The Nahunta United Methodist Church History

          Our beginning was in the early 1900’s. The history of Nahunta United Methodist Church and the Nahunta Charge is extensive and covers many, many, years. In this research, we have traveled back in time one hundred and fifteen years and are sure that we can go even further.

          The Nahunta United Methodist church was one of seven Churches of the Charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The other six were, Hoboken, Pierce Chapel, Atkinson, Waynesville, Hortense, and Raulerson Chapel.

    Nahunta United Methodist Church was organized in 1916. Services were being held in the living room of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Roberson, lovingly known as Uncle Bill and Aunt Sally. There were approximately twenty-five members at that time. The Roberson home was located across from the church. Special services and revivals were held in a tent erected on the site where Southeastern Bank now stands. Most of the residents of the area were descended from the Primitive Baptist. Uncle Bill and Aunt Sally Roberson had joined a Methodist Church in Wayne County before moving to the village of Nahunta and brought Methodism with them.

People were beginning to migrate from the north to the south and the sales of land were rapidly increasing. The present site of this church was obtained through the efforts of the Honorable and Mrs. W. M. Roberson and in a deed dated August 22, 1919 from L. S. Robb of Glynn County and the sum of one dollar the site was accepted by the trustees of the Nahunta Methodist Episcopal Church South of the County of Wayne and the Village of Nahunta. Those Trustees were J. B. Lewis, B. G. Middleton, and W. M. Roberson. Mr. Robb owned a company called Wayne County Development Co. and sold lots to people migrating here from the north.

    When construction began in 1921, Mr. Elliot Knox disassembled some unused turpentine houses and donated the lumber, which had to be hauled from Lulaton by wagon and ox cart. Mrs. A. B. Brooker gave lumber that her Father, Mr. W. M. Roberson, had sawn and prepared for a house that they had not yet built. She was promised that more would be cut and sawn for her when she was ready to build.

    Members and friends volunteered labor to help build the church. The majority of which were Men from Michigan and Ohio who had bought land and intended to live in the area. However, farming and stock raising was so very different and difficult that they left their places and returned to their home states. “Dad” Brown, Glen Condit, and J. B. Lewis stayed and helped build the Church. Among those from the North was the Reverend J. D. Snyder. The Reverend Snyder pastored the Nahunta Church in 1920. The first Pastor in the new Church was the Reverend Aaron Kelly who stayed until 1924.

    In the beginning, there was no electricity. Uncle Bill Roberson had a Delco plant at his home and ran a line from his pump house over to the Church so meetings could be held at night. In 1953, a major renovation was undertaken and the small Church began to take the shape that it is today.

    A fund raising headed by Mrs. J. B. Lewis was later held to purchase a steeple for the Church. Members of the Community contributed the money and the steeple was added.

    Approval for a fellowship hall was received at the Charge Conference on April 4, 1974 and groundbreaking was held on March 16, 1975. Consecration services were held on April 4, 1976 with Bishop William R. Cannon of the Atlanta area presiding.  

     A new entrance and connecting foyer between the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall was built in 1999 and the old Sunday School rooms were renovated this same year. A fund raising headed by Brother Fred Doty was held to purchase new pews to replace the original and ageing pews. Members of the Church and Community rallied and purchased the pews. They were dedicated on Homecoming 2000.  In early spring of 2001, work began in the kitchen.  Two restrooms were taken out and the space added to the kitchen with a pass through to the social hall. Locals say that some of the best food ever tasted comes from the Nahunta Methodist women.

     For many years, the church was known as the “Hatchery” due to the number of young Preachers being sent here as their first charge. When Mrs. J. B. Lewis gave the young Pastors the rules and regulations, they were well polished and ready to take the reins of the Church. Listed in a register of pastors, this charge had 44 Preachers in a period of 67 years. The earliest entry being the Reverend A. Clark, appointed in 1886 to Waynesville Church of the Hortense Mission of the South Georgia Conference to the Reverend C. F. Starnes appointed to Nahunta in 1953.

After the Methodist center, Epworth-By-The-Sea, was built on St. Simons Island, there was a reverse trend. Many retired Pastors moved into the area and were appointed to the Charge.

     The Waynesville United Methodist Church merged with Atkinson in 1967 and in another report in 1967, 13 members of Hoboken accepted and added to the rolls of the Nahunta Church. Waynesville/ Atkinson then, in 1971, merged with Nahunta United Methodist.  Hortense, and Raulerson Chapel members also merged  and presently, this charge consists of Pierce Chapel and Nahunta United Methodist Churches.

Those coming to the Nahunta Church from Hoboken were: Mrs. Lynn Easterling, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Dukes and Family, and Claude and Vivian Lloyd. From the Atkinson Church were: Kermit and Eldis Parks, Mrs. Hattie Drury Kelly and Family, Neil and Louise Hendrix and Family, Mrs. Lilla Kizer Travis of Morristown, Tennessee.

    Some of the early members who worked very hard for the Church were: Joseph R. Roberson, Mr. Ira F. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Roberson, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Lewis (Minnie), Lester Walters, Ernest Tippins, Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Coleman (Sarah), and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Brown (Naomi), Mr. and Mrs. W. H. O. Smith (Hester), Edwin and Mildred Robinson, Georgia Bell Rogers (Dowling), Mrs. Mary Shue, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Burns, Butler Graham, Mr. and Mrs. Glyn Driver, Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Mizell, Mr. and Glyn Condit, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Stokes, (Ella) Mrs. Emmie Newton, and Dr. and Mrs. E. A. Moody (Bertie).

    Mrs. Janice Morrow Royster, a word about her. She attended and supported the church, with her mind, body, and soul for 33 years before joining the Church.

    Some of the earliest Christenings were Mary Virginia Rogers the Daughter of Parham B. and Georgia Belle Rogers on May 2, 1921 by the Reverend J. D. Snyder, Effie Devane Smith in August 1926 and Carolyn Smith in September 1927, Daughters of Mr. W. H. O. and Hester Smith, (Effie Middleton and Carolyn Lewis), by the Reverend J. M. Yarbrough.