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A HISTORY OF DISCOVERY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Discovery Christian Church (DCC) is the oldest independent Christian Church in Brevard County and is among the oldest Christian Churches in Florida. It had its beginning on October 25, 1953 and until June 2002 was known as the First Christian Church of Cocoa (FCCofC). The church has always been an independent Christian Church in the tradition of the Restoration Movement, and has always been a strong supporter of foreign and domestic missions.

 

1950's

The summer of 1952 Alvin Laurence "Al" Kleinfeldt, his wife and two teenage sons visited Florida. During that visit they listened to the Democrat national convention where Adlai Stevenson was nominated to run against Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Al and Genny's family doctor in Indiana had recommended they consider moving to Florida or Arizona due to respiratory problems, stating that those climates would be better for their health. Al was bothered when he learned there were only about 11 independent, restoration movement Christian Churches in the entire state.

The next summer, 1953, Al Kleinfeldt left his ministry at Woodside Christian Church in Frankfort, Indiana. Everything the family of four owned was packed up in a U-haul truck and they headed south for Florida with no specific destination in mind. Al had explored the possibility of filling the vacant pulpit at the church in Starke, Florida, but that did not work out. So he launched out in faith, perhaps with similar feelings as Abraham when God called him to leave Ur for an unknown destination. There were few churches in the central part of the state and Al felt this would be a good area for another church to strengthen the movement in that area. He had corresponded with the preacher in Haines City and found that Brevard County was expected to become a very rapid growth area.

Brevard County had only one Christian Church, a Disciples of Christ Church in South Melbourne. This bothered Al. He had been an important officer in a Disciples of Christ Church in Idaho, serving as their State secretary. He left the Disciples in 1948 because, through that position, he had become very disenchanted with control the state national offices held over their associate churches, their use of funds collected for member churches, their uses of missionary funds, and his understanding of the autonomy each church was to have as taught in the New Testament. The New Testament (NT), design is for churches to be linked in a common cause and fellowship, but were each to be governed in their own leadership chosen from within its membership and operated under the guidance of the scriptures, each church being responsible to God alone for their activities.

So ultimately the Kleinfeldt family ended up in Cocoa, Florida. They settled in the Oak Park Trailer Park on old US1 near the Coca/Rockledge city line. Cocoa was a sleepy little town of about 5,000 where the streets rolled up when it got dark. To drive from Cocoa to Merritt Island you had to cross a 1/8th mile of a wooden bridge past Gary Bennett's Bait House, over a swing bridge that often got stuck. Then on a two lane causeway to Merritt Island. There were only a few businesses along the causeway on Merritt Island and there was nothing else. Until you got to A1A on Cocoa Beach. There were six high schools in the county and also a black high school in each town. There was virtually nothing located along US1 between Titusville and Melbourne.

 

Establishment of a Restoration Movement Church

Using all the resources at his disposal, Al found a few families with Christian Church backgrounds living in the Cocoa-Rockledge area. He invited them to a meeting, to challenge them to join with him in forming a church. A church was started. The church made arrangements with the City of Cocoa to use their upstairs room of the Cocoa City Hall for a meeting place on Sunday mornings. The first service at City Hall was on October 25, 1953; eleven people attended. Each Sunday furniture had to brought in for the services.

 

1957 - 1959

In 1957 the church was still meeting in City Hall. A local contractor was hired to build a small auditorium on property donated to the church by the Howard Jones Family. Howard was an elder of the congregation. Louis Phipps, one of the elders, and an experienced builder, was the churches liaison for the building contract. Construction was to begin January 8th. The congregation moved into the building debt free. It was affectionately called the "Little Church". The Kerns family gave the church a piano. The Sunday morning worship attendance averaged about 50 people.

A landscaping committee was formed. In a committee report, five families were recognized for their hard work. The Clarks and Hoppers living in Cocoa, Farleys and Ayers of Merritt Island, and the Dickenson's of Cocoa Beach. At the time, the church membership included families from all three Central Brevard communities.

The Little Church was completed March 8, 1957, and the congregation had its first building. There were 67 people in attendance on the first Sunday in July; six placed their membership with the church. The next Sunday, Betty Booth became the first person baptized in the baptistery.

In 1958, the church hired Al Kleinfeldt to become the first full-time preacher. Until this time he had been serving part-time. He had served the church voluntarily for about five years, with no compensation until then. A bible school wing that included five classrooms and a kitchen was built directly behind the "Little Church".

In 1959, through the encouragement and help of the church, the members living on Cocoa Beach were assisted in establishing a church in Cocoa Beach. The Cocoa Beach Christian Church is a strong, flourishing church. The current facilities are on the site of their original building.

 

1960's

In 1960, a second wing was added to the churches facilities. The building had 10 classrooms, an office, and restrooms. It was located directly behind the first classroom area.

In 1962 the main auditorium with a seating capacity of 325 was built. It included two offices, restrooms, nursery, and an over-flow alcove. The youth classroom became the foyer. The first service was held on Easter Sunday even though the building was still a few weeks short of being completed.

The members of FCCofC living on "the Island", felt it was time to establish a church on Merritt Island. They were ready to commit themselves to the task. FCCofC assisted in founding the First Christian Church in Merritt Island and provided various kinds of support. The first service was held on the first Sunday in March, 1963. Al Kleinfeldt preached for them each Sunday morning at the Barn (Movie) Theater then drove across the causeway to Cocoa to preach at FCCofC. He maintained this schedule until the Merritt Island church was able to hire its own preacher. The theater was located about where Long John Silver and the Olive Garden are now.

In 1965 the church's "active" membership roll listed 142 members.

Preacher Klienfeldt served as President of the Florida Christian Ministers Association in 1966. Mrs. Rosalie Merritt, wife of "Frank", the church organist, was named 1966 Florida Christian Church mother of the year.

 

1970's

Al Klienfeldt was named President for the 1971 Florida Christian Convention held in Tallahassee. This was the 22nd annual state convention.

In the fall of 1973 a youth orchestra was formed. They played each Sunday morning during opening song service and also played and occasionally sponsored "Sing-alongs" on Sunday evenings.

In the early 1970's FCCofC became a "traveling Church". Men from the church took several trips to the Kiamichi Clinic in eastern Arkansas. Also, a number of LYNX trips were taken to the Smoky Mountains, Opryland, and Six Flags over Georgia. These trips were quite popular. The church took two or more of these 2 trips for several years.

In the 1970's the church put on annual live nativity scenes at Christmas time. These became noteworthy presentations that several times received acclaim in the Cocoa Tribune and Brevard Sentinel newspapers. These presentations were visited and photographed by many local residents and passerby.

FCCofC sponsored teams in Cocoa city softball league and Church League for several years in the 1970's. Church teams continued to play in the church leagues many seasons up into the 1990's.

The church youth group was very strong I this era. During one three month period the youth challenged the rest of the congregation to a Sunday evening attendance contest. The youth didn't win, but they averaged over 60 young in attendance each Sunday evening, most of whom were, or became regular attendees of our youth classes and activities.

From this group, several youth gained noteworthy honors:

· Twice, boys were elected Presidents of Cocoa High School student body.

One-year, the President, Vice-President, and Secretary of the student body were from the youth group.

Four different girls received honors as:

· Miss Brevard County

· Miss Brevard County first runner-up

· Miss Teenage Florida

Miss Teen America contestants.

In 1973, a Bible College Scholarship program was established for the youth desiring to attend a Bible College. During this period in the church's history there were 12 Bible College students.

Al Klienfeldt retired after 20 years of serving FCCofC. In order to fulfill a dream to preach for a small church that could not afford to pay a preacher. He and Genny moved to Chassahowitzka Florida to serve that church. In the interim 3 or 4 months the elders did the preaching for all FCCofC services until Paul French became the church's next preacher. His first Sunday was June 9, 1974. Prior to coming to Cocoa, he was an evangelist for the Kentucky New Church Evangelism Association.

The first regularly scheduled weekly Wednesday evening dinners, "Fat Wednesdays" began in the mid 1970's and continues to this day (except when the church lacked facilities to hold them).

Paul French resigned effective July 19, 1976. Jess Cook became the third preacher. He and his wife Donna were welcomed with a carry-in dinner Wednesday evening July 21st. Jess began his preaching ministry the next Sunday, July 25, 1976.

It was in January 1976 the church began supporting the Florida Christian College Timothy program by inviting student preachers to fill the pulpit on Sunday evenings once a moth. Mike Grant was the first to preach. It was on Sunday evening on January 16th.

In the mid 1970's and continuing to the early 1980's, 5th Sunday rallies were held among the Christian Churches of the country. The church hosting each rally was rotated among various congregations. The churches also sponsored quarterly Sunday afternoon youth rallies.

 

1980's

Preacher Cook instituted an annual family day on May 3, 1981. These were Old-fashioned Sundays. Jess was a restorer of antique cars. He would give rides in restored cars as a part of the celebration.

Elders preaching night was instituted 1981 where an elder delivered the Sunday evening sermon. Along with this program other men and even youth who desired to preach were offered the opportunity to preach.

 

1990's

Jess Cook retired in 1990. His last Sunday was June 3rd. Six months later, December 2, 1990, David Boswell became the church's 4th preacher. During the six-month interim, the elders did most of the preaching. Visiting preachers filled the pulpit on occasion. Beginning in October, Dr. James Smith from Florida Christian College came to preach until David arrived. David Boswell served through December 31, 1991, slightly over one year.

Danny Gabbard became FCCofC's 5th preacher, filing the pulpit from July 2, 1992 until his resignation effective March 1999. Our elders and guest speakers again filled the pulpit in the interim, guest preaching a majority of the time. During his ministry at the Cocoa Institute of Biblical Studies, providing college level Bible courses that were accredited by Summit Bible Seminary. The church also founded Jamaica Christian College in Kingston, Jamaica to train Jamaicans to become Christian Church preachers in order to serve their people.

Mike Grant became the church's 6th preacher. He began his ministry, preaching his first message on Sunday morning, December 3, 2000. John "Phat Roc", joined the staff two weeks later. Thus far during Mike's ministry, the church building on Grissom Parkway was completed and the congregation finally occupied this log-awaited facility.

Until Mike Grant's arrival, Glen Bourne from Florida Christian College served as an interim preacher for the church. When Glenn had other commitments, Lyle Bundy, Mike Chambers and the church's elders preached.

 

Summary of the Development of the Grissom Parkway Property

It was in the late 1980's that the church leadership realized that church growth was being stymied by the lack of parking. The church attendance for the past 10 years had vacillitated between the 150s and 170s. Several long-range planning meetings were held. It was determined that the current property at 1403 Dixon Boulevard wouldn’t be adequate to build a congregation any larger that the current attendance. The leaders developed plans for a new facility. A new church building design was drafted. This design was basically the very building the church now occupies. During the time Doc. Smith served the congregation, he added fuel to the dream of selling current property and building the kind of facility we needed. The building was finally put up for sale. It sold very quickly. The closing was on Thursday, September 14, 1995. As part of the sale, the buyer allowed the church to continue using the auditorium building for one year, rent and utilities free. For a short period of time the church met in the R.H.S. Band room, then moved to BCC. By December 1, 1995 the church completed the purchase of these 10 acres on Grissom Parkway. On January 7, 1996 a dedication service was held here, committing this property to the Lord's use. The church met at BCC for about 5 ½ years before finally completing this building. The first service here was Wednesday evening June 26, 2002. It took the church many months to get necessary permits, satisfy the environmental community, and the wetlands evaluations before a new building could be started. Projected costs and limitations on the amount of funds the church was able to borrow forced the members to commit to do as much of the building as possible. From the time the foundation was laid, until the congregation was permitted to use the church building, was about 3 and a half years