Lula Methodist Church

Lula Methodist Church

THE HISTORY OF LULA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH In 1886 S.C. Hodges,C.W. Asbury,Geo Farmer and J.H.Higgins, the trustes of Southern Methodist Church of North Georgia Conference at Lula,Ga, purchased the land at the corner of Toombs and Chattahoochee Streets for seventy-five dollars on which Lula Methodist Church currently stands today. The original church building included only the sanctuary with a pot-belly stove at the front of the church. Years later a basement was dug out by hand and Sunday school rooms were added to the side and rear of the church building. The beautiful stained-glass windows adorning the Sanctuary replaced the rollout windows in the 1970's. The parsonage has under gone some changes since its arrival. After the Belton United Methiodist Church burned in 1930, its parsonage was moved behind the Lula Methodist Church in 1934. The parsonage was taken apart one board and one piece at a time. The pieces were transported by wagon to Lula Methodist Church. The boards were put back together again to form the parsonage that once stood in Bellton. Clemmons Chapel Methodist Church and Hickory Flat Methodist Church relinquished their claims on the parsonage after Lula Mathodist settled with them and the circuit disbanded. Since that time the parsonage has been remodeled and added on. The 1980's brought the parsonage it's most extensive changes. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, a basement and a new porch radically enlarged the parsonage almost doubling its size. The Lula Methodist Church at one time was part of a five-church circuit with Clemmons Chapel(Clermont), HIckory Flat(Lula,Banks County) Mt Zion (Alto) and Living Mission(Lula). Later the circuit dwindled to three churches:Lula,Hickory Flat,and Living Mission. The last circuit Lula belong to was Hickory Flat. This union ended in the 1970's.On a circuit church services would not be held at each church every Sunday. Instead the pastor would travel to the different churches and rotate the churches he attended each Sunday. However,Sunday school took place each Sunday at each church. More than 40 pastors have filled the position as pastor of Lula Methodist whether in a circuit or Lula Methodist by itself. The first pastor of Lula Methodist Church Meritt J. Cofer was appointed to Lula in 1877. Chronologically, Pastor Cofer was appointed before the land was purchased to build the church. The overlap in time leads one to believe the first Lula Methodist may have met in another church building or even a member's home. Each pastor brought a uniqueness that has shaped and formed the Church over the century. One interesting pastor in particular was Oscar Carrasco. Pastor Carrasco was originally from Chile. While in Chole he met a missionary from Atlanta. Joyce Spencer, whom he later married. They returned to America where he recieved a Master's Degree from the Chandler School of Theology while pastoring both Lula and Hickory Flat Churches. Just as Pastor Carrasco learned to speak English the congregations learned to to understand English with a Spanish accent. Like all churches Lula United Methodist Church has had its share of good times as well its share of bad times. No matter what the future holds for Lula Methodist Church , its job remains the same. God commands His children and His Church in Matthew 28:20 "GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTISING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST."

CONTRIBUTED BY- Iris Thompson Fry

LULA FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH PASTORS

contributed by

Iris Thompson Fry

YEAR(S) SERVED/ PASTOR'S NAME

1877- MERRITT J. COFER

? JOSEPH M. JONES

1915-1916 A.W.QUILLIAN

1917-1918 VERNER HAMRIC

1919 ROY ETHERIDGE

1920 W.B. HUGHES

1921-1922 E.C.SWETMAN

1923 G.B. ALLISON

1924-1925 W.J. BRACKMAN

1926-1927 M.M. THAXWELL

1928-1929 W.J.CANTRELL

1933-1936 T.L.NOBLE

1937 CLYDE PATRICK

1938-1943 J.H. SMITH

1944 ROBERT STEWART

1945-1947 T.W.TAYLOR

1948-1949 J.H. SMITH

1950-1951 DEWEY BAILEY

1952 V.O. GENTRY

1953-1954 M.H.SMITH

1955-1956 QUEON SMITH

1957-1959 A.W. EUSTUS

1960-1962 CHARLES DAVIS

1963 D.M. BROWN

1964-1965 WILLIAM L. TUBB

1966-1969 Z.WALTON MCNEAL

1970-1972 GARY DEMORE

1973 WALLACE DRAPER

1974 LEE FULLERTON

1975-1977 OSCAR CARRASCO

1978 JAMES9(BUTCH) COOPER

1979-1981 FRED BLANKENSHIP

1982 RUSSELL REPETSKE

1983-1984 JAMES R. MCDOUGALD

1985-1986 FRANK MACON

1986-1989 EDDIE HERRING

1990-1992 DEAN BOWERS

1993-1997 MERRITT WATERS

1997- FLETCHER LAW

2001-Phil Ferguson