THE CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY
3301 PEERLESS ROAD

Brief History
In early 1904, Reverend A. J. Tomlinson organized the Holiness Church at Union Grove in northern Bradley County. Then in December, he moved his family from Culberson, North Carolina, to Cleveland, hoping that the bustling little town would be more suitable for his family's needs, as well as a strategic location for the church work he was leading. At that time, four local congregations made up what would become a worldwide organization--Camp Creek, North Carolina, Drygo and Union Grove, Tennessee, and Jones, Georgia.

During 1905 and 1906, Reverend Tomlinson made several attempts to organize a holiness church in Cleveland, but his efforts met with stiff resistance. On May 10, 1905, he pitched a large tent in an open field on the east side of Cleveland and began a revival meeting, which lasted six weeks, with 80 conversions. In September, 1905, Tomlinson was invited to preach in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where he had enrolled his family in the Sunday School, but his holiness message was not well received. On September 16, he began a second meeting in the tent which lasted until October 15. The records indicate that as many as 500 were in nightly attendance.

On February 15, 1906, Tomlinson rented a church building on Middle Street (later called Dooley Street), and the first service was held there on March 1, 1906, with Tomlinson serving as pastor. The W. F. Bryant family moved to Cleveland in May, 1906, and helped to boost the work of the little congregation. In July, however, the building was sold and the mission closed.

In early October 1906, the tent was stretched again, resulting in the organization of the Holiness Church on October 10. Cold, rainy weather forced the closing of the tent on November 2, so the congregation continued to meet in the home of Tomlinson and other members who lived in the Central Avenue area. The Cleveland church rapidly outgrew the other four churches and soon became the hub of a growing fellowship that had taken on the name "Church of God."

On February 22, 1907, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Loomis donated two lots to Tomlinson, Bryant, and M. S. Lemons "for the purpose of building thereon . . ." at the corner of College and Peoples Streets, the present day location of the North Cleveland Church of God. Construction began on May 13, and was completed in September. The building, which cost $1,093. 63, was dedicated on September 29, 1907. A Sunday school was organized on October 6, with 92 pupils.

Another tent revival began on August 11, 1908, in an effort to boost the church's membership. The revival featured three services a day, and some 500 attended the first night. A ball of fire over the tent and other unusual manifestations were reported in the newspaper. Strong opposition from many local residents failed to stop the meeting. On one night, the crowd was estimated to be in excess of 5,000. The revival closed on October 14, with 104 members added to the church. During the year of 1908, more than 300 conversions were recorded.

By 1911, A. J. Tomlinson traveled extensively in his position as general overseer of the Church of God, so F. J. Lee was selected to pastor the Cleveland church, and over the next eight years, the two men alternated as pastor.

In 1923, a devastating disruption occurred in the Church of God organization, which divided the local church. Tomlinson was forced to start over, which he did on an empty lot on Central Avenue. Eventually, the branch of the Church of God led by Tomlinson became known as the Church of God of Prophecy. This group erected a large tabernacle in 1924 on Central Avenue in which to hold their annual General Assemblies. The Cleveland congregation met in the tabernacle until 1947. Pastors in this location included F. F. Johnson, M. S. Curry, Grady R. Kent, L. S. Rhodes, and T. E. Bradley. In 1947, the congregation moved to a newly constructed building on Wildwood Avenue. At that location, it became one of the leading congregations in the Church of God of Prophecy. Several other churches were mothered by the Wildwood congregation, including the Eastview church (now on Durkee Road) and the Keith Street Church.

Pastors at Wildwood Avenue included James Staggs, Jess F. Pruitt, Omer Lawson, Roy F. Day, Jr., Malcolm T. Linkous, William Akers, R. W. Stockdale, A. Winston Gonia, A. H. Davis, Loyal C. Washington, Fred S. Fisher, Sr., Gerald H. Minter, and Jack R. Pruitt.

In 1973, a committee developed plans for a new church facility at the corner of Peerless Road and Davis Drive. Ground breaking took place on September 8, 1974; the first service was held on April 27, 1975; and the mortgage burning was held on August 24, 1986. Peerless Road pastors have included Jack R. Pruitt, C. L. Summerall, J. E. Brisson, Sammy N. Clements, R. Glen Rountree, Timothy L. McCaleb, William M. Wilson, and current pastor, Tim D. Coalter.