,

HISTORY

Of

GREENSBORO CHARGE

ItJ ,J,....~G nsbo 0 Churc b d e1 w re)

Walkers Church

HISTORY OF WALKER'S METHODIST CHURCH

The history of Methodism. in Greene County- dates back to the year ) !.> D r 1798. History was doubtful about some of the earliest dates, but a supposed

list of names of ministers is as nearly correct as can be made. Rev. George

C. Smith, the Historian of Methodism of Georgia and Florida, bas aided me much.

The names of the first ministers sent out to serve in the Region known as Greene

County, and adjacent counties, are as follows I

Name Year's) Served

James Jenkins 1798 Sam Cowles 1799 George Daugherty 1800 Sam Cowles, Dorman and. Thos. Milligan 1801 Sam Cowles and SaJIl ~sley 1803 Sam Cowles and Moses Black 1802 Benjamin Watts and Epps Tucker 1804 M. Boyce and James Boykin Joe Tarpley and Lovick Pierce

1805 1806

Jere Lumsden and Chas. Foster 1807 James Russell 1808

Some of these mLnisters first sent out to Greene and adj acent counties

to preach and carry the Gospel to the people had very crdue houses, - some bad

orush arbors, but the word of God was read and family altars were in the homes.

The early settlers of Walker's Church first bad a small meeting house

near Richland Creek. • very interesting preacher, whose name was Walker, first

helped organize the meetings and asked that the name of "Walker" be given to the

meeting place. From that day Walker's Church bas grown.

A few ;years later, over near the old home of Bishop George Pierce,

'Walker's services were held in a Baptist Church. The old cemetery can still be

seen at the old meeting place. In the year 1826 Walker's Church was officia.l1y" ~ 1:3:V~

established. Two acres of ground were bought. from William Talley. The deed,

dated llay 16, 1826, of record in Deed Book JJ, page 211, office Clerk Greene

a.. ~

m o 0::: « o z « Superior Court, sheM's the grantees in "the deed to be' JOM Walker, .broae ..... (f) Hutcheson, Nathan Winfield, and George W. Foster, "Trustees of the Methodist

Episcopal Church at Walker's ~eting House".

The names of the first Board of Stewards of Walker's Church can not

be supplied, as all old records were not kept,- nor do we have any record of

building. We do know from the old ancestors that the lumber for t he building

was cut from trees that grew on the two acres bought from William Talley.

In 1866 John Walker donated to the Southern Methodist Conference five

acres of lam, to add to the two acres bought from William Talley. John

Walker, stepfather of John Talley; John Robins, and wife E1i2tabeth Talley­

Robins; Dr. James Richard R.obins; John and William. Talley, and ma.ny descen­

dants lie in this church yard which has made lIethodism rich in Walker's Church

as well as other places in Georgia.

Bishop Asbury and James Q. Andrews came over frOlll South Carolina and

held Camp Meetings at old Liberty Church Ground. People from 100 miles

a.. around attended the meetings, and many of the old members of Walker' 3 Church ~

m were converted at the Camp )(eetings. In later years the Methodist ministers o 0::: discouraged the continuance of the Camp Jleetings, so history tells. « o In the early days the pioneers around Walker's Church were e8..L-nest,z « ..... devoted, salf-sacrificing families. Incidents and places, humor, poverty, (f)

splendor, peace and war, - all were interwoven into unvamished truth and the

heroic service. that has made Methodism rich in the church and communi.ties

surrounding.

From 1866 to 1930 Walker's Church was one of four churches "the

Circuit Rider" served once a month. A parsonage was built in Greensboro fO'

the circuit preacher in 19~- which was later sold. The Greensl:oro charge

r

supplied the minister in the afternoon service once a month. In 1941

Walker's Church arranged for two services a month. We do not have the

names of the circuit rider ministers, (their names are on record at Emory

University) but the following ministers served from 19301

Arthur Maness 1929 - 1930

Roy P. Etheridge 1931 - 1933

Frank E. Jenkins 1934 - 1935

w. H. Gardner 1936 - 1931

D. P. Jolmaton 1938 - 1939

B. F. Mize 1940 - 1942

w. K. Barnett 1943 - 1949

Sewell Dixon June 1949 ­

In 1941 a W. S. C. S. Circle was organized by ldss ierta Winter,

wi th five members. Mrs. Jasper Copelan, President, Mrs. E. H. AakEnr,

Cor. Sec.-Treas. Today we have seventeen members.

Among the noted important people that have visited Walker' B Church

are I Bishop Asbury, James Q. Andrews, Bishop George Pierce, Dr. John Robins, V

Marvin Williams, Mrs. :Mary Harris .Armor, Rev. Nath Thompson and h1.s wife,

Miss Sarah, Miss Berta Winter, and DIB.1lY others.

Trustees of Walker's Church ares J. H. Moon, Sr., Julius Bufford, and

Edwin Walker.

Board of Stewards of v'lalker' s Methodist Episcopal Church are I

Leo Copelan 7rEK•lilA t\('" J. H. Moon, Sr. C. ~ f"'r, "0 l. gET '1' sam Burnette

o. V. Tolbert

J. H. MoOD, Jr.

Julius Bufford

David Bufford

E. H. Askew

llra. DeWitt SlIirley, Secretary-Treasurer.

In 1948 Walker's Church was repaired, painted, and new pews put

in, at a total cost of $2,644.43. Walker's Church has on roll 250 membere,

or which one-half are act!vee

Sunday School, with Comer Tolbert, Superintendent, has 35 members,

and it continues to grow. We do not have a record of tb3 Sunday School

Superintendents during the circuit rider days, but the following served

from 1930 to datel

w. J. Wright, Sr. B. C. Copelan Mt-s. E. H• .Askew A. G. Grimsley Norris Copelan Gene Burford Comer Tolbert

We hope this little hlstory will be of interest to someone, and it

is our hope and prayer that the doors of our beloved church will always be

kept open.

January 18, 1952.

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