Church History – Wesley Chapel Church

Wesley Chapel Church is one of the longest standing churches in Putnam County.

The current church building is the third to house Wesley Chapel Church. It is the second oldest Methodist Church in Putnam County. Wesley Chapel, first known as Elizabeth, was built in 1822.

Methodism in Putnam County was the offshoot of the brush arbor revivals and camp meetings held in Greene and Hancock Counties. It was reported that between 4500 and 5000 people were in attendance at the camp meeting held on Shoulderbone Creek in 1802. 176 tents were pitched, seventeen preachers participated. There were fourteen sermons and nine exhortations delivered. These camp meetings grew in popularity and number. In 1806 at a camp meeting at Smyrna, located 6 miles from Sparta, the crowd was estimated to be at ten thousand persons. Lovick Pierce, then only twenty-four years old and in the first year of his appointment, delivered a sermon that converted more than a hundred persons in a day.

The itinerant preachers’ clothing gave them a distinctive appearance-brown homespun suits with white cravats and broad brimmed hats. They traveled by horse through their circuits. The annual salary for a Methodist circuit preacher was $64 dollars. Most were bachelors; they couldn’t afford a family.

Elizabeth was named in honor of the little daughter, Elizabeth Rogers Knowles, of the Reverend William Henry Rogers. She asked her father to build her a church nearby so she could go alone if necessary. I doubt that any people living today personally remember seeing the old log church facing the West. The early families who worshipped there were Ashfields, Bryants, Carnes, Griffins, Haskins, Johns, Knowles, McNatt, Dent, Denham, Turner, Weems, Wilson, Rossee, and many others. There was also a Wesley Chapel School.

In 1880, Putnam County was divided into two circuits, East Putnam, to which belonged Union Chapel, St. Paul Wesley Chapel, Concord, and Philadelphia, and West Putnam consisting of Avlona, Ararat, Stanfordville and Central. In 1924 Pierces’ Chapel was added to the West Putnam Circuit. Avlona burned and Stanfordville was discontinued. This circuit then included these churches: Ararat, Pierces’ Chapel, Central, and Friendship. Friendship has now been discontinued.

The name was changed from Elizabeth to Wesley Chapel Methodist Church in 1880 when the second building was erected. It was named in honor of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, and was located across Carter Dearman Road, west of the current church. This white one room building is the one so many of us remember as the church we attended as children. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It was heated by a wood stove in the winter. Mr. Newt Wilson built the fire in the old wood stove for fifty years. Services were held continually there from l880 until l954. The numbers in the church grew. Sunday school classes were held in cars out in front of the church.

The rebuilding of Wesley Chapel Church is of most importance to the history of the church. The telling of this story still holds our members attention with great interest. It began with a dream with a building which could house Sunday school classes inside. The members started with a plan of renovating and enlarging the building. As their interests grew, the plan was changed to the possibility of building a small brick church. Time passed and the plan fully matured to build a large modem church, with a sanctuary, and a basement, several Sunday school rooms, a kitchen, a steeple and enough space for a new
cemetery. (The old Wesley Chapel Cemetery is located across the Sparta Road on the Maddox property.)

The members began to raise funds in every possible way. Money was donated and members pledged money to the building fund. The ladies had bake sales. The church became famous for its barbeque and stew sold at cow sales throughout the county. If there was an event where cakes or barbecue could be sold Wesley Chapel people were usually there.

The land for the church was donated by Mrs. W. N. Knowles in exchange for the property where the old church stood. The ground breaking for the church was in 1953 by Mrs. A. N. Wilson and Mrs. A. J. Rossee, members for 65 years. Numerous hours and hard work by the families of the church made the dream a reality. A bell was purchased from the Central of Georgia Railroad and presented to the church by a friend of Dr. P. C. Rossee. Dr. Rossee financed the building of the steeple for the placement of the bell. The first chandeliers in the church were also donated by Dr. Rossee.

Finally, the building was finished and the church was dedicated. Dr. E. C. Mackey was the District Superintendent and the pastor was Rev. B. B. Berry. The official Board and Building Committee were A. Denham Superintendent of the Sunday School Mrs. J. L. Rossee, Secretary/ Treasurer, Jeff A. Maddox, Joe H. Shaw, Harvey Denham, Mrs. W. A. Weems, and J. L. Rossee. The architects were from the firm of Dennis and Dennis. The contractor was Glenn V. Knight.

The original picture which was placed on the back wall of the choir loft remains hanging in the church today. It is located on the wall as you leave the church. Another dream of church members became a reality when the organ was placed in the church in the late 50’s.

During the late fifties and sixties the church thrived and grew. During this time the MYF had about 40 members at one time. Young people from all over the county came to worship, learn, and have a good time. Good times were plentiful. Families hosted ice cream suppers, watermelon cuttings, hay rides, fall parties, picnics and swimming parties. The Shaws hosted swimming parties and picnics on their place at Crooked Creek. The Jeff Maddoxes also had many groups come to their place on Lake Sinclair for summer outings which included boat rides and skiing.

Summer time brought revivals to the churches on the East Putnam Charge. Members would attend services at the different churches. They would come early to “talk and catch up” with their neighbors. The last night of the revival would always include an ice cream supper.

The church building has had many renovations made over the years. Inside new coats of paint, air conditioning, new chandeliers, shutters.

Over the next three decades the church membership began to decline as the young people married and moved away. By the 1990’s it was evident that the church was in trouble. At one point attending members were less than twenty and many times around twelve at a regular service. These few members came to church with an “impossible” dream, according to many critics in Putnam County. Instead of saying, “let’s fold our wings, and give up”, they rose up in unison petitioning District Superintendent Jane Brooks for their own pastor. It took much prayer, many meetings, and phone calls. Finally, their faithfulness and prayers were answered. Wesley Chapel was removed from the East Putnam Charge, and given its first “full-time” pastor. Rev. Doug Chamlee was appointed to pastor Wesley Chapel Church
in 1999.

This step out in faith by the members of Wesley Chapel has proved to be a monumental success. Membership increased. New people came and old members returned. A choir was formed, and for the first time the church had an Easter Cantata. The choir has become part of the regular church services as well as presenting special music at Christmas and Easter. Bible study and prayer meeting was reformed.

Changes in the structure of the building continue. An office and a library were added. The office upstairs is currently being used as a music room. The kitchen has been renovated. Carpet has been recently placed downstairs. A sound system was added. The choir received microphones. A new piano was purchased, and a new organ was donated. A stained glass window of Jesus kneeling in the garden of Gethsemane was donated and now hangs on the wall in the choir loft. New carpet was donated for the sanctuary and replaced the original. Cushions were placed on the pews. A projector to show power point slides and other things on a screen at the front was donated. To celebrate the birth of Jesus a manger scene was donated and is displayed during the Christmas Season.

Outside, the church sign was built. A dream was finalized when the original plans were completed by the addition of the new porch in 2003. A playground was added and a carport was added to cover the church van. A church parsonage was bought for the pastor’s family.

Pastor Dave Hinson concentrated his program on the children and Wonderful Wednesday was begun. The Children’s Sermon was given before they went downstairs for Children’s Church. The church van is used to pick up children for Sunday school. Bible school for children was held in the summer. The largest number of people to join Wesley Chapel Church was recorded in the record book on Aug. 11, 2002. Twenty one people became members that day. Pastor Tom Compton continued the Wonderful Wednesday and created the Rocket Club to have a program for the older children as well. The church had bible study in the homes and made its presence known in the community by having a booth at the Dairy Festival to give out water, and a free car wash.

Pastor James Smith came to Wesley Chapel in June 2012 he started out his time at Wesley Chapel with a bang while visiting one of the church members, he was struck by lightning in the hospital parking lot. He has spent innumerable hours reaching out into the community to get to know the people and for the people to get to know him. We have begun a Christian Disciple Bible Study Course which will last for 34 weeks. He has involved the men in the Rock Eagle Men’s Retreat. Three of our members have taken the Lay Leadership Course, and 2 took the Advanced Lay Leadership Course. Innumerable miles have been put on his car as he visits people from the church that are sick and need visits for other reasons. In his emphasis to have open doors to our community on Wednesday afternoons you can see a group of people learning to paint. Knitting classes will be offered in the fall. Not only will these groups have social meaning, but also will interface with the PGH Auxiliary and the Eatonton Nursing Home.

The families of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church had a dream back in the 1950’s. Some of these families were Maddox, Rossee, Weems, Shaw, Humphries, Haskins, Bozardt, Long, Vaughn, Carson and Denham. Their dream has been surpassed many times over during the last four decades. The fight flickered, but came back brighter than ever before. The church on the hill still stands for the glory of God and for His service.

THE ROLL OF PASTORS 1886 THROUGH 2012

W A Parks – 1886
W T Hamilton – 1887
H M Quillian – 1892
S B Ledbetter – 1893
W T Cardwell – 1898
Unknown 1896-1926
VB Hamrick – 1926
W B Hughes – 1927
R E Lyle – 1928
W H Boring 1932
L P Huckaby –
H 0 Greene – 1935
H B Landrum – 1938
G C Knowles – 1941
J G Lupo – 1942
Z V Hawkes – 1944
S D Cherry, Jr. – 1946
F Chicks – 1947
B B Berry- 1953
W Marvin Poe- 1954
F E Jenkins, Sr. – 1956
Charles G. Johnson – 1957
W E Grimes- 1960
W C Flurry – 1964
J L Harrell – 1968
M L Willard – 1974
Ben Strength 1981
Doug Chamlee – 1999
Dan Looper – 2001
Dave Hinson-2002
Tom Compton – 2006
James Smith – 2012