ECC History
We believe history is very important to the will and blessings of God. The roots of every ministry
will determine it's route and final destination, regardless of the sound of the parade.
Pastor James Tidwell's father, Dorris Tidwell, a well known evangelist, over the years has pastured several churches and was the founder of several other churches in the middle Tennessee area. The list of churches that he helped establish is quite lengthy. It began in the 1950's in the Freewill Baptist Church. From there, he moved on to the Nazarene, Holiness Pentecostal Movement, Apostolic Fellowship, and finally in the early 1970s to the Message of the Hour. In 1975, he started another church in Lakewood, Tennessee (East Nashville, TN). A couple years later, he would start another church in the Nashville area (West Nashville, TN). Some of the many ministers that helped him in revival services during the pioneering of these churches were Brother Wilson Hembree, Brother Billy Andrews and Brother Dan Daisley.
Around 1986, he joined with Brother Kirk to start the present church in a children's day care center in Donnellson, Tennessee (South Nashville, TN). The church was named Truth Tabernacle. From there the church was moved into James Tidwell’s home, and then into the LaVergne Civic Center building in LaVergne, Tennessee. Pastor James Tidwell was elected pastor in 1988 (only two families then). Since then his father has started other church works including the mission (church building) that Brother Ty Rains used to pastor in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Dorris Tidwell is currently helping another church in Fairplay, Missouri. ECC was not build upon any church group division (church split).
In 1992, after several years in the LaVergne Civic Center building, they purchased a building off of Hwy 171 on Bakers Grove Road. Hwy 171 runs between LaVergne and Mount Juliet, Tennessee, however because of Percy Priest Lake the building is in Hermitage/Nashville, Tennessee (not ECC mailing address). This new church building had been leased to the "Save the Eagle Foundation" for the previous eight years. All the eagle pictures now in their church were already there when they purchased the building. The "Save the Eagle Foundation" is now located at Dolly Wood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. ECC maybe the only message church building in the world that once housed real live natural eagles. This is why it was renamed to the "Eagle Christian Church". ECC mission remains the same as it was in the early days, when at least three families made ECC fellowship their first message church (Cleveland family, Adkins family, and the Ferrell family), and that goal is, to save eagles.
Over the years ECC has grown in numbers and becoming more and more involved in different outreach ministries. ECC latest undertaking is assistant pastor Michael Tidwell assuming the youth leadership role with BYC. Eagle Christian Churches pastor’s joins an very small special elite group of men in the world that the Grace of God has made them successfully Shepherds of the Flock in the very same town that they where born and raise in.
ECC has a solid scripture heritage to build upon. It has the eagle supernatural sign in it's corner stone that all can see. It's motive is to build in human hearts a bigger nest for the Holy Spirit to dwell. Its objective is to look back someday and say with joy, Christ was near, while in this place.
Pastor James Tidwell's father, Dorris Tidwell, a well known evangelist, over the years has pastured several churches and was the founder of several other churches in the middle Tennessee area. The list of churches that he helped establish is quite lengthy. It began in the 1950's in the Freewill Baptist Church. From there, he moved on to the Nazarene, Holiness Pentecostal Movement, Apostolic Fellowship, and finally in the early 1970s to the Message of the Hour. In 1975, he started another church in Lakewood, Tennessee (East Nashville, TN). A couple years later, he would start another church in the Nashville area (West Nashville, TN). Some of the many ministers that helped him in revival services during the pioneering of these churches were Brother Wilson Hembree, Brother Billy Andrews and Brother Dan Daisley.
Around 1986, he joined with Brother Kirk to start the present church in a children's day care center in Donnellson, Tennessee (South Nashville, TN). The church was named Truth Tabernacle. From there the church was moved into James Tidwell’s home, and then into the LaVergne Civic Center building in LaVergne, Tennessee. Pastor James Tidwell was elected pastor in 1988 (only two families then). Since then his father has started other church works including the mission (church building) that Brother Ty Rains used to pastor in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Dorris Tidwell is currently helping another church in Fairplay, Missouri. ECC was not build upon any church group division (church split).
In 1992, after several years in the LaVergne Civic Center building, they purchased a building off of Hwy 171 on Bakers Grove Road. Hwy 171 runs between LaVergne and Mount Juliet, Tennessee, however because of Percy Priest Lake the building is in Hermitage/Nashville, Tennessee (not ECC mailing address). This new church building had been leased to the "Save the Eagle Foundation" for the previous eight years. All the eagle pictures now in their church were already there when they purchased the building. The "Save the Eagle Foundation" is now located at Dolly Wood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. ECC maybe the only message church building in the world that once housed real live natural eagles. This is why it was renamed to the "Eagle Christian Church". ECC mission remains the same as it was in the early days, when at least three families made ECC fellowship their first message church (Cleveland family, Adkins family, and the Ferrell family), and that goal is, to save eagles.
Over the years ECC has grown in numbers and becoming more and more involved in different outreach ministries. ECC latest undertaking is assistant pastor Michael Tidwell assuming the youth leadership role with BYC. Eagle Christian Churches pastor’s joins an very small special elite group of men in the world that the Grace of God has made them successfully Shepherds of the Flock in the very same town that they where born and raise in.
ECC has a solid scripture heritage to build upon. It has the eagle supernatural sign in it's corner stone that all can see. It's motive is to build in human hearts a bigger nest for the Holy Spirit to dwell. Its objective is to look back someday and say with joy, Christ was near, while in this place.