Engrafted Word Church Turning 40 Years Old

Cookeville’s Engrafted Word Church turns 40 years old this month.

Pastor Chris McMichael said the independent church started in a house in 1983 and now has over 300 members. He said he is proud that the church has continued to grow through all the ups and downs of the past 40 years, and continued to honor its original goals.

“Even though culture changes and fashions change and technology advances, we still hold true to our original vision,” McMichael said. “Which was to go into all the world, preach the gospel, and make disciples.”

The church was founded in June 1983 as Cookeville Christian Fellowship by Dr. Kenneth Vaughn. McMichael took over after Vaughn passed away in 2007.

McMichael said when he took over he was able to take care of administrative duties that Vaughn wasn’t able to do while fighting cancer.
“Because I worked in the secular realm a lot for a long time I understand administration, and organization and governments,” McMichael said. “So I’ve been able to implement a lot of that into how our church is run.”

McMichael said the church’s vision for the future is to branch out and start other churches as it continues to grow. He said he personally believes a pastor should be able to know his congregation on a personal level, and if one church is too large he won’t be able to do so effectively.

“I don’t plan to outgrow our facility here, I plan to start other churches and allow other pastors to take congregations and allow God to do the work through them and minister and reach people I never could, or this building and ministry and church family never could,” McMichael said.