Tag Archives: Churches of Tattnall County GA

From the historic marker erected in 2000: This church was constituted and its first sanctuary built in 1888 on “Love’s Old Field”, land donated by G. M. Love. Charter members were the J. J. Kicklighters, the Dennis Lynns, Allen Lynn, and D. B. Smith, the church’s first clerk. Elders on the constituting presbytery were H. B. Wilkerson, Bazil Jones, and M. F. Stubbs, the first pastor. In 1896 the church was one of seven organizing members of the Bethel Primitive Baptist Association. J. Walter Hendricks, pastor from 1932-43, became the first president of Birdwood College, now Thomas College, in Thomasville.  This c. 1930 sanctuary was remodeled in the 1960s.

The South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church notes: The Hopewell Methodist Church grew out of a prayer meeting conducted by Mother Stafford.  Ezekiel Safford and his wife, Mary Jane, were born in South Carolina around 1800.  Near 1825, they came to Georgia and settled on the banks of the Altamaha River, six miles from the nearest neighbor.  Ezekiel was an infidel.  Mother Stafford was raised an orphan, but her early training was decidedly Christian.  She saw the religious needs of her distant neighbors and began prayer services among them…Eventually, Ezekiel was converted and joined the church.  A log (church) home was built in 1860, and the present building in 1890…A sign at the church notes that it was established in 1817. That date seems to be in conflict with the history provided by the South Georgia Conference, but the new information may be based on more recent research.

On the first Sunday in September, since 1955, they have held the Edward Anderson Reunion, in memory of J. Miller Anderson, Mamie A. Dasher, and others of the church who have passed away.