Shortly after the turn of the century, several men in the Smith's Spring Community began worshiping each Lord's Day in an old lodge adjacent to the school on Old Anderson Road near Smith's spring. On November 21, 1907, Ms. Nancy Moore deeded an acre of land, located at the corner of Smith Springs Road and Old Anderson Road, to Tom M. Hill, John Lane, and C. W. Brewer. The land incorporated the spring, which supplied water during the dry summer months to people for miles around. With the Lord's help, they built a one-room frame church building on this land which incorporated the spring.

After the death of Tom Hill in 1930, Douglas Peay, who grew up near Old Burnette's Chapel about five or six miles further out Smith Springs Road, began to come from Nashville with some young people for two or three years. However, when their enthusiasm faded and they began attending other places, often there was only one male member, Otis Charlton, to take the lead in the services. Seldom was there a preacher and few funds were available for supplies. Eventually, around 1932, all services were discontinued and the building stood vacant for several years.

In June of 1938, Walter Lovell, a minister, along with the families of Johnny Burnett, Otis Charlton, Hazel Jones and Wesley Mullins (a total of twelve), began meeting again on the Smith's spring site. Services continued there on a regular basis until March 26, 1967, when the land was flooded in preparation for the Percy Priest Lake Project.

On April 2, 1967, the congregation of eighty-six(86) active members moved into the present building less than a mile from the old site. A note of interest is that the same Nancy Moore who had deeded the original property in 1907 also previously owned the land on which this building stands. Shortly thereafter in 1969, more classrooms were added; then in 1975, additional seating in the auditorium enabled us to accommodate the rapid growth of the community. In 1979, a facility, which we call our Family Life Center, was built and has been used almost on a daily basis by individuals and groups from within our membership as well as from the community around us.

Over the years, men like its first elders have led the congregation: Otis Charlton, Alex Liddle and Wesley Mullins. Our current elders are Gilbert Nave, Jim Smith, Steve Reynolds and Gary Meadows. We are blessed, also, to have those who have served as elders in the past remain as vital members of our church family. These men include, at this writing, Otis Charlton, Jackie Charlton, Danny Hale, Randall McGill, Carl Conway, David Gaylor and David Goolsby.

Ministers over the years include Walter Lovell, Akio Limb, Vardaman Forrister, Ralph Carnahan, Paul Dillingham, Ray Frizzell and Dace Delaney. In the mid-1980’s, and continuing for the decade of the 1990’s, the congregation was particularly blessed by the ministry of David Gaylor and David Lawrence. Both Brothers Gaylor and Lawrence continue to bless our congregation, remaining as active members. Tim Alexander began his preaching ministry with Smith Springs in 1999 and continues with us today.

The first decade of this century saw the continuation of tremendous changes both in the life of the church and in the surrounding neighborhood. What began 70 years ago as a largely rural area lying out beyond Nashville has become a populated, multi-ethnic neighborhood bordered by Percy Priest Lake, Nashville International Airport, and Interstate Highways 24 and 40.

We remain a working congregation and we cherish the values of family and friends. Our unique “Family Camp,” held each year for the past two decades, is one of our high points because it gives us all the opportunity to be with one another, as a group, for a week. Over the years, by God’s grace, we have cultivated retreats for various age groups within the congregation, a thriving youth group, an outstanding Vacation Bible School, an investment in Room At the Inn each fall and winter. Again, by His grace, we are pleased to continue involvement in mission works in Africa, Europe and the far country of New Jersey.

Through it all we have embraced a steady, methodical, commitment to expositional teaching and preaching of God’s Word. Our vision for the future is of an active church family, secure in Jesus, empowered by the Spirit to honor and glorify God. As the "spring" offered water to quench the thirst of those in this and surrounding communities, the Church that the Lord planted beside the "spring" has been a "well of water, springing up into everlasting life." Then and now . . .the glory of God and the blessing of others is our purpose.

(Updated in 2009)