At the age of 17 North began a 43-year preaching ministry that ranged from Illinois and Louisiana to Tennessee.
During the latter part of his tenure, he also served as editor of the Gospel Advocate, the longest-running and most-influential periodical in the Churches of Christ, having been originally established prior to the American Civil War and edited for a long time afterwards by David Lipscomb.
In failing health due to cancer, he retired to his farm in the Neely's Bend section of Madison shortly before his death.
He was also the primary teacher on the nationally televised Amazing Grace Bible Class, often taped on Sunday nights at the Madison building, which featured lessons like "If I Were a Woman" among other topics.
North's son Steve became an attorney after graduation from the Pepperdine University school of law and eventually moved his practice to a stone building near the Madison Church of Christ building which was the former home of "Colonel" Tom Parker, manager of Elvis Presley, while his daughter-in-law, Jo Ann North, was the longtime Assessor of Property for Davidson County, Tennessee; both are now retired.