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                                                                    EXHIBIT 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

      I, Patrick M. Frawley, certify that:

      1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Community
      Bancshares, Inc.;

      2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
      make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
      statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
      this report;

      3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this report, fairly present in all material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
      the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

      4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant
      and we have:

                  a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                     such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed
                     under our supervision, to ensure that material information
                     relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
                     subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
                     entities, particularly during the period in which this
                     quarterly report is being prepared;

                  b) [intentionally left blank]

                  c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                     controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                     conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
                     controls and procedures, as of the period covered by this
                     report based on such evaluation; and

                  d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
                     internal control over financial reporting that occurred
                     during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the
                     registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                     report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
                     likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
                     control over financial reporting; and

      5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based
      on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
      reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
      registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
      functions):

                  a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
                     internal control over financial reporting which are
                     reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
                     ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
                     information; and

                  b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
                     management or other employees who have a significant role
                     in the registrant's internal control over financial
                     reporting.

November 14, 2003               By: /s/ Patrick M. Frawley
                                    -------------------------------------
                                Patrick M. Frawley
                                Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President

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      I, Kerri C. Kinney, certify that:

      1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Community
      Bancshares, Inc.;

      2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
      make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
      statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
      this report;

      3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this report, fairly present in all material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
      the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

      4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant
      and we have:

                  a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                     such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed
                     under our supervision, to ensure that material information
                     relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
                     subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
                     entities, particularly during the period in which this
                     quarterly report is being prepared;

                  b) [intentionally left blank]

                  c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                     controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                     conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
                     controls and procedures, as of the period covered by this
                     report based on such evaluation; and

                  d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
                     internal control over financial reporting that occurred
                     during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the
                     registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                     report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
                     likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
                     control over financial reporting; and

      5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based
      on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
      reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
      registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
      functions):

                  a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
                     internal control over financial reporting which are
                     reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
                     ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
                     information; and

                  b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
                     management or other employees who have a significant role
                     in the registrant's internal control over financial
                     reporting.

November 14, 2003                      By: /s/ Kerri C. Kinney
                                           -------------------------------
                                       Kerri C. Kinney
                                       Chief Financial Officer

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