Meetings were held at the home of Mr. Simon Bradford, a friend of Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone. These meetings led to a permanent church. The Home was located at the corner of Shelby (Front) Street and Talbot Street.

was organized in Hightower Hall in the vicinity of Shelby (Front) Street and Union.  Among the charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Caldwell, Mr. and Mrs. Egbert Wooldridge, Mary MacIntosh, Ann MacGuire, Mr. and Mrs. Simon Bradford, their daughter, Eleanor Frances and possibly a Mr. Duphry. The exact meeting place is not recorded, but probably was in a little frame house on Linden, which they later bought.

Reverend Benjamin Franklin Hall become the first full time minister of Linden Street..

The Church was Chartered.

The small congregation purchased the property at the southeast corner of Linden and St. Patricks (Mulberry) Streets for $1,000.00. The building had been used for a number of years as a select boys school. The congregation used it for "Devine Worship on the Lord's Day." Evening services were held at "Early Candle Light." The school continued there for some time.

Construction of the two-story church was begun. It was designed to cover the entire 48 ft x 148 ft lot. All of the exterior and the interior of the ground floor were completed before the Civil War at a cost of $22,000.00.

Memphis was taken by the Federal soldiers and martial law was declared. A Union regiment took possession of the unfinished upper floor, consequently the church was closed. Services were held in private homes.

The interior stairway and the upper floor of the church were completed. The church consisted of a large lecture room, pastor's study and two small tower rooms on the first floor and an auditorium on the second floor. The address was 125 Linden Street

The west tower on the front of the church was built.

The east tower was built. The towers did not match - one was square and the other octagonal. They were, however, the same height.

The Ladies Association purchased a reed organ for the church.

A baptismal pool was built in the lecture room of the church. It was used approximately 50 years, until the 1921 remodeling. Prior to the construction of the baptismal pool, baptisms were conducted in the Mississippi River from a sandbar on the Arkansas side of the river.

Arrangements were made with Memphis Waterworks to furnish water to the church, to sprinkle the streets around the church and also for the baptistery.

A parsonage was built on the lot immediately south of the church at the cost of $3,690.00.

The church was closed in August and not re-opened until the first of December because of the yellow fever epidemic.

A $600.00 organ was installed as well as carpeting and cushions for the seats.

A choir loft was added to the sanctuary.

Stoves were discarded and the first furnace was installed.

A $1,200.00 pipe organ was installed.

Sidewalks were laid around the church property.

W. H. Sheffer was the fifteenth minister of Linden Street/Linden Avenue.

Linden Street was changed to Linden Avenue.

Committees for a new church were formed, because the area had greatly deteriorated. The neighborhood was filled with bars, gambling houses and brothels. Across Mulberry Street was the Garden Theater which billed burlesque shows. A lot on the corner of Pontotoc and Wellington Streets was purchased for $13,500.00. When the Garden Theater burned, and it was learned that a modern hotel was to be built there (the Chisca), no one wanted to move anymore.

A new parsonage was completed at 507 Linden, at the cost of $5,200.00.

Property was purchased at the corner of Union and Dunlap for $27,000.00. The congregation approved plans for a new church at that location costing $100,000.00. However, the outbreak of World War I early in 1914 canceled the plans.

Walter M. White was the sixteenth minister of Linden Avenue.

Six deaconesses were elected to the Board. However, it was such an innovation to have women on the Official Board, and some of the men objected so violently, that they did not serve.

Dr. White took a ten month leave of absence to go to France as a YMCA worker during World War I. Dr. Austin Finley of the West Tennessee Normal College (University of Memphis) filled the pulpit in Dr. White's absence.

Residence purchased at 1776 Carr to be used as the parsonage.

Work began on remodeling the old building and erecting a Bible School addition. It was during this renovation that a window hidden for so long behind a stairway that no one recalled ever having seen it. The window bore this inscription. This church was organized in 1843.

The congregation accepted the invitation from the Officiary of the Scottish Rite Cathedral to hold Sunday morning services in their facility. The Officiary of the Second Presbyterian Church invited Linden to meet with them on Sunday evenings.

The new remodeled church was dedicated. The Berean Class presented a communion set of silver. The marble Grecian style baptistery was dedicated on January 29th. On April 22nd the Daughters of Linden Avenue gave a three-manuel Austin pipe organ, costing $12,000.00. The new education building had three floors. A Fellowship Hall and kitchen were on the first floor. Sunday School classrooms and a parlor were on the two upper floors.

The library was established with 111 books.

Ethel Brown became organist/choir master and continued until her retirement in 1971.

Four deaconesses were elected to the Official Board and were allowed to serve in that capacity (19 years after the first elected deaconesses were not allowed to.) Since that time election of deaconesses has become custom.

Dr. Howard Thomas Wood was the seventeenth minister of Linden Avenue/Lindenwood.

A committee was appointed with the charge that immediate steps be taken toward the purchase of ample ground...to erect a suitable modern, well located church home now sorely needed; that such a site be selected as nearly as possible to the geographic center of the city.

A building fund was established to raise money to be used at some future time for the purpose of paying for a new church plant.

The Centennial was celebrated from Sunday, October 24th through Sunday October 31st.

Three pieces of property at East Parkway and Union Avenue Extended were purchased for $10,500.00.

Linden Avenue property was sold to Shelby County Baptist Association for $100,000, with permission granted for the use of the building until the actual move to the new location took place.

Clearing and grading of the site began.

The congregation voted to name the new facility Lindenwood Christian Church.

The cornerstone was laid.

Special services were held to observe the relocation to Union and Parkway. The new building contained the temporary Sanctuary, Sunday School classrooms, administrative offices, choir room, library, Fellowship Hall, kitchen and recreation room. Cost of the new building was $850,000. The temporary Sanctuary was not large enough to hold the entire congregation, so a second Sunday morning service was initiated, starting at 8:30 a.m.

A double celebration was held to honor Dr. Wood's 25th anniversary at Lindenwood and to dedicate the new recreational/educational building (Life Center.) The building contained a chapel, Sunday School classrooms, two fireplaces, craft rooms and shop, game room, small service kitchen, gymnasium and locker rooms. The cost of the building was $505,770.00. Later the room over the lobby in the Life Center was decorated as a memorial to Mr. J. D. Tennyson.

A day of celebration and dedication of the new, permanent Sanctuary in which was installed a new 60-rank Moller Pipe organ. The new structure also contained Sunday School classrooms beneath the sanctuary.

Dr. James L. Christensen was the eighteenth minister of Lindenwood.

Renovation of the original building took place. The temporary Sanctuary was divided into a chapel and a parlor. The choir room was moved to the larger space which was formerly the recreation room. The library was moved to the former choir room and the office area was remodeled.

The northwest side of the original building was remodeled to accommodate the prayer room, the conference room and the utility kitchen.

Dr. C. Roy Stauffer became the nineteenth minister of Lindenwood.

The Lindenwood Foundation was established. Earnings from the principal are used in capital expenditures which are not covered in the General Budget.

The Lindenwood Concerts Series was started.

The Chapel was renovated and dedicated as the Howard Thomas Wood Chapel.

The first woman elder was installed.

The mission statement of Lindenwood Christian Church was developed. "To promote the worship of God by its' members, to help them grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, to win people to faith in Jesus Christ and commit them actively to the church, to work for the unity of all Christians in building the kingdom of God and to share God's love by ministering to those in need.

The Bible Study at Lindenwood annual series of Bible-in-life courses was started by Rev. Owen Guy. The Lyceum series of annual lectures delivered by prominent Disciple educators began. The Training of the twelve was created to train members for leadership in ministry. The Lindenwood Media Center and Historical Archives were organized.

The Diaconate was established, where men and women assumed equal standing in the servant hood role of deacon. The Lindenwood Exhibit of Biblical Archeology was established.

The sesquicentennial was observed on four different "Sesqui-Sundays and carried themes: August 22-Celebrating Lindenwood's History. A portrait of Simon Bradford was presented to the church by Mabel Linton Smith Morgan, the great granddaughter of Bradford.
*September 12-Celebrating Lindenwood's Future. A Shelby County Historical Commission approved marker was dedicated. Ground was broken for the construction of a new Fellowship Hall and Foyer.
* October 24-Celebrating Lindenwood As A Community of Faith. The center point of the all-church picnic was the Sesquicentennial quilt, designed and stitched by the congregation.
*November 14 - Celebrating Lindenwood's Place in Memphis. There was a lunch in Fellowship Hall with special Double Day guests. Shelby County Mayor Bill Morris presented a proclamation honoring Lindenwood for its century and a half of service to Memphis.

Construction finished on the new addition which contains the Grand Foyer, Stauffer Hall, Fred Bell Conference Room and the Easterwood Gallery. A walled garden was created with The Walk To Emmaeus, for which members could purchase personalized bricks. Also the first floor of the Ted Sams wing was renovated to conform to code and a day care center was opened.

The Counseling Center was established, Discipleship Training was developed as a twelve week program where members could discover their spiritual giftedness and calling to ministry.

W.O.W. (Wide Open Worship) Service at 9:45 on Sunday mornings was inaugurated in Stauffer Hall. A series of four courses, Membership 101, Maturity 201,. Ministry 301 and Mission 401 were developed to offer members several opportunities to learn and grow in faith and service.

After 26 successful seasons, Lindenwood Concerts shifted the concerts and series name. Now called "Music at Lindenwood" the free concerts are currently offered with no tickets needed. These concerts may be offered Sundays mornings as part of the 11am Sanctuary worship, on Sunday afternoons, and occasionally in the evenings. The Lindenwood Chancel Choir, The Gary Beard Chorale, trumpeter Ryan Anthony, and the Lindenwood Music Staff are the backbone of the concerts.