1920 - 1939

In 1928, a contract was let to Abilene Construction Company for $2,450 to construct a building. The congregation became known as the Fifth and Highland Church of Christ, with F. B. Shepherd as the first pulpit minister. It was said that many of the members who went on to meet at the ACC campus had serious doubts that a congregation could exist apart from the college.

The stock market crash hit the Abilene area hard in 1930. By 1932, unemployment was 18% in Abilene, which had grown to a city of 26,000 people. Brother Shepherd's salary was cut from $200 per month to $125 per month. He preached at Highland for 4 years.

During 1932, Homer Hailey replaced F. B. Shepherd as Highland's next pulpit minister. Hailey was a very well respected preacher, often using three blackboards to outline his sermons. Hailey filled the Highland pulpit for 10 years.

By 1938, the congregation was able to complete the upper stories of the building at a cost of $48,000. The new auditorium would seat 500 people, and partitions were built in the basement to make new classrooms for the growing church.