oj' II HISTORY , Of BETHESDA-HARMONY GR6VE CHARGE Bethesda Church Harmony Grove Church

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1 + HISTORY oj' II, Of BETHESDA-HARMONY GR6VE CHARGE Bethesda Church Harmony Grove Church

$:ann for inforoation gathe-red hich is used in this lark.lecognition nust be paid to the rork of J. C. Flanigan: G\Tinnett C urches and a panplet "Norcross Circuit" by J. J. Blanks, who ias pastor of these churches in the year 1923.$

3 HISTOEY 0 :vl.y GROVE.L THODIST CHURCHES ijy: The Reverend J. Sniley Collins, Pastor ay 7, 1951 Acknowledgments The writer is especitllly grateful to Hiss Carolyn Iford and ~ r. Ton ".:ann for inforoation gathe-red hich is used in this lark.lecognition nust be paid to the rork of J. C. Flanigan: G\Tinnett C urches and a panplet "Norcross Circuit" by J. J. Blanks, who ias pastor of these churches in the year 1923.

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$1 HISTOHY Ol!' ThZ BETHESDh AiJD tl\tu :ONY GROVE 1 'THODIST CHURCHES Bl..'EiESD Origin and Location The Bethesda Llethodist Church was the outgrowth of an old "Camp-neeting Ground.$

5 1 HISTOHY Ol!' ThZ BETHESDh AiJD tl\tu :ONY GROVE 1 'THODIST CHURCHES Bl..'EiESD Origin and Location The Bethesda Llethodist Church was the outgrowth of an old "Camp-neeting Ground." It was knovm as the Boring "Carl""' Grounds. tt 'rhe Church was organized in the year 1827 with Jesse v Boring, ThorJas Boring, Isaac Boring, and utephen Cruce among the charter menbers. The Bethesda ethodist Church is located about two tenths of a mile south of U.S. liighway 29 at a point approximately six niles Hest of Lawrenceville, Georgia. This VIas the original cite of the church. Bethesda has had three church buildi~s from its founding in 1827 to this date; The first building was made of logs and when ~le second structure was erected the old log building was woved one and one half niles south, to the ~ssey place ( hich is currently known as the Bill Gower place). It is still in use as a farn building. The second structure was burned and the present one was built in the year HarClony Grove The Harmony Grove l.lethodist Church is presently located about three tenths of a raile south of the Lav,rrencevil: e-decatur road about alf way between the two tmms. The road passing the c lurch is tl e old Stone ~ountain-itorcross road. The church on this

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$The Cross Roads l~thodist Chorc South was located just inside Decalb County on the orth side of..t...ghl;lay 29. rr is chur c1 I s organized in 1836. Tl i structure \'las destroyed by fire about 1859.$

7 '~--:---,-,----' ~~-~~ present cite wa~ organized in however, oany of the charter enbers cro e fro ~ an older church. The Cross Roads l~thodist Chorc South was located just inside Decalb County on the orth side of..t...ghl;lay 29. rr is chur c1 I s organized in Tl i structure \'las destroyed by fire about 1859.h.nother c~. rcb. was built on the same ~rounds known as :ount Calvary v/hieh flouris ed for sone twenty years. In 1882 the e.~ount Calvary )eo?le elped to form Harnony Grove. The Reverend J. h..ayson las the ninister wl a as instrunental in the Harr any Grove Church and its early beginnings. ILlprovenents Bethesda The church buildir:g originally consisted of one large sanc1,uray wit tvlo doors entering at the c} ancel and tvo entering at the other end of the building. I the oj~ear 1941 the t\1o doors near the chancel \lere made into windows and one church school room was built on each side of the chancel, thus decreasing the floor space of t Ie sanctuary. The t\/o doore: at the other ntrance were c anged and one door was placed in tle center of this end of the c urch the back of the sanctuary). 1\"0 church school rooms were likmdse ade on t e sides of the vestibule 0 There had been sup~orting post inside the building itself. These di<tracting DOSts were renoved. In the sane year stained glass windows were placed in the churc. Five years later gas heat was installed in the Dlant replacing the coal heaters. In the autunn of 1949 chines were

$lso a walk was built around the side of the church extending to the parking lot. Harnony Grove The present building originally had two doors at each end of the structure. It \~as one large sanctuary.$

9 3 ~, placed in the c urch, in the forrj. of a record player wi th a public-address systen. ~ugust of 1950 saw the front of the church inproved with a wide ce ent walk extending to the road. lso a walk was built around the side of the church extending to the parking lot. Harnony Grove The present building originally had two doors at each end of the structure. It \~as one large sanctuary. The first drast c improvements 011 tile building came in churc.l school addition was built on-to the building just back of the chancel. It extends beyond the sides of the original structure. ith curtains it is divided into four clas~ roo s. The same year, there was a vestibule built on'the front of "the. church build ng. ~ Two years later (1943) stained glass windows were installed in the sanctuary. An open air picnic furnace \fas built four years later, near the spring just north of the church plant. In the autumn of 1950 a ce ent walk was built in front of the church. The following spring, two walks were built around the building. One runs along each side of the church and leads to the church school plant. COI"'.nections with the r orth Georgia,Conference of the Methodist Church Both Churches So far as records are avaiiliable, both churches (Bethesda and Har~ony Grove) have been associated together in the Conference

4 records. These records extend back as far as 1894. Prior to 1926 they were associated with the Norcross Circuit in the North.tl.tlanta District..l"1.

11 4 records. These records extend back as far as Prior to 1926 they were associated with the Norcross Circuit in the North.tl.tlanta District..l"1..t this tine they were changed to the Gainsville District and were a part of the Tucker Circuit. In 1931 the Tucker Circuit Vias changed fron the Gainsville District to the Decatur- xford District. The~e were four preaching laces on the Tucker Circuit found Bethesda and Harmony Grove breaking with the other two churches on the Tucker Circuit and beconing the Bethesda-Harnony Grove Charge; each being a half station. Thirty-two ministers have served during these fifty-six years. These passing years have seen t'~e following ninisters filling the pu1jits as pastors in these two chlilrches: T. P. Graham (date coming to churches) J. j...l "owler 1895 J. D. Hilton 1925 n S. H. Braswell 1896 ~. Echols 1929 Connally 1903 H. C. Jones 1931 J. L. Hall \. P. Segars 1933 J. r, Delph 1907 J.. Lee 1935 E.. Ragsdale 1908 Harry Lee Smith 1936 riomer Thompson 1912 R. B. Hayes 1938 G. T. Chandler 1913 J. D. Swagerty 1939 b. D. Cherry 1914 Lee Branham C.. Swift 1916 Sam. Cherry, Jr V. B. ' anrick 1917 Janes Ho1son 1945 h.1. Rutland 1919 Dixon 1946 Albert E.Barnett 1920 George l.lilburn 1947 C. R. Reese I~!. ade 1948 J. J. Blanks 1923 J. Smiley yol1ins 1950 ti. F. Duncan 1924

- j HISTORY NORTH DECATUR METHODIST CHURCH

- j HISTORY NORTH DECATUR METHODIST CHURCH - j HISTORY Of NORTH DECATUR METHODIST CHURCH ?, The History of North Decatur Methodist Church In the Fall of 1947, the Reverend H. C. Holland and the Reverend C. L. Middlebrooks reco nized the need for