The church was originally organized in the home of Amelia Austin, under the pastorate of W. T. Herndon, the first minister. It grew enough to meet at the Sweeny O’Field School. The lot which is the site of the present church was sold to the North Carolina and Virginia Christian Conference on November 16, 1886. Amelia Church was founded in 1887, known as Amelia Christian Church, and was received into membership by the Christian Conference of North Carolina and Virginia on November 16, 1887. Amelia Austin was the first delegate to the Conference from the church; and the church was to bear her name, as she was recorded the oldest charter member.
The first service held in the old sanctuary built on this site was the funeral for Johnnie A. Smith in January, 1904. The original sanctuary has been remodeled and built onto many times over the years. The two story education building attached to the back of the sanctuary was completed in 1952; the baptistry was installed in 1975; the renovation to the front of the sanctuary was done in 1980; a steeple was added in 1981. A fellowship hall was built in 1989; a new education building was added to that in 1999. At that time the old education building was remodeled for office space, library, and choir rooms.
In 1948, the Christian Conference had their first merger with the Congregational Church, forming the Congregational Christian denominations. The second merger was in 1961, with the Congregational Christian of the Conference, the Eastern North Carolina Conference, and the Evangelical and Reformed Conference, forming the United Church of Christ. Amelia Congregational Christian Church, being part of the United Church of Christ Conference, changed their name to Amelia United Church of Christ in 1963. On August 7, 2005, the congregation voted to terminate their ties with the United Church of Christ. On October 23, 2005 it was voted to change the name to Amelia Christian Church. On November 9, 2005, the congregation chose to become a part of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.
We have now started a new chapter in the future of our church. With the help of some very generous members, a new worship facility that had been in the planning stages became a reality. With a capacity for up to 450 worshippers, Amelia is expanding with the vision that Kingdom of God has for us. A Service of Dedication was held in our new sanctuary on January 13, 2008.
With each challenge we have encountered, we became stronger in our faith. We welcome you to worship with us, sharing in our ministry and fellowship. The Amelia family has been blessed with warmth and friendliness and strong roots passed along from the generations before us and may we continue to pass along this heritage to the generations still to come. We invite you to become a part of the church today and a piece of its history tomorrow.