Vine Street Christian began its history in 1820 as the Baptist Church of Nashville, but broke away from its former rules and doctrines in 1828 and became the Christian Church under the leadership of Philip Fall.

During the Civil War, military Governor Andrew Johnson wanted all preachers in Nashville to swear an oath of allegiance to the United States. Many ministers left the city or were arrested and imprisoned for not taking the oath. Philip Fall, the pastor of the Christian Church (now Vine Street Christian) declared that he already took an oath when he became a U.S. citizen. Johnson maintained that the oath was invalid. Fall declared that if his oath was invalid, he was then still a British subject and would fly the British flag over the church to show that it was British territory. As a result, U.S. troops did not seize the building. Fall's congregation was allowed to continue worshipping and his members also allowed other congregations who had been thrown out of their churches to hold services in their building.

The members of the congregation worshipped in various buildings on Church Street, Fourth Avenue, and Vine Street (where they worshipped for 68 years). The church moved to its current location on West End Avenue in 1958.

Sources:

Interview, James A. Hoobler, 2002.

Vine Street Christian Church website, www.vinestreet.org, 2003.

Mayme Hart Johnson, A Treasury of Tennessee Churches (Brentwood: J M Productions, Inc., 1986), pp. 99-100.