Reprinted from the 1979 Directory of the Orange Street church of Christ

The Auburndale Church of Christ began in January of 1913. Doctor J. P. Jones and his family had moved to Auburndale that year and worship was conducted in their new home. The membership consisted of Doctor Jones, his wife, his two daughters--Ethel and Ruby, his son-- L. P. Jones, and his daughter-in-law-- Mrs. A. H. Jones.

Soon after that, brother Morton and his family came to Auburndale and began worshipping with the Jones'. It was not long before the church had grown too large for the Jones' house so services were moved to the old Masonic building on Bridgers Avenue. Several more were added to the church while brother Jones and brother Morton preached at this location.

After a number of years, the old building was condemned and the members scattered to surrounding congregations. The Jones met with the Eagle Lake congregation because brother Jones was preaching for them once a month and the Mortons met with the Winter Haven congregation.

In 1932 brother Byron Conley came to Auburndale and held a tent revival. This meeting was sponsored by the Lakeland Church of Christ. The new congregation met in the new Masonic Hall over the Bank. Brother Conley came back in a few months and held another revival, which lasted eight weeks. During this revival meeting about seventy-five obeyed the gospel and the congregation was now numbering over one hundred.

The church then secured a dwelling house on Oak Street from Mr. Exum and converted it into a meeting place where services were held for about a year. Then W. W. Norman gave a lot on Orange Street for a building site. An old store building of the Binfield Lumber Company was purchased at Polk City, torn down, moved here and rebuilt on the lot. This gave the church a building twenty-eight by fifty feet. In 1939 three classrooms were added to the original building. Some years later another addition of nine classrooms was added.

In 1966 a new auditorium was built next to the old building. The new one could comfortably seat 350 people. New upholstered pews were purchased and plans called for the old auditorium to be converted to classrooms. At this time the church numbered almost 200. In 1975 an addition was made to the auditorium. This addition increased the seating capacity to 750 and provided 11 new classrooms plus a new office.

Preachers who have preached regularly for the church include Alton McNutt, H. C. Shoulders, Edwin Miller, C. C. Jones, J. H. Stead, Will Robins, Forrest Pendergrass, L. G. Copeland, Jim Sellers, Thurston Lee, Louis Witt, James Huggins, Marlin Kilpatrick, Charles Burch, and Oscar Howard, Jr. Brother B. L. Valentine also preached from time to time filling in services left vacant of preachers for 36 years. (1934-1970). David B. Watson is the present evangelist.