Our History

This congregation began in 1910 in a private home on Bennett Street.  The following year, the church moved into a new building on Garrett Avenue and met there 14 years.  In 1924, the church on Sears and Summit was built and the church met there 27 years.

In 1948, the Skillman Street location was purchased, and the current building was dedicated on December 16, 1951.  Two additions have been added since that time.

Great Men and Women

Some of the most influential preachers in the Church of Christ brotherhood have served Skillman and its predecessor churches, Garrett Avenue, and Sears and Summit.  This congregation has been faithfully led by great men of faith such as J. M. Gainer, C. C. Kligman, Lee Carpenter, Albert Deveny, E. V. Young, M. C. Cuthbertson, F. L. Young, A. O. Colley, Roy Gogdill, Coleman Overby, Melvin Wise, John Banister (Pulpit Minister from 1948 to 1971), Stanley Lockhart (Pulpit Minister from 1971 to 1977.  Stanley introduced Harold Paden to the Skillman Elders and the church started supporting the work in Italy in 1973) , Bert Mercer (Pulpit Minister from 1977 to 1979), Virgil Trout, Hugh Fulford (1983 to 1986), Mike Armour (1986 to 2001), and, Dwight Robarts (2001 to present).  These men have given the current ministry staff a strong heritage of excellence and a solid tradition of grace and truth. 

Tolbert Stovall was one of many fine musical leaders at Skillman throughout the years as well as Dub Owens and son Barry, Bob Biard, Lin Lawhorn, Thomas Sullivan, Floyd Maclasky, Dan Whitaker, Larry McCommas, and Lanny Mullins, and now Nathan Tillotson.

And who could forget the presence of Tillet S. Teddle?  Teddle, a well-known preacher, composer, and song leader, was a member at Skillman for 14 years in his later life.  His songs will be sung with joy and sincerity for years to come.

Sharing God’s Word

Many teachers have poured out affection, knowledge, and concern, and their dedication to nurturing kids and sharing life-forming Bible stories continues today.  From the great teachers of the past – Mildred Pratt, Boba Dyson, Mary White, Willie D. Beeman, Mary Lois Meggs and daughter, Mary Margaret, Rosemary Rogers, and Maxine Weaver, to those who still operate the flannel board – Marietta Janak, Jan Sheldon, and Billie Faye Curtis, Skillman has been blessed with gifted and dynamic people who know the power of God’s Word in the development of children’s spiritual lives.

The Skillman Nursery has always been a warm, safe place for infants and toddlers to stay while parents participated in church assemblies and activities.  Over the years, volunteers and professionally trained staff have taken care of the precious children entrusted to their care.  From Josephine Henry to Sister Dawson to Alma Brawner and Mary Gitucha, our toddlers have been well cared for.

As part of an expanded Bible emphasis, a Cradle Roll class was added on Sunday morning.  Infants and toddlers sing and listen to stories about God’s wonderful creation and His love for families.  No more heartwarming sight will be witnessed than that of a child looking into the handheld mirror and hearing that God made them in His image.

In the 1950s Bible Credit ruled.  Initially created by the DISD, churches continued to train teens in Bible knowledge with this successful program.  Skillman teens always excelled in all these competitions.

Still it was always personal attention that mattered most.  Adults began giving of their time and energy to Skillman’s teens.  Jimmy and Martha Rita Vaughn, Dick Still, Max Harper, and Harold and Billie Faye Curtis represent those who have made major contributions.

Soon, Skillman began hiring ministers specifically focused on teens.  John Slate was the first paid Youth Minister.  He was followed by Kenny Shaver, Troy Gibson, Chuck Adair, Mark McVey, Corey Allen, Jeff and Heidi Veal, Cary Dowl, Bret Wells, and presently James Henley.  They led the teens to take the message of Christ to such places as Washington, D.C., New York, Florida, Colorado, and south Texas.  From VBS and mission trips, Rockcleft, Padre Island, Trek, and firesides, the Skillman Youth Ministry has played a vital role in the joy of youthful Christianity.

To remember the efforts of Joe Bibby, who drove a bus full of children on Wednesday evenings so that Skillman teens could present the simple gospel of Christ through a successful puppet ministry, is to celebrate the contributing of hundreds of committed adults and teens alike.  The thousands of teens who have come through Skillman owe much to these men and women who have braved the generation gap and offered what all growing children need:  the love of Christ.

Another program designed for kids is Skillman’s Child Development Center.  Beginning as a three-day-a-week childcare program licensed by the state of Texas it has grown to a five-day program.  Begun in 1994 as the Parents Day Out program, with Ruth Ann Prude at the helm, the center has grown to 170 children with a majority of the children coming from the neighborhood.

Skillman continues to meet the needs of children and families, as we seek to contribute to our community by helping families maintain healthy, godly relationships.

Reaching out to our Community

Reaching out to neighbors and friends in the local community with a desire to be of service and extend the hand of Christ has always been a priority for Skillman.  Sometimes this desire expressed itself in a ministry of the Word.  For four decades The Way of Truth Television program was seen every Sunday morning on KDFW.  Also, during most of that time, the ministers of Skillman presented a weekly message on KRLD radio. 

Central Dallas Ministries, a local church training and benevolence program, has also benefited as a recipient of Skillman funds and volunteers.  The list of aid efforts by Skillman goes on:  the Bus Ministry, Meals on Wheels, Vickery Towers retirement community, grief recovery classes, Christian Care Center, various children’s homes, the Texoma Youth Camp, Red River encampment, and VBS programs in New Mexico.

Throughout the years, the number of ministries has multiplied alongside the increasing complexity of life.  No longer does a one-size-fits-all mentality work when it comes to meeting the needs of people.  Now, specialized ministries focus energies toward target audiences that best respond when approached by strategies specifically designed to meet their unique circumstances.

Never is our presence more appreciated than in the rooms of local hospitals, where members and ministers alike spend time with and offer prayers for those who are sick or in recovery.  Often these people are strangers who have no one in the area.  The hospitality of our membership is a stellar example of a Matthew 25-type ministry.

Another example is the prison ministry, created to visit inmates in local jails that was started by John Malone in the early ‘80s.  Later, Hillery Motsinger established the NewLife Behavior Ministry, which has expanded from Dallas to Texas prisons to national and international efforts.  As a result, many prisoners have found new life in Christ.

Growing from Inside Out

The Skillman story is one of visionary leadership, prayerful decision-making and sacrificial action on the part of the congregation at large.  When it was decided that the Sears and Summit building would not support additional growth, the church leadership came up with a new plan.  An entire block was purchased on Skillman Street for $28,000.  A building fund was established to secure a loan when individual members borrowed money from the bank, to which they paid installment payments.  Skillman was funded and built on faith and service.

God blessed us with prosperity, but not for our own gain.  It is in using our blessings to bless others that we truly align our actions with God’s will.  And Skillman has been faithful time and time again.

Our church has helped start numerous churches in the area:  Cedar Crest, Preston Road, Prestoncrest, and most recently, the Light of the World Church in south Dallas.  We have assisted in building programs in New York City, Middletown CT; Montpelier, VT; Worcester, MA; Seward, NE; Sioux Falls, SD; and Columbia, MS.  We have also assisted church building purchases in San Salvador, El Salvador; Palermo, Italy; Frankfurt, Germany; Munich, Germany; Constanta, Romania; and Sydney, Australia.

The Skillman Iglesia de Cristo is a dynamic church led by Tino Trejo that meets at the Skillman building.  It is our hope to reach more Spanish-speaking neighbors in the future. 

As we move forward, we will encounter what we have always found – God takes our gifts offered in faith and uses them in ways we could never imagine.  In essence, our loaves and fish, in the hands of Christ, feed multitudes.