McDonough First United Methodist Church

Our Story

In 1821, Henry County came into being. In 1822 the first place of worship was a crude shelter on the southwest corner of the public square, a place where Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians met to hold religious services.

The village of McDonough was incorporated in 1823 and the Methodist used a small building, presumably a log hut, for a church. Methodism did not come with the organization of the county or town. It was inherited from the earliest settlers. It is believed that Methodism entered the county formally with the arrival of Allen Turner, brother of Wade Turner, who lived in the eastern part of the county.

Regularly, Allen Turner would cross Peachstone Shoals and ride up the Indian trail that is now known as Keys Ferry Street in McDonough. He would stop here and there by the side of the road to hold prayer services with a congregation of one. His one possession was the Bible. With no home, he would use his brother Wade's home as his "church" headquarters.

In January 1822, Wade Turner, in whose honor Turners Church was named, and his family had come to Henry County and had built a log cabin for worship. This log cabin is in the main body of Mrs. Mary Lou Crumbley's home today. Whether the "headquarters" story is fact or fiction, one thing is certain: Allen Turner did a good job of establishing Methodism in Henry County. In 1834 Allen Turner took the floor of the Georgia Conference and insisted that the leaders of the Methodist Church create a college in Georgia that would train preachers instead of continuing to send these young men to Virginia for training. As a result, Emory College at Oxford, Georgia was established. Allen Turner was one of its founders. Today, Oxford College is a two-year division of Emory University in Atlanta, where the Candler School of Theology trains ministers as Allen Turner so wanted it to do. Allen Turner is buried in the cemetery at Oxford College in Oxford, Georgia.

On April 20, 1830, when McDonough was seven years old, a sight for a Methodist church was purchased from Tandy W. Key for $50. The sight was approximately one acre. 230 feet from east to west and 191 feet from north and south. It is recorded that a house or place of worship was erected, but no date was given. Mr. Tandy W. Key's name has been preserved by the naming of the Indian trail leading into McDonough on the east as Keys Ferry Street.

During the early days of our county's history, Methodist pastors were moved each year. During the next half-century there was always a new pastor, with an assistant, serving the Yellow River Mission.

The Yellow River Circuit included a large part of Newton County, all of Henry County, Butts County, and Jasper County. There were 28 appointments and the preacher, by riding every day, could fill them in one month. When Rev. Morgan Bellah took over this work, he received $160.00 for his year of labor.

McDonough and Jackson were united as one charge in 1852. The Georgia Conference of 1854 was the first to be held in Atlanta. The McDonough-Jackson charge (or circuit) reported a membership of 1447 white and 327 black members.

In 1855, the Georgia Conference was held in LaGrange. McDonough was transferred to the Atlanta District. membership totaled 1150 white members, with 50 white members on probation. 314 black members, with 7 black members on probation. There were eleven local pastors.

In 1865 the Georgia Conference was organized into two conference North Georgia Conference and the South Georgia Conference.

In 1864 Federal troops were in Georgia and fighting took place within the district or charge. Emory College, in Oxford, was closed for two years. They were bitter years.

During the early years, the pastor’s salaries were very small. The first pastor of the McDonough Methodist Church received $180.00. Out of that he paid his traveling expense as well as his living expenses. He was married and had baby. By 1869 the pastor’s salary was raised to $415.25.

The year 1879 was a memorable one. The Women's Missionary Society was organized. The so-called weaker sex was beginning to advance into a sphere of enlarged vision and usefulness. Ms. A. C. Nolan sponsored the organization and was the first president. The Women's Missionary Society was not formally recognized until the 1887 Conference in Marietta, however. It took eight years for this weaker sex organization to formally be recognized.

1889 was a good year. The McDonough Methodist built their first parsonage at a cost of $1,200.00. The building was a six-room white frame home erected on the corner of College and Rodgers Street in McDonough. The members of the Ladies Parsonage Aid Society first received title to the property, but later said title was conveyed to the church’s trustees.

A new church was built on the church property and was dedicated on April 1, 1894.  Dr. I. S. Hopkins of Atlanta preached the dedicatory sermon.  The building was a wooden frame building 40ft. by 50ft. facing west. This building served its purpose for only about 10 years. Although it was not dilapidated. the people felt that it was not in keeping with their idea of the obligation of a religious people. In the Fall of 1904, this building was moved aside and sold to J.B. Newman who moved it to his farm and converted it into a barn.

An occasion of much interest was the laying of the corner-stone of the new Methodist Church at 10 o'clock Friday morning October 14, 1904 with Bishop Warren A Candler officiating.  Work began that same fall (1904) to build a new brick church. The walls were up by December 1904. Then the building was covered and the workmen rested until better weather came in the spring. By March 1905, work began again on the church and Sunday School rooms. All was completed by June1905, with a total cost of $11,000.00, including furnishings.

1905 Sanctuary

It was a proud day for McDonough Methodism when the building was completed. It was an indication of better things to come. Modern conveniences and comfort that would characterize the 20th century, only five years old, seemed to indicate a Golden Age of Luxury in comparison with the primitive conditions that were typical of the early days of frontier Methodism in 1822. Electric lights had replaced oil or gas lamps. Running water replaced surface wells or springs. Coal burning grates and cherry log fires that had in some instances provided light as well as heat were gone.

The first preaching service in the new church was held on July 14, 1905. On November 19, 1905, Rev. D. B. Price of Evansville, Montana preached the Dedication Service. Although costs in 1905 were not what they are today, the following statement is of extraordinary significance: The McDonough Methodist people met all the Conference claims, paid the preacher, built a new brick church, raised the money. and dedicated it within two years.

In the old church, until about the turn of the century, Sunday School was held on Sunday afternoon. The Baptist and Presbyterian young people had their Sunday School services in the morning so they came and joined the Methodists in the afternoon for Sunday School. Tradition has it that this bringing together of the three denominations of young people explains why so many husbands and wives in McDonough are different denominations even today.

The Golden Links Missionary Society was organized in 1906 with eight members. President was Nina Wall; Treasurer was Raleigh V. Glass; Secretary was Blake Bunn. Officers of the Golden Links in 1908 were: Bess Fouche - President, Blake Bunn - Secretary, Eva Harris -Treasurer. Many of us remember some of these ladies who were faithful members of our church.

Flippen Church was transferred to the Stockbridge Circuit in 1916. The only congregations of the original 28 reported in the minutes of the conference of 1923 were McDonough and Turners. Together, these two churches became a charge.

1938 marked another milestone in the history of Methodism. The breach between the two branches of the Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church South, was healed. The governing body finally agreed, so in this year the bodies joined and became The Methodist Church. Also in 1938, Rev. J.W. Gardner was appointed as pastor of the McDonough-Turners Charge. During his ministry, in 1941, another important event happened. Eugenia Turner became the wife of J.P. Price. The pastor was paid by the church $2,200.00 that year and with the $10.00 paid to him for marrying us, his income was increased to $2,210.00.

For several years prior to the year of 1951 the church members realized that the facilities at the parsonage built in 1889 were inadequate. In 1951 a new parsonage was constructed on Lawrenceville Street at the cost of $20,000. It was completed July 30, 1951.

In 1953 the church felt the need for an educational building which would include an assembly hall for Senior, Immediate, Junior, and Primary Departments, a special area for Beginners, a nursery, and a kitchen. The building, which is the present Sunday School rooms down stairs and up stairs on the north end of our Sunday School Complex, was erected in 1953-1954. The cost was approximately $40,000.

William S. Echols was appointed pastor of McDonough in 1956. During his tenure McDonough became a station church after being on a circuit since 1822. It had taken 134 years for McDonough to be a station church. During Bill Echols's four years as our pastor there was much discussion and planning for a new sanctuary. In 1960, the Women's Club property, adjacent to the original church lot on the south side, was purchased for $12,000.00.

John Minter came to our church as pastor in 1960. In 1962, by authority of a Church Conference called on October 22, 1961, it was decided to go ahead with definite plans for a new building program, a Church and Sunday School Complex.

The church felt that we needed help in raising the necessary funds to begin construction. It was agreed that we would have $100,000 (50% of the construction cost) in hand before the 1st phase, building the Sanctuary, began. The Department of Finance and Field Service of the Board of Missions of The Methodist Church was contacted. With their director’s help, we had pledges of a little more than $100,000 to be collected within 3 years.

The construction of the present Sanctuary began in 1964 and was completed in 1965. The opening and consecration of the new church was held on June 13, 1965 at 11:00 AM. The Rev. James M. Moore, District Superintendent, preached; the pastor Rev. John Minter presided.

The total cost for the Sanctuary and furnishings were $211,000. The cost was completely paid by the Fall of 1973. The dedication service took place on December 9, 1973, at 11:00 AM. Rev. Burch Fannin was the pastor.

Present Sanctuary

Just after the pay-off of the indebtedness on the new sanctuary, a Building and Finance Committee was appointed for the construction of the Education and Fellowship Hall that would connect the new sanctuary building with the Sunday School building on the north end of the church property. On November 11, 1973, a goal of $250,000 was set to complete this construction. A contract was given to Jones Construction Co., of Griffin, Georgia, in the Fall of 1981 to tear down the old brick church and build our Sunday School and Fellowship Hall with a completion date of April 27, 1982. Rev. Harry Alderman was the pastor. Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Coan, members of our church, had included in their will a sizable gift to the church. With their gift and the generosity of our membership, the indebtedness was soon paid off.

Presently the church has no indebtedness. Our last indebtedness (about $20,000) was retired in 1996 when the church sold the parsonage on Dogwood Lane in the Walnut Hill area. Today Pastors are provided a housing allowance.

The Sunday School and Fellowship building was completed in the early 1980's and the church thought we had sufficient room for many, many years to come. Yet, under the excellent leadership of Dr. C. R. Hill, Jr., we found that we were in need of more room. After several years of study a Strategic Planning Committee recommended a concept for a new church to be built on fifteen acres which the church owned on McGarity and Lake Dow Roads three miles east of our present location. On November 9, 1997 a Church Conference approved the concept. The church began a Capital Stewardship Campaign to raise the funds to begin construction.

Three years into the Capital Stewardship Campaign, a concept came forward of building a church on the McGarity Road property and maintaining an "in-town" presence at our current location.  The idea of maintaining a presence in the center of town was considered very important.  At about the same time, a new road had been built connecting McGarity and Lake Dow Roads running lengthwise on our property line.  Our administrative board got permission to name this road, and the name of Wesley Way was approved.  Now we had two options to consider.  We could continue to raise funds to build the new church and sell the current property, losing our in-town presence; or we could provide churches at both locations.  Knowing that God's plan included the Wesley Way property,  the membership voted to establish a mission church on the Wesley Way property.  The members of McDonough First United Methodist Church voted to give the 15 acres on Wesley Way to the Conference in order to build a new church, with families from our church moving to be the core membership of the new mission church.  Along with the property, the mission families were given some funds from the Capital Stewardship Campaign to help build their first buildings.  For our help in starting the Wesley Way United Methodist Church, McDonough First United Methodist Church was recognized at Annual Conference with the "Mother Church of the Year" award.

Answering God' call to start a new mission church, many of our families moved to the Wesley Way United Methodist Church, and once again we felt our facilities would suffice for many years.  Within the first six months our growth had caught up with us again, and once again the process of looking for other options began.  The church had previously purchased two plus acres located very closely to the current location, and in June of 2002 an offer was made on the property joining our two properties.  The manufacturing facility next to us was purchased and the property closed in June 2003.  The manufacturing company will be out of the building in January 2004.  Part of the property is already in use as our Community Outreach Building.  As our church continues to grow, this building has also been put into use for youth Sunday School classes.  Plans are in place for expanding our current Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary, and converting the building next door to Sunday School classrooms and a combination gymnasium/auditorium.

Ground Breaking for expansion of the fellowship hall.

Phase 1 of our three phase expansion plan  was completed and dedicated.  This first phase includes the doubling in size of our fellowship hall, and a comparable expansion of our kitchen facility.  Also in Phase 1 added a covered drop-off and pick-up area at the rear of the church.

Work began in 2004 for Phase II of our expansion.  Phase II was the building of a new Christian Education and Activities Center on the lot adjacent to the current facility doubling the size of our campus, and gaining enough parking to accommodate projected growth.  The building was completed and consecrated under the leadership of Rev. Mack Riley in 2005.   The building includes enough new classrooms to operate The Preschool, and to include a gymnasium, and Sunday school classes.  The new youth wing includes two large classrooms, a large gathering room, and a kitchen.  The beautiful library offers a comfortable place to relax and study, and can double as a conference room.

McDonough First United Methodist Church was greatly blessed by the Rodgers family.  The Rodgers family had been members of our church and even after their move to another community, always felt a part of our church family.  Mr. Rodgers named our congregation as a beneficiary in his will, and made a sizeable donation to our church.  This blessing came shortly after moving into our new Christian Education and Activities Building.  The Administrative Board, wanting to recognize this great gift, voted to rename the Christian Education and Activities Building to The Rodgers Center.  In September 2006 the Rodgers Center was dedicated with members of the Rogers family present to aid in our celebration, and dedicated in the names of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Rodgers, Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Rodgers, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Rodgers, and Mrs. Mary Grace Rodgers Kitchens.  The dedication of the Rodgers Center was officiated by Rev. Dana Everhart.

Views of the Rogers Center

Mr. J. P. Price, Original Text

Mr. Bennie Miller, Church Historian, updates