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ABOUT US
The Hempstead Church of Christ is a congregation of approximately 65 people located northwest of Houston, Texas. The congregation has roots that go back to 1895. Over the past 10 years this area has been in transition from a rural Texas country environment and culture into a more suburban environment and culture. This population of this area is growing rapidly – providing an amazing opportunity for blessing the lives of many people with the fullness of life that is available in Christ Jesus. We take this opportunity and associated responsibility very seriously.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25
OUR VISION
Our vision is a diverse community of disciples sharing the love of God and the peace of Christ with all. This love and this peace provide a welcoming atmosphere for healing, growth and fulfillment of divine purpose as individuals and as a collective body of Christians. We envision our fellowship a community where everyone is welcome and free from judgement. A safe place for people to be healed, to prosper spiritually and experience the abundant life
that Jesus offers each person.
We see our assemblies busting at the seams because of our love and our united focus on our Mission as the Lord works through us in this unique situation He has provided us to bless people and impact the communities of Waller County in very effective and positive ways.
OUR MISSION
“Experiencing together the fullness of life in Christ.”
Our mission includes a three-fold focus on people:
individual members of our congregation, friends and neighbors in our community, and people beyond our community (both domestic and international). Our mission, as a community of Christians and as individual disciples of Jesus Christ, is to bless the lives of others by helping them discover and personally experience the fullness of life that
comes from knowing God through Jesus Christ.
OUR OPPORTUNITY
We are a church in transition – with an amazing and exciting opportunity to grow from a
medium-size rural church into a vibrant church of ever-expanding impact. We have been given
a unique and wonderful opportunity to bless the lives of many, many people with the love of God and the peace of Christ as thousands of new homes are being built and many new
neighborhoods are springing up within a few miles of our meeting place over the next few years. It is already happening! We live and serve with an ever-present sense of urgency!
Our Staff
Randy Daugherty
Randy is a partner at Interim Ministry Partners. He has come to our church for a limited time as an interim preacher while we search for our next full time pulpit minister. Randy has been a great help to this church, not only taking on the bulk of the pulpit preaching, but also providing us with the tools to transition into the church Hempstead needs for the future and helping us find the next minister who will partner with us in being a light in our community.
You can learn more about Randy and IMP here: https://interimministrypartners.com/our-partners/randy-daugherty/
History of Our Church
In the late 1880’s J. D. Tant held evangelistic meetings in Hempstead. The Gospel was preached
in tents and in schoolhouses. The first congregation was established in 1895. In 1901 land was
purchased and an assembly building was constructed; however, in 1920 the property was sold
and the congregation disbanded sometime later.
In 1938 the congregation was again organized. They initially met in homes and later in the
Hempstead Community Center. The congregation flourished and in 1948 bought property at
1016 6th Street and a church building was completed in 1949. The church continued to grow
and a larger house of worship was erected in 1953 at the corner of Sixth and Main streets.
In 1966 the church purchased additional property for parking. By 1972 the congregation had
grown to 96 members. By 1979 an Education/Fellowship wing was added to accommodate the
growth and later the entire city block was purchased for future expansion. The church entered
1980 with 150 members and was very active in local and mission evangelism and benevolence.
In May of 1995 the church property and buildings on 6th street were sold and the following
month the current property on FM 359 was purchased with construction on a new facility the
following year. The first worship service was conducted on September 29, 1996. In 2000 the
facility was expanded to 12,800 square feet by doubling the size of the auditorium, tripling the
fellowship area and adding 9 classrooms and 3 offices.
In August 2022, the minister retired, the Hempstead church recognizes the need to share Gods
word in the community as Houston expands into Waller County. Understanding the unique
opportunity and associated responsibility we are presented with the church entered a
partnership with Interim Ministry Partners, a ministry that helps churches transition between
preachers. The history of the congregation continues to unfold as we search for a new pulpit
minister.
Thaddeus Kelsey
Thaddeus was born in 1965 in Jacksonville Florida. Thaddeus grew up in many parts of Florida through grade school, and Jr/SR High School in Austin, TX. Thaddeus was baptized on August 23, 1986 at the Prairie View Church of Christ, while he was attending Prairie View A&M University. He met his wife Annette at the Prairie View Church of Christ. Thaddeus and Annette are blessed with two children Ashley (married to Derick Sumter) who lives in Dallas, and Zachary who is attending college in Illinois. Thaddeus and Annette have been members of the Hempstead Church of Christ since 1998. Thaddeus became an Elder at Hempstead in April 2022. Thaddeus is an Electrical Engineer and Annette is a Registered Nurse. Thaddeus enjoys fishing and playing basketball for recreation.
John Shipley
John was born in1963 at Hamilton AFB, Northern California. As an Air Force family John, the youngest of 4 boys, lived in several places while he was young, but claims Choctaw, OK as home. John was baptized in Mesquite, TX at the annual Bible and Singing School at the LaPrada Dr. church of Christ in 1979. John is married to Dawn, whom he met while living in Baltimore, MD. John and Dawn are blessed with two boys, Jared and Andrew. Jared and wife Sydnee have one son, Theodore and live in Tomball. While Andrew and wife Megan have one son, River. They live in Odenton, MD. John is a Regional Sales Manager in the Electronic Security industry and Dawn is an Art Teacher at a Private Christian School.
