Our History

Howell CP Church is located on what was once called the old Gibson Campground.  The campground was started in 1815 standing at the edge of the woods.  The people of the campground initially built a brush arbor to preach under and made the floor of straw for the children to sit on while others sat on logs and hewed benches.  People would come for miles and camp there for weeks.  The first missionary society of the C.P. Church was organized by the ladies of the camp ground in 1818. 

 In 1858 our church building, then known as the Cane Creek C.P. Church, was constructed.  The bricks were burned in the field by two Irish builders.  The lumber for the building was hand worked from the forest which surrounded the whole area.  Yellow poplar was hewn into 5"x15" roof trusses which remain strong and in use today.  In 1904 the name was changed to Howell Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  The front of the building was changed slightly in 1927 when part of the sanctuary was converted into Sunday School rooms.  In 1937 the church underwent a major face lift.  The belfry was removed and the two front entrances were enclosed and one double door was formed.  

In 1976 the session decided to add a fellowship hall on the back of the building.  This project was completed in April of 1978 at a cost of $10,587.55 with all debts paid at the time of completion.  In September 1986, the inside walls of the sanctuary were painted and a roof was built over the front entrance.  In the late 1990s, the current fellowship hall was added and the previous fellowship hall at the rear of the building was converted into Sunday School rooms.  In 2000, a covered pavilion and small porch were added to the fellowship hall.  

Brother Sam Tigert was the first pastor and preached for 40 years.   In 1972, we hired the first full time pastor, Bro. Leslie Jacobs.  Two preachers have been ordained in the church: Bro. Tom Porter (ordained in 1975) and Bro. Todd Gaskill (ordained in 2001), the current pastor.  

This small country church continues to thrive in the modern world of the mega church.  This is no doubt due to the love and fellowship of the congregation and the support of the community.  It has been said that "love grows best in small houses".  We believe that this holds especially true for the small country church.  Howell CPC is a church where you will be welcomed, loved, and needed.  Here at Howell you aren't just part of the congregation, you are part of the family!

Howell CPC is more than just a church, it's a family.  As a small church, we have the opportunity to grow really close in our fellowship.  We share each other's joys and sorrows.  We support one another in all aspects of life.  it isn't unusual for our Sunday announcements to include sharing news that a member is expecting a new grandchild, one of our youth won a special award at school, or that a member's sibling might be having health issues.  We pray together in gratitude for the blessings of our members and ask God's loving touch for those experiencing hardships.  We also support each other in more tangible ways like taking meals to those going through difficult times or attending one of our young member's sporting events to show our support.  At Howell, you will never feel unneeded or unwanted.  If you are looking for a church where you can be involved - Howell is the place for you.