HISTORY OF FAITH UIITED n TFODIST CFURC

OUT F T DI TRICT

Dr. E rl Dre er of Emory Univ raity mad a surv y pl. n outlining ere new curer would need to be st rted in th rort~ Georgia Conference. is pI n indicated t at a n ~

congregation ~ould be needed in t a gene 1 re b t'e n .orro et odist, Jonesboro ethodist, Riv rd le et odi t, nd Jones

Me or1 1 _.1et odist Churcres. The Atl nt out est Di trict Board of lssions and C urc Extension and t e Crurcr Build rs Club recommended th t t~e District follo Dr. Br. er's pl DB. In tris area, orro ettod1st Church teamed ~itr Philad Ip ia Presbyteri n Church to conduct a c urch census, ~11e alb r of Jones :emori 1 ethodist C~urc (Commission on issionw) st rt d a search for lan •

Tre Congra ation as org niz d on und y ft rnoo .otl'erb Day, ,ay 12, 1963, in tre sanctu ry of or 0 odist Church. Rev. Josep L. Black, District Superintendant 0 tr tl nta South st District, led in the formal cere~ony of

or nlz1n the new Churc vltt the 1ection of these offie rs: Church L y Lead r, II Joe ll L1b r; St °ards --J. ~ .. Jones, on ld Sha~, Jlm °11son, Jim Yancey; nd Church ... ecretary, Batt "llson. Rev. Jam s • Varner, Pastor of t e Morro ethodlst C urc h , was appointed by t _e District uperintendent to pastor tris n . Congregation. Falth Z~~ ethodlst Crurch as t e first ne church organized in the Atl to. Sout west District.

Prayer md planning m etin s w r held in t1'1e 1"0 ofI

"foundln£ members" be innin y 31, 1963, and the name "F Itl1<

~ethodist C urc ~ a8 sel ct on Jun 11, 1963 at on of t~ s me tin s.

'lhe Philndelpri& Presbyt rian Churcr, _Olro' 00., For st P rk, Geor[la, offer d use of some of Its facIlities to F 1th ~ethodist Church. Be innine ~ept mber IG, 1963, pr yar nd plo.nnlnr me€ltln s er held t '0 Thursc. y nig ts per moptr in t e Pioneer Classroom of Phil d Iphi Presbyterian C urch.

T1':e first uarterl Conference was conducted by DIstrlc t uperlnten ent, hev. Josepr L. 1 ck, at orro· thodlst Church, orro' , G or 1a, on ov mb r 17, 1963.

Vesp!' er ices t 5:0 p, on t 0 cunda s p r month ere t rted on Decemb r 8, 1963, 1 tre S~nc uary of he Pr11 1 hl

Pre byt rian Church.

On of t e members, John .• Til ,hman, Jr., receiv d 1s local pre cherts licens t a district m etin _ or J nu r 14, 19 4.

On ot erts Day, y 10, 1964, the First Anniversary of the foundin of the c~urcr as r Id 1n a speclal ev nl g ervic at orro ,trodlst Church. Durir.g this service a c 11 ~as made for Ch rt~r memb r~ to join Faith .ethodist Crurc. lev join t this time. T~e period for receivir Ctarter :.~b rs continued until ir.nua1 Conference, June 22, 1964, and fiv ddlt10nal persons joined. Ch~rt r memb rs ~er: (listed y

family groups)

Paul Cvechko athalda Cvechko

Lorrain Cvechko

Irvin (Joe) Liber Quina Lib r Robert Liber Donna Liber

Ronald Sh Jac i haw

John Til m n Evelyn Til£hm n

Bettye Varner

Mae Varner

Jam ilson Batt i1son Dian Go on

Cert1flc te of Org niz ion 'us iven to Paitr '0 rodist Church by Bis op John 0 en Smith on June 25, 1964, at tr, .nnual Conference und h v. James '. Varner was reassi ad s astor.

In 'ay 1965 tt.e .omen of the c~urch or nized stud Croup and beg n m et in, 1n t ir flom s.

Rev. J. erman llison was assirn d as pastor at Annual Conference in June, 1965.

From tre time of organization members of Faith h d be n senre .in for 1 nd nd aloe tion as found. On February 3, 19tiG, deal s closed to purchase adjoining propE"rt1.es on Vall y H 11 Road near lest Battlecr ek Road in Clayton County, Geor 1a. 0 ners war lr. Henry Na leon nd r is daught r, 'rs 8

Ch rlca H tfield. Tre combined roperties ~r pproximatel~

11 1/3 cres. There w a a small house on tre atfi 1 property lind ftc r mUc renovat 10n and l"1ard 'ork, the rous s converted into plne or orship ervlces, crurch school, d social nd bu lness meetlnes. The conEr e tion starte meetin in it 0 Sunday, prl1 17, 1966, with 17 at church school nd 31 at the morning worsrip servic. Re u1ar services re Sunday c lurch school, vund y mornin ors ip nd weekly pr yer m ,tin[ on "; dne daJ nit: ts o

."

.t the Annual Conf.rence in June, 1966, R v. J. Herman 111son W~ re ssl n d s p store

In October, 196G, the c urch held tent revival lith ,ev. obert Ozment, p stor of First • rodlst C urcr, t1 rt , G or ia,

doln£ the pre&cbing ur.d eVe G or Ho Iden of tre same c' urc, s sont; 1 ader.

t the hnnu 1 Conference in June, 1967, Rev. Jull n F. Thomp on as assigned 8 pastor.

In October, 19ci7, construction las started on a t ~porary,

fr e anctuary, 24' x 36'. The contractor was '111Ial"'l A. Ray ie. Constructlon 8 completed in time to hold tte children's Christmas partj' on December 21,1967, nd regular "orsrip services er be£un in the ne1 building on Decemb I' 24. The old building (house) contlnued to be used for Churoh Scr.ool activities.

On Sunday afternoon, t;ovember 5, 1967, a' omen's Society of ChI' 1s t ian Service ri S orG n iz d it 7 chart r members. ',1'5.

Theres Brld£es '8 elected President.

On other's D y, ." Y 12,1968, tr frame sanctuary a ded toated to God's glory nd lork in a special 8 rvice conducted b lev. Joseph L. Bl ck, DIstrict Suporintendent.

At Annual Conference in J ne 1966, ev. Julian F. TIiornpson s rea signed s pastor.

1~e ct.urch n me was c anged to Fait United ethodist Church hen the ~etrodlst and the Evangelical United Drotberr. Curer s

merg d in 1968.

it Annual Conference in Jun ,1969, Rev. J. B. Pod s, Jr., s a' signed as p stor.

Ith the help of District nd vpecial Funds, a par on e w s purcrased at 754 'Euntin£don Drlv, h rwood r1or.st :::'ubdivision, Jonesboro, Geor ia, on fay 25,1970.

At Annual Conference 1n June,l970, Rev. J. B. Hod es, Jr., w s reassign d as pastor.

On Friday ev ning, February 19, 1971, t Ive ~ n of c urc met and d cided to form a Unit d Methodist en' Club. _.1'. Thom s F. Helms 1as e1 c ed Presldept.

t nnua 1 Conf renee il June, 1971, Rev. J. B. Rod s, Jr., w s reassigned 'S p store

l' Unl ed etrodlst Youth Fello1srip s for-ad In t~e summer of 19'71.

In July, 1972, Bro. Don Nicrol , a f cu1ty me'11b r of.mory Univ rs1ty, s assicned s Interim Pastor. In u u t, 197" hev. Bern rc L. F rkey arrived to assume ris duties as pastor, having be .n ppolnted t the nnu 1 Conference in June, 1972.

In June, 197 ,construction s started on a 40' x 120' concrete block educa 10n I buildln£ located n ar the center of the church property. Tre contr&.ctor, 1111-m _ • Laynie, constructed n sh 11 type bul1din , Includlrg lnt rior concrete block lIs' nd all doors nd ·lndo s. Tee urc sub-con tr cted electrical, h atin , and air conditioning ork d t~ c urch members did tre ext rior paintin and the interior finishing

ork, including ins llin li£ht fixtures and tre ceill The first event to be eld in this bui1dln las tne Sunday evening service on January 14, 1973, '~it tre United . thodis You h Fello~srlp presenttn a dram based on the Biblical book of Esth r.

On Febru ry 24, 1973, the frame sane uary as mov d fro the front of t e lot to a site dj cent to tr ne; duc tio al bul1din in order to av bot crurch bul1dlncs to£eth r. On Februar" 25, 1973, u Deoons or tion ~ervice w s Id for the old Church 5chool B'ildinc (house) us t 1s buildln[ would no Ion er be r quired nd ould b do troyed or mov d fro. tr ehurcr propert •

The ne~ educ tional buildln 1as consecrated in speial servlc t 3:00 P , 5und y, prill, 1973. ~ev ral artifacts perta1ni C to the history of Faith United lethodist Crurch ere pI ced in box in tte cornerstone. The bul1ding was named Lib r Hall in honor of r.nd rs. Irvin S. (Joe nd Quid) Liber, in reco r.itlon of t air service nd inspiration since tr org nization of the church.