CHURCH HISTORY

r t. Gil ad I.lethodi st Ghnrch Toll Springs vh~rger

~tlanta- :wst District

I t. ~ile~d .ethodist 6~'rch l~s written h'r o.n history in t .Ie hearts and lives of~tl1ose lil0 bc.ve ~cne o,t froln her sacred .... ltars to f'lfill their missiors in~ their respective fields of s rvice •

..s '.:e tt, pt to ive a brief account of" the History of thi S CLl 'r ch, e feel a d ep seT se of reverence, LoS ';e offer prc,ise and thar.ksgivL to God for its pione~r r erbel's: ip, [,nd L,ll .'LIO h<..<ve love', L,·.bored .... 'Y1d sacl'lftced bH.lt "e ni&,ht ~H.• ve the privil ge of worsnipl'Jl; g God on these sacr d gram ds.

,e h ve no records of the ~rly y{., ..... rs of t:lis church, J t in con1rersc...tion ','ith lrl ,rly p,..;rrbers c..nd fri nds, \ e lee. rued tLat originally, services v re ileld und r <. brush rbor, ::'''1 1 t-1"lL.t the pl' ce of "'lorship \as C' lled l,-t. Gile ... d

Camp 'Jrourd. In L .... ter years li ttle log cht'rch "'II<..<S built, which mlS :: lso used for a school _ouse. .t.n accourt of the revivals .eld in those days ~re recorded onlj in Courts

bov '. Ir. tl ye",.r 1843, the tr~ct of 1, nd on which this church

sti.:l.r.ris IL.S purche-s d fr0I'l " i chard inn, and on June 15, 1843, tlle deed to Lis prope:cty laS recorded in the ot'fice of the Clerk of the Court of Ch or~:ee County, Georgia. . t. Gilead Church ~aS one of' the fiM to be 'Vstablished i:.1. this county. The first Bo rd of Trustees of this property \!ere: .illiam Sa...ples, John _cCh' rlbers, "' ..... '·,es Lo .ery, )e-vid Husk, und 1 illio. H. vla.:ek.

In the ye~r 188~ a rffi' churCD as built ard throu~h the y ""rs, LL.ny soul-stirrinf:, revivals :ere yperie-'lced i th church.

In 1952 t:lere Vk s tulk of rerrorlelir'':' this 01 c11 Jrch. ~.fter much discussion, it \ £ts decided that P \"' c1. rcl1 shouldc...

be rect wd instead. _ I.e~tir:g ",as c<illerl : . (1 a cc/ml""'i tte 1'" S

ro.ppoi"1ted to raise funds to ~ielp in the build.ing of this ne\ brick nl...er chu·"'ch. ..t his regul.Qr c..ppoint!'1ent on the T11iDdr

Sunday in Octobel', 1953, the pc stor, R v .... _. Berkner, ap­poL ted a Buildlng Cow ittev co ~'os d of ~=c rold Rusk, Ueorg~

.. uters, V. J. e 1's, '1'. ~Je<..<rs, ftoy Cox, c.n H. I'. Cook. 1:. l<. Cook\.<-..s chL.irm'n of t~le comr.ltt-..e.

On ~ovember lP, 195~, the corners ~ere e~ up and soon Hark on the n. church \1b.S beL,un. 'r:le old building was torn a"'av to nd ~j.uch 0 ' the rr.:,teri' 1 faS used in tL1e construct ion of be neF cJ.lurch. 'J'h ne',: church cost ,'S,3f);::'.6·, not in­cludirg much l&bor don..,t d. On the t:1ird Sunr'lay in _.nril, 1953, t.e first preacbin- service ms held in this ne v church.

I 2.

~t. nil~ad Church History nolly Springs Ch~r

The pc~ stor, '-'ev. • B rk er conducted the se-rvice. p- ~ as hc;,.ppy occL-sion.

n third uunda in liovemb 1', 1. 5;5, the n 1i' church ·.'~s dedic:..,ted. ,v. '-tC!. L::..::.nb of _ iz . er-or"' 1 1 ethodist C1Ta:.~ch,

,.ug' sta, Gcor( ia, perfor :'led the J)edicLtor.7" Lervice. 'j s es­sa...,e \:u.s '1'01. the t eyt: lI'rhe glory of this 1 r t;ter :lOuse shall be greater tl' n tJ:: e for. er, su.it. the .1.Jord of hosts c..nd in ';:;l1i8 pluce .ill I !::'ive p ce, s ith tbe Lo:ed of hosts. ll (;1 ·-gai 2:9) .t the close of the service ma~y stood arcvnd tle altar to red" dacate tlleir lives. _Lev.' . Beri{> er spoke in the after:oon on f· lth.

(II "'-'RT) - t. Gil ....d, lil:e mL..l'y other chu ch~ s L.IlS exper!!l~nced

le n yCL..rs as well as flourishlng ones. It '~st h've been durir.g one of those LA1D y ~ 1'8 '".len 1 r. Jo Burtz, an official of this ch rC:1, rode >;1' le bacl to a ~Ilrterl- Co::.ference at Birnin:....ham (l'eur Hos\ ell) to carry ,rl.50 for the pastor l s sal('ry.

Par tLe greater p;..rt of its e.i'istance ..t. Gilead h&s raintained a uUncL1Y ~chool. ..roni<- tLo se 'vilo '1<- v s rved ..... s s'.lperint .rl"lt :~t", u.re: Cieorge 'uters, Joe Burtz, Ji,r: ~rimes, t). S •. 'c. horter, . D. Cox, s..nd Hoy CO)': (l1"',ving served for the "st t~irty-five JeLl's) •

.t. Gil~ad c urc•• "'.as <....t one tire on the rolbroo'· Circuit. ..t anoth I' th'c it ~ ;.is on the .oodstoc': Ci:c>cui t • rial' to that time, in tle ye&r 1885, records show thtit ~t.

GileLd \kS L..dder'i to "t.i.1 1 i cl:ory flL t (;ircui t • . t. Gil ead has lso been in thrc: Districts: 1ainesvil e, 1 !eriett .. , and l ..tlc..rta-'.iest.

l.ev .... J. Pet rs of ..aple vee J.·,thonist Clu.rch, I arietta,J

8-eor£:;i1:l., L.ssisted Rev. -. P. berkner in the first revival held in tLe Eevl church d't'rin~ the t lird Vlef- in bUgust, 1953. ~ue

, . ters, dau' hter ,of -' . L~d • 1'8. Pobept, at ers, \laS the first to t, :.e i'he church vovrs . t the bolt:.....r of tLv n,VI c:11'rch. 'oy 1int O~ co;~ III. :us tl1e first infL..nt tot e bapt ized in the new church. J.'hi" ,&.8 cn the third S~ndLY in 0 pt., 19;:)3.

On JllDU' ry :2, 1950, vorl~ n s e~un cn 't:1e Church School pl nt. 'llhe bUJ.ldinu proj ct as co .pl ted' t . n estimuted cost of :2,500.00

Juri!1[; tile tnird 'I ]r in i.Ue.:"U t, 19:10 ,v. Gene Pelt, a Joun but feb.rless preacher or the Gospel, as~isted R~v. 0alv',n ard, our 'stor, in r~viv :. ' rv'ces at ·,t. vilerd. 'l'.lre ~ 'Ie ](S pI' vious to this tiI'le pI'&.: er sGrvic.s 'IeI' be 1im

in prepuru.tion fo:c t~.e rvvivc..l. fteI' S .cll r- soul-stirring rev:tval, felt 1 S: ol'ld continl)e t'1ese ,_ ra'~r ~ etinc-s e eh ';/eek. T 1ese pra:rer l"eetings ... lave . Y'oved ti.nes of ontst nding spj~itucl blJs~in~.

T~le ChUl-ch in goin) 'or.ard, ith ~ ~oon Ghurch School pl~s ot:er activiti s. r. ende-ll' '1ite, one of th young c...dults 0(' the church, is 8t dJir~ for the ethodiot ini~try.

~istory ,ritte~ by PI's. ·oy COY, 1953.

bubritted to .-t181'ta Office, 1957

••

9 3. 1 t. ';'il . d lihureh .i story r i.olly prin s, dL r e

. ini~ t rs of Lt. GiL... t..d

rior to the .te[..r 18 0 \le hu-Te 10 reeo' rJ of th n:.... 1

of p8.ftor l s except for tbc y:r 181E .:1 n ~.• P. Pitehforri • :::,S 'd.stor.

-" . ~tor I s for t'.e pE riod i't '. ti'ts 8.re: 1860, ~{. . .... '1r , 1801, .. :. .. ilb]; 180:-';, J. R. G-::...i.TJC3; 1863, ZOh'1 B ily; 1864,65 1. f'. ~~ ,b ; 1866-67, J. R. esker; 18t,8--S, ::;. ~" 0.. in s; 1870, C..... eClur ; 1871, Britton '- 'd .rs; 1872, ;<. c.. lJed­b~tter; 1873-74, ,:. C. holbrook; 1875,7~, J. •• y rs; 1877,T

,. L .....:.:... 1ell; 1878, J. J. Ear-rL.:.; 1879-80, J. L. Perryman, 1881-82, I~. J:,ell; 18 3, ..• ". Hu;he:...s; 188'!, J. r ulliv 1885, J. ~ .. ::'peek t..nd C. l. 1 eCll1re; 1886-87 J. .. "ell; 1888, J. L•.llison L,.d L. J.'. burtz; 18£'9, J. '-'. L. Sappirr­ton; 1890, ....'. T olmson; 18S1 J • .c. lurfess; 1892, -.• B • .L.nrl~r::lOn; 189u, D. li. "Oro','n; 1894, :2. C. : arks; 1895, Lm,.o t Gor(' D; 189,", J. :.. u:btz ',lld Cl'. " • Be aI''''; 1897, J. T. Linn :...i1'1 .... .L. ulliv~l1; 1898, ... u1.111 i v::: I ; 1 g~, George

• Gt... l")Y· 1 OJ, D. ',T. r;roover; 1001, J. I .......ulliva'l; 190~, B•.~.

:eitehet; 190:, C. c. J(.lvi s; 1~0", J. '. rt1.F-r... s; 1905, Olin . ing; 190t..: J. llel; 190?--r~p. J. l,lr t rel1; 1911, E. 0hi l'1s; 1912-14, R.I. Johnson; 1915, J.'. Cro'; <.r..d red 0','1 ns; 1916, PI' d O.ens, 1917, i daM Clark; 1918, J ... bailey; 1919, J • •• Cl.1~rdl r; 1920-21, l:T. or. -'hel1; 1922-23, Zohn L. Pee" .... ; 1924-:2[" • 11. ::>peer; 198 , L. r. );.tv':dson; 19' 7-:~8,

J.:. lerry; 1929-00, • J. ,illiq.~.~!:; L31- ....4:, O. L. Vick ... ry; 1905-37, '.1. il£!rir; 1938, .. ,. ~. "01:; 193°, • B. J :'118; 19'10, .13. rill'" ",r1 T. :r~ .ton 'lse; H:l/U, '.'. -'e',toll "i'" ; 19':" Loran <..rl:er; 1943-1~", T 10M:...r ...~. }o'ller; 194P', P. Earker; 1946,47, -'orris L. h.. ing; 1948, 1'. L. Ec-rtley; 1S'/~·9- ill, C• ..,;. : pier; ~ Jf)1-5~, ' illie }-. Berhl (;"'; pL..stor, . '~nl1eth vris­\'el1, . sst.; 1955-57, J. '\ illi m Du.!:"'rec, paster, C=:tlvin mrd, sst.

J prl., 1 , 1957