The Tara church of Christ began as a congregation on January 4, 1976, when approximately eighty members from the Forest Park and Hapeville congregations met together at the Ted Wright’s Boys Club gymnasium in Jonesboro, Georgia. There had been a need for the Lord’s church in the Clayton county seat for some time as the population south of Atlanta continued to move farther out. Members of the church were living in the area and driving some distance to worship with well-established congregations. Those doing so felt there was enough support to begin a new work.
Paul Bowers was the first preacher for the congregation and delivered the first sermon at the morning service, and C. D. Dickinson, an elder from the Adamsville, Alabama congregation preached that night. There were 120 people present for that first morning service. Four baptisms and six restorations occurred the first month.
In 1976, shortly after the congregation began, eight acres of land on Highway 138, just east of the business district of Jonesboro, were purchased. Construction of a new building began in 1978, and on February 14, 1979, the congregation moved into its new facilities.
The first three elders were Milton Kidd, Tim Mitchell and Pat Yancey. Later on Milton Kidd resigned and Jay Collins was appointed. The first deacons who served the congregation were Wayne Brown, Dan Findley, Charles Fountain, Ed Garner, Red Pate, Bob Battle, Randall Cody and Bill Russell. Preachers who have served Tara through the years have been Paul Bowers, Jesse Pope, Dean Kelly, Clifford Brumley, Scott Richards, Dick Weber, John O’Keefe and Houston Bynum.
On April 3, 2005, Richard Harp became the preacher for the Tara church. The congregation had been without elders for several years until October 14, 2007 when Bob Cadenhead, Don Cheek and Richard Harp were appointed to the eldership. Five new deacons, appointed on January 27, 2008, were Ron Brinkley, Alan Holder, Michael Hollis, Sunny Imafidon, and Carl Manley. Ron Brinkley and Alan Holder later resigned.
Alfred Barnes became the fourth elder March 8, 2015.
Scott Richards became an elder December 19, 2021.