.- I ~. 'ij ~..,...It' - ; (,,:, ~.',~~) e., <t:.,,.-.-' ~.'_J [ C.!. (..1 V.;, v. V1' ~ 1 (:--1,7; ~ fi.. 0 ~ ~~ c;. i:. ~.,,' _,f.,.. _5.'<\ HISTOhY Of ROGKMAkT ME'l'H01JIS'f UHUHCH j, ; \ -.. ~.
, A spirit of iter-deomiatioal tolerace was largely resposible for the foudig of the First ethodist Church, of ockmart, ow golg ito its 67th year as a leadig voice of Methodism i this orthwest Georgia commuity. That assertio ls made because for moths 'before the ohurch oogregatio had a house of worship of its ow, the group, uder the leadership of the Rev. J. T. Gibso, met for wor.hip services i the Presbyteria Church i Rockmart. Sice that time, tri~dly 8pirit of oordial relatioship has existed 'betwee these two churches ad other deomiatios i this commuity. I~ 1883 the mai part of the preset church buildig was oostruoted o what was later to be called Churoh Street, o the baks of Euharles Creek. A rectagular buildig with o uusual features, it was costructed of slate rock, a com~o buildig product of this sectio. It stood as such util i 1914, whe, uder the pastorate of the Rev. C. Lipham, who acted as architeot ad builder as well as the leader of the church cogre atio, the builcu was remode led ad elarged. At tha t time the buildig w s made more attractive whe it was veeered with briok ad the tacade was made more symmetrical ad architeotural i desi, a porch ad two vestibule rooms havig bee added to oftset the former box-like appearaoe of the structure. ad iside the church the auditorium was reversed. Followig this, i 1932, uder the pastorate of the Rev. George Barrett, further improl1eets were made iside the ohurch whe the pulpit furiture, altar, altar rail ad other such items were
-:dreplaced with oak fixture.. They had tormarly bee of pie, ad, While they had served the cogregatio well for better tha fortyie years, there had lo bee a eed for thele improvemets. George Dickey 8lrre tt, so of the Rev. George Be.rre UI, was the desiger ad istigator of these chages, while the Nora Allgood Class raised the moey to pay for the work. Further chages ad improvemets were made to the church buildig durig a program of reovatio which was ilpired by the doatio of a hadsome pipe orga by Judge Fred Braso, ot J4W1cogee, OklahoIl&., give i boor of his late mother, Mrs. Rhoda H. Braso, formsrly a member of the church. Member. ot the church, uder the pastorate of the Rev. Joe L. Black, early i 1~8, bega this program, but it did ot reach culmiatio util late that year whe members, through doatios ad ple~s, raised a total of better tha 9,000.00 for impro~emets. This reovatio program resulted i may chages beig made to the church auditorium. The meetig room was elarged ad repaited. A soud-proof celotex ceilig was provided, ad ew lights istalled accordig to scietitic recommedatio New pewa were added ad the choir re-arraged to allow for the orga oolo1e. This work was oompleted i May, 1949, just i time to greet the ew orsa, which arrived that summer. Sice the a hadsome ew piao has bee placed i the auditorium by moey left to the church by the late Mr. ad rs. Herbert orga, ad hyd'lals have bee ordered.
-:5 A 'uday Soho 1 aex providig classroom apace, a uraert, a kitche ad diig room, baa bee added. was completed i Ififl, ad has allowed a much Suday School program. This buildig pro je ct re expaded Thi8 aex afford. a meetig place for the ethodist e's Brotherhood, orgaized i late 1946 while the Rev. J. L. Black was pastor, ad which has a erollmet of about GO members. etig ot this orgaizatio are held methly ad may iterestig programs have bee preseted to members. the first preaidet of the group. H. P. Fambro served as Alao, the MYF ad other youg people's org izat10s have uaed the aex to great advata e, fidi it a place for wbrahip, atudy, ru ad reoreatio. PARlORAGE I Methodiats i Rockmart were served i their early daya by the Rev. Sam P. Joes, who had as his prioipal church the cogregatio at Va rt. I 1873, whe he was preaohig to coverts i this area, he lived i a reted house i Va ert. However, shortl7 thereafter, a parsoage was built 'or him i Rockmart, ad he occupied it tor two years. Other preachers at the Va ert ch r e, the paret church of the Rookmart cogre atlo, lived i this parsoage util 1905, whe the Rev. J. C. Atkiao, who was the servig as pastor, 18 i the erectio of the preset parsoasa buildig o Church Street, adjoiig the church. The two-atory 8tructure haa a1ce that time uder oe chage8 ad impro1j8mets ad curretly ia beig remodeled. Members of the oogre~tio have bee asked for fuds totalig 2,000 to make improvemets to the buildig.
------------- -4 PIEDMONT IN81'ITlJI'E I Foatered ad ive ecourageml!t by the RockDllrt ethod1.8t ohurchwas Piedmot Istitute, which i 1869 waa recogized by the North Georgia Cofereoe as property of the church. For may years, util idebtedess forced the sale of the istitutio, it did a spledid job, turig out &s graduates may leaders i the religious ad busiess world. The school was sold to the City of RoCkmart. The last year of operatiowas the term of 1910-11. OTHER INFO TION I Sice the VaWert charge was established 1 1651, from which the Rockmart cogregatio was served util the local ohurch was org ized, 61 pastors have preached to ethodiat oogregatios i W this area. After the charge headquarters moved to ROCkmart, 60 pastors have preached from the pulpit of the irst ethodist Church. These me ad most of the auperitedets uder whom they served are listed belowl Paatora. Year. Preaidig Elders. Claibore 'l'ru8sell 1851 i11iam J. Wardlaw 1852 Joh Stricklad 1859 Joh Yarbrough M. A. aek 1860 Joh Gle It Robert H. Joes 186:5 ---------?Barea 1866 A. G. Haygood Joh M. Lowry 1869 P. Harriso J. T. Norris 1870 H. J. Adams R. A. Git tes 1871 G. J. Pearce Coyers 1872 sam p. Joes 187:5 F. F. Pierce -- Sam P. Joes 1874 F. Cook Sam P. Joes 1875 P. Ple er ft J. UJe 1876 Saford Leake 1007 s. ~. Richardso It H E. It. Aike 1876 fi O. C. Simmos 1879
-5 Pastore. Yea~ Preaidi Elders. J. R. Smith 1880 s. P. Rlchardao J. R. Smith 1881 F. J. w. Stipe 1882 Gle a J. T. Gibso 18~ E. K. Aike 1884 T. F. Pierce E. K. Aike ft 1885.. It BE-lsfle1d 1886 R. Jriatie1d & H. Joel 1887...... '1'. o. Rorie 1888 J. Roberta E. 8l1leger 188~ A. c. Thoda It G. J. Orr 1890 M. H. Edwards 1891 H love j01 R F. Eakel 1892 r It.. 1893 J. T. Gibso B. Dillard 1894 F. Pierce It o. L.Kel1ey 1895.. It t\ L... P. Witer 1896 II It A. Haf:ri8 1897 tt ' 1898 J. 11. Eakea u 1899 J. F. lxo It II II It 1900 S. A. Harri. 1001 J. 1902 W. F. H~idt Gle P. A. Kellett 1903 v.. R. Foote Iii II It 1904 J. C. Atllfleo 1905 8. B. Ledbetter It II,t 1906 J. ilto &: L. P. Huckabr 1907.. Trammell 1908.. ft 1909 J. s. Jekis J. o. Brad 1910 tl.. II It 1911 E. D. Hale 1912 B. Dillard E. P. Eubak8 1913 J. H. Eake8 c. M. Lipham 1914 &: 1915 J.... E kea Z. V. Hawks 1916 M. D. Cuigham 1917 J. R. Ki It W. s. Braham 1918 & 1919 It.. A. Frakli 1920.... 1821 T. Irvie ft 1922 B. F. Pim 1923 &; 1924 T. Irvie R. F. Elrod 1925 J. P. Erwi J. H. Couch 1926 &; 1927 J. P. Erwi It It D. Spece 1918 It It 1929 &: 1930 Geo. L. Kig It It C. B. Drake 19~1 It ft 080. Barrett 1932. It It 1933 &: 1934 J. 01Mc1tibbe T. M. Elliott 1935 J. W. O. McKibbe
... /7. Pastors. Year. Prealdig Elders.,. -1;) T. M. Elliott 1936 & 1937 H. O. Hollad L. F. Huckaby 1938 '. H. LaPrade J. L. Black 1944: Frak Pim H. F. I.e..hor 1948-& 1~9 ills Joes D. H. Maxey 1960 D. L. Hagood At preset the church roll carries 450 members. The Board of Stewards, headed by Bill Adrew, Cheirma, 1s curretly operatig the fiaces of the church program o a budget of g,ooo., most of which i. raised by a pledge system istituted about four years ago. embers of the Board are a r. Adr~J Fred Motgomery, vicechairma; H. p. Fambro, aecretary; R. C. aders, J. M. aits, Fred Wood, Sam Albea, Jr., Joe Barrow, Tom C1emet8, B. T. Morga, (Hoorary), Marso Duaway, K. MCKio, B. C. Miller, ~d Vero Voge 1. Cecil R. Butler i8 church treasurer, havig tilled that post oapably for the past four years. Members of the Board of Trustees area C. L. Fambro, Roy Reece, L. M. Bura, A. B. Cochra, D. L. Cummi, Oeorge Morga, ad Oeorge Brock.