History of the Atlanta Methodist Church
Atlanta’s first Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was organized in 1873 with the Reverend J. Osgood as pastor. The services were held under a brush arbor near or on the site of Ellington Memorial Hospital. The Reverend J. H. McLean was the Presiding Elder.
The following charter members participated in the organization: Mrs. Jane Richey, Mr. & Mrs. P. R. Scott, Mr. & Mrs. Berry Crawford, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Blaydes, Si Blaydes, and Mr. & Mrs. John A. Odell. At this time, Reverend Mather Leach was the Circuit Preacher.
The Methodist Church, South, selected a site to build in 1875. The vicissitudes of the church have been on the same lot. The first building was small and neat and made of dressed lumber painted white. It had a porch across the front with columns and a belfry. In the belfry just above the porch on the roof was a bell that gave the call to worship. There was a side door and only one front door which led through the one aisle between rows of home-made benches. At the front of the church was a closed-in pulpit with benches on either side—the old time “Amen Corner”—and a bench set against the pulpit in front.
A Sunday School was organized with P.R. Scott as Superintendent. In 1880, Flem Jackson (whose mother had been very active in church activities) became Sunday School Superintendent. In 1882 the Sunday School appointed a committee of three: Mrs. Annie W. Odell, Misses Georgia Powell and Ruth Groves to solicit means to buy an organ. The donations were liberal and the organ was placed in the little church. However, there is always someone somewhere to drop a pebble in placid waters and start ripples on the smooth surfaces. One of the congregation, not a charter member, thought it sacreligious to have music in the House of God and was absent from services for a time.
The land for this first building was acquired from P.R. Scott and wife. The deed dated January 27, 1877, and made to the trustees, Berry Crawford, T.R.A. Willis, R.M. Blaydes and their successors in office.
Fifteen years later, the first church building was sold to the Negroes and moved to a lot on North Louise Street and used by them for the Coloured Methodist Episcopal, South.
In that year or 1890, a second and larger church building was erected to take care of the fast growing congregation. The Reverend W.A. Edwards was the Preacher in Charge. This building was used twenty-seven years or until 1917.
This second building was dedicated February 13, 1927, by Bishop Sam R. Hay, D.D. of Houston, Texas, Reverend E.A. Maness, who was then stationed at Childress, Texas, preached the Evening Sermon. There was an overflowing crowd at both services.
The Electric Organ in this church was presented to the church in 1934 by Mrs. L.F. Allday in memory of her husband the late L.F. Allday, Sr. who was a faithful member of this church.
The Annie Greene-Willis Memorial Building was presented to the church in 1938 by Mrs. Meda Greene mother, and the chimes thereon by L.W. Willis husband of Annie Willis who was a faithful member and worker in the Sunday School. The building and chimes was presented to the church and dedicated November 1, 1938, by Bishop A. Frank Smith, D.D. at 11:00a.m.
A beautiful program of chimes, songs, and music, together with the dedicatory sermon was rendered in an inspiring way.
This church from a very small beginning, now (1939) has become the leading church in the Texarkana District. In 1953, during the Pastorate of Reverend J.W. Hardt, a new colonial sanctuary was built. Part of the foundation and basement of the structure erected in 1917 were used in this building, and the sanctuary was connected to the Educational Building.
References:
Articles by Mr. A.W. Gorman and E.W. King
Found in past editions of the
Citizen’s Journal
And official records.