The Southern Assembly Churches of Christ, Disciples of Chris, Eastern District of America, Inc. was organized in 1986. Elder Ronnie Hood was elected as the first Bishop of the Southern Assembly Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Eastern District of America, Inc.  August 3, 1988, the Southern Assembly was officially chartered in the state of North Carolina. The first annual session of the Southern Assembly was held November 9-13, 1988 at Grainger Chapel Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Kinston, North Carolina. The theme of the assembly was “Experiencing a Spiritual Awareness and Awakening in the 1980’s.”  Theme scripture was Acts 2:1-47 and the theme song was “Sweet, Sweet, Spirit.” Elder Ronnie Hood was consecrated as the first Bishop of the Southern Assembly on Saturday, November 12, 1988 at 7 o’clock pm by Bishop E. L Uzzle.

Other officers of the assembly were:

Elder Farries C. Slade, Sr., Vice Bishop

Sister Bertha Phillips, Secretary

Sister Deborah Flanagan, Assistant Secretary

Elder R. Earl Jones, Treasurer

Sister Marion Bryant and Sister Wanda W. Blake, Finance Committee

Elder Randy B. Royal, Chair of Board of Elders
           
Board Members:  Elder James McNair, secretary; Elder Farries Slade, Sr.; Elder Virgil Loftin;

Elder Mary Houpe

Elder R. Earl Jones, Chair of Board of Ministry
           
Board Members: Elder Richard Artis, secretary; Elder Clara B. Artis

Elder Virgil Loftin, District Elder

Elder James McNair, Assistant District Elder

Auxiliaries Presidents were:

Ministers’ Wives:  Sister Eula Hood

Missionary Department: Elder Ida Mitchell

Mother Fellowship:  Mother Louise Dawson

Deacon Fellowship:  Deacon Henry Williams

Original Churches of the Southern Assembly Churches of Christ were:

Bonnie Bass- Kinston, North Carolina

Gethsemane, Goldsboro, North Carolina

Grace Mission, Goldsboro, North Carolina

Grainger Chapel, Kinston, North Carolina

Philippi, Greenville, North Carolina

Piney Grove, Arapahoe, North Carolina

Princeton Chapel, Princeton, North Carolina

St. Paul, Ayden, North Carolina

New Covenant, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bishop Ronnie L. Hood served the assembly until his resignation in 1990 after which, Vice Bishop Farries Slade, Sr. assumed the office of Presiding Bishop and served until November 1992. In the annual assembly session of 1992, Bishop Randy B. Royal was elected as Presiding Bishop and served until November 1996. In November of 1996, Bishop Farries Slade, Sr. was elected as Presiding Bishop and served until November 2000. In November 2000, Bishop R. Earl Jones was elected as Presiding Bishop and served until November 2018 when he retired.  Bishop Ronnie L. Hood was again elected as Presiding Bishop and continues to serve the Southern Assembly Churches of Christ in that role.

The Southern Assembly Churches of Christ Disciples of Christ, Eastern District of America, Inc. currently has over 2000 members in seven churches. They are:   Mt. Calvary Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Pastor Clara Artis; Bonnie Bass Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Pastor Vance Dunn; Grainger Chapel Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Pastor Bishop R. Earl Jones all in Kinston, NC, Piney Grove Church of Christ, Pastor Saint Thomas Robinson in Arapahoe, NC, St. Paul Church of Christ, Pastor Trudy Robinson in Ayden, NC, New Life Church of Christ Disciples of Christ, Pastor Tonya Davis, and Life Changing Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Pastor Eric Young, of Greenville, NC