including Bethel University  in McKenzie, TN, Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN, and  Cumberland Youth and Family Services in Denton, TX. The denomination hosts missionaries in various parts of the world. Cumberland Presbyterian churches are located throughout the United States and in a number of foreign countries.

For more information, please read our CONFESSION OF FAITH.