The Southside Church of Christ started as an outreach ministry in 1952 and it served as the beginning of the congregation in Valdosta, GA. Brother Willie Ray expressed concern for Christians who walked from the Old Statenville Road area across town to attend services at the former West Adair Street Church of Christ. Brother Ulysses Shields, minister of the former West Adair congregation, at that time, agreed with Brother Willie Ray and thus preparations were made to establish the Southside congregation. 

     In 1952, the first congregation met at the home of Brother Homer & Sister Cora Fowler. Later, the congregation began to meet in a small building on the corner of Troupe Street and Old Statenville Road. Upon the pioneers of the first congregation, Brother Robert Butler is the only living pioneer member. 

     The church made plans to build a new edifice on South Lee Street. Members pooled their resources together as well as their talents to build the church with their own hands. After the building was built, the first dedicatory service was held on the second Sunday in February 1954. The congregation has progressed tremendously since the 1950s. Some of the finest evangelists in the brotherhood have once called Southside their home. The following brothers have served as ministers of the church: (Willie Ray, Brother Reed, Dual Grant, William Martin, Harvey Jackson, Jimmy Richards, Thomas O. Jackson, James Draper, Rufus Elder, Gene Godfrey, Eugene Lee, Willie Balloon, Daniel Harrison, Edward Carey, John Iverson, Sr., and Eric Dawkins, Sr.)

     Our present minister, Brother Eric Dawkins, Sr. is an energetic worker for the Lord. He and his wife, Pauline Dawkins are originally from the Bahamas and they have three adult children. Brother Dawkins and Sister Dawkins began their ministry at Southside congregation in July 2020.