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HI SroRY OF BURTS CHi.PEL l-'!ETHODI8T CHURCH Co~piled by Walter Glenn

About 1876 Mr. E. F. Burt, Sr. erectGd a little school house near where Burte Churoh now stands. When this school building was eo~pleted,

the few Methodist in the community began holding services in the school bUilding since there was no church building of this deno~ination in the co-:nmunity •

The first servioes held in the sehoo1 building were under the leuderehip of a local preaoher, The Rev. Joseph E. Echols, fromLexing­ton, Georgia who came every fourth Sunday afternoon for the preaching service.

In 1879 tho preachers of the LeXington and Winterville charges were invited to hold a revival meeting under a Brush Arbor wbich had been er.ected on the Bchool grour.d. As a result of thie revival Burts Churoh was born, and plane were made for the erection of a church building near the school building.

On the date set to begin work on the church building Mr. John H. Tiller soe~e to have been the first ane of the volunteer workers to arrive. It is said thrrt he cut and hewed the first sill that was used. Mr. W. T. Burt was next to arrive with his ux, however, in a few hours most all the ~en in the co~mun1ty were at work on the project.

It is said the t Mr. F. U. Goolst, u locel carpenter and a ~ember

of Burts Churoh, was the one that designed, put together and placed every pe~ in the church.

The old pulpit Bible tho. t is now stored in a closet of the Chureh was donatGd by the Rev. "leeley Smith not lc.ter than 1889 and was re­plaeed by a ne~ one in 1957, donated by the Junior Olass.

Mr. John H. Tiller waR the first Superintendent of the Sunday School.

The first service held in the first building weB some time lete in the year of 1881. The church building wee no dedicnted until aer­eral years later about 1890. Bishop C~1an.dler was invitdd to conduet the dedicat1~n~eorv1co.

The church is located tn Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 10 ~ilcs

cast from LeXington, Ga., ~ ~ilc fro~ highway 77 lecd1ng from LeXington to Elberton, Goorgia.

Since the church wes located in c pins thicket snd ~ost all the men chewed tobacco, it ,·'as their pra.ctice to gather some tbH; an hour before servia to get the~solvca u wad of rosin to chew during the pre,'ohing hour. The church was given a nick nome of "Chaw Roein ll

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The first trustees wore W. T. Burt, F. U. Goolsby and John H. Tiller. The list of the eharter ~e~bere is inco~plete, but it is known that the following were me~bere: E. F. Burt, Sr., John R. Burt, ~'(. T. Burt, John ~.!. Bridges, F. U. Goolsby, J... H. &tith, John H. Tiller and Dr. A. L. Royle.

Among the firet pastors of the churoh were: Wesley L. ~1th,

J. S. Embry and Dr. Reese. During the early years of this century, Burts Church was pl:ced on the West Wilkes Circuit which c~ueed n gre~t

deal of discussion in the ohurch since most of its members preferred to

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r01l:ain on the Lexing50n Ohc.rgc. The Rev. L F. Nun CD..!!ll3 fro'J: (~'!'l1i te Oak) now Bethesda ~hile Burts was on Vest Wildes Charge and filled on afternoon eppointment. Burte was Boon put back on tho Lexington Charge where it has remained ever sinco.

The etnry i£ told that during a ~cdnesda y night prayer meeting tllany years ago Nr. Joe Sorrow, who lolas not a men:bcr of the Ilethodiet faith but 0. faithful gupportcr of the prayer reaeting, was eo. 11ed on to leud the prayer. 1c prayed fervently that God would send 6on:ething to shake the souls of tho prople to a realization of their sins. During the servioe, the building began to rock, the earth began to shake oo.uBin~ great excitement. So~e of the older members soon quited the congregation by 8ssuring them that the shm{c wa s not the onc prnyed for by Mr. Sorrow, but on earth quake. This quake was on Wed. night }.uguet ~1, 1886, known ns the Charleston Eart.h ':::uake.

This church lost two of its fine young ~en in each of the World 1'lars: Jemie T. Ra yle in ~!or1d ".'ar I, und Grady Horris Smith in i1Jorld ";'0.. r II.

11. list of dutce and pastors who ser"ed Burte Church as nearly correct as can co had at the present are as follo~a: The Rev. ~eslcy

F. Smith served beginning the le.tter part of 1881. He was on the oha.rge as regular pastor for 2 years. Rev. J. S. Embry - 188~ for ~ yea re, t. H. Gibson 1886, Rev. Wesley F. Smith ~gnin for 1 yecr 1888, Rev. E. A. Geary 1889-189~, E. E. Reese 1894, Rev. h. J. Hughes 1895-1898, 'ir. L. FOorrie 1899-1901, Rev. J. A. Sewe11902-1904, Rev. A. B. Sanders 1905-1:~08. Rev. J. E. Russel 1909- 1912, Rev. ~eorge P. Gary 191)­1915. Rev. l,i. Ivi. ~!alrOoven 1916, Rev. L. F. Huckclby 1917-1918, R(!v. H. M. strozier 1919-1922. Rev. D. P. Johnston 1923, Rev. J. E. Spra.ybcrry 1925-1926, Rev. J. M. Guest 1926-1927, Rev. T. E. Sherwood 1928, Rev. A. C. Fricket 1929-19~0, Rev. F. I. Green 19~1- 6 ~Ionth6, Rev. J. B. "'ard 19~1 6 ':!Ionthe, Rev. ll. S. Vlm 19;2-193~, Rev. R. G. Elrod 1934 , Rev. Clyde Lee 19)5-19~8, Rev. Jessie Wa rwick 19~9, Rev. George T. Shell 1940, Rev. O. B. Drake 1941-1944, Rev. \'!. J. i.tho. 19li 5-1946, Rov. C. H. Vihocless 1947-19149, Rev. Glen Frank 1950, Rev. Rabt. B. Winters 1951, Rev. Ben F. Spivey 1952-1954, Rov. Charles W. Naieh 1955, and Rav. William E. Parker 1956--.

Tho presiding elders or District Superintendents as nearly correct as possib18 who served the Districtl ?n7. G. w. Y~rbr0ugh 1881-1082, Rev. ,Jessie Boring, D.D. &, F.E. 188~-1~84, Rev. s. r. Richardson 1885-1888, Rev. John D Ha.nnond 1889, Rev. H. H. F~rke 1890-189~, Rov. L. G. Johnson 1891:, Rev. l·. P. Lovejoy 1895-1896, Rev. J. B. Robinson 1897-1899, (Don't kno~ who served from 1901-1904 ),Rev. J. B. BrYt.U1 ,1904-1907, Rev. Wilde Fierce 1908-1910, Rev. B. P. lillen 1911­o

191Lt , Rev. S. F. t'iggins 1915-1918, Rov. G. G. Venerable 1919-1922, Rev. w. s. RoE:inson 192)-1927, qov. J. Lee 111good 1928....19;0, Rev. J. t. Veach 19~1-19~~, Rev. C. E. Jarrel 19y4-l9~5, Rev. J. L. Byrd 19~6-19~8, Rev. ~!. lvf. }iuxwcll 19~9 -8 :nonths, Rev. C. L. l'iidd1ebrook 19)9-1941, Rev. J. H. Buxton 191.t1-1945, Rev. Horace &ith 1946-1950, Rev. J. C. Ca.llawoy 1951-1954, Rev. Harvey C. Holland 1955-1956, Rev. Fc:ul to. 'IUrncr 1957--.

In the beginning of 1954 under tho lcc.dcrship of Rov. Ben. F. Spivey the ~eobcrs of the Burta Ch. put 0n the L~rdlc Iere Frogra:n with the intention of repairing the old church or building a new one. Some 20 or 25 ~c~bers

participated. ~~rn~~bcr6 gave Sunday eggs, some corn p~tch, 80~C

potatoes, and others did different things. j,e u result around t·700.00 wae raisod. In 1955 tho progrDn! wo.e still on but fm"cr members took

part, but around ~~OO.OO was raised that year. On the second Sunduy evening in Jan. 1956 undor the leadership of

Rev. Charles ~.!. !'aish, the Officid Board was cO,lled together for the purpose nf deciding whether to rep~ir the old bUilding or build a new and cO"!!lplete S2,nctuary. i.fter considerable discuedon, it was decided to build 8. nm,.' church, :"od use the pa.y as tou go policy. f,. CO!ll':"~ittGa

of 3 of the officioJ.s '·'as selected with full inEtructione a s to the plano of the board, ~nd ~ better co~~ittcc could not have been chosen.

On ~~D.turcny morning F~bru(lry 11, 1956 the '.7,on of tho dethodist, Baptist and the non church c,l1:~ct on the church gr0unds with their working tools to begin the project. Soon the willing workcrB had laid the f()un~tioQ.

By this ti~:o the corr::r.i ttee had collectod enough to pour a cnncrate floor and buy the fro:r.dng. Durin~ the sP::;::.er the tuilding Colt;:nittce hired D. corpentei" to aeEist in fra.:.:ing the build­ing. By late su~mcr enough ~oney had been rei sed to cover Gnd get the windOl'iS in. B~I aarly fD.l . of 1956 the board decided it "Quld be wiEe to ro ck venoer the building to seve it fro;n being blo"m d01;m, since the fra:.::inJ "Ias on very light footing. i. 10cIll rock TI:.t'Eon "'IaE hired to do tho "Jork snd to be paid Nhcn the :::laney "'012 raised. The :,"!".nito ~.'u.e

dOi1<::ted by to'" of thc locc.l qUL.rries. The rr.on·:7 to p;.;.y for thiE '.-Iork ~ud boon ru ised by the tirr.o the job w~e coltpleted.

The doors and carpet were donctod by c. ',:,:c8bcr of the church; the tile on the floor Wile; dono,ted by 8.. r::C'::lber; the inside paint W8.e also donoted by 8. -:r.c:nter; the pine panelling "'212 don:::...ted by a friend of 130TI::C ')f the marchers; the ",iring r...nd fixtureE ~·.'cro donG.tcd by the f:o.:,L.n IS

Society; lcbor for the in stulldion 6£ \'riring und hL \1[in~' fixtures ..'25 donetcd. 16 f8.~ily pe"s ,,,,ec-c dOi1cted by several :::c~ber( of the f a:~il i e 8.

On February 11, 1958, exo.ctly 2 yee.. :'8 fro!:'. tho dey.of first work, the pe"'S "e::-e delivered. T1.1ey ,"'ero iJuid in full upon co:'plction of inst-:'.11Iltion. The rc,:,n c::,11 tl-li£ quito, but the L-clice 88." thoy ~~rc

going to h:cve C Etc:ple. Thoy 'T...cy \'rin. Our sinccre than~CE of 0. pprecicti')n for 8. big job \"ell done. The

::Ior;:bere don" ,,'i t~J the oi tizens Gnd :J:ctr,bcr')f other deno':::1n:::..tionE are·' proud of the splendid co-operction in Gvcr~' "'0. The 8::3.11 don::tionE were appreciated 8..8 2uch 3.12 the 12rgor, bccauEc it took it :::..11 to co~p1ete the job.

thilc you s.re visiting us, "0 "'o.nt IOU to look over cnd inspect every po.rt of the building. We hsve no lock or keys. £ny time you . re po.sEing by stop innd loo!~ it over. You ",ill e,h's.ye co 'v.!clc0;:;c for it

_ was you who m&d(; this possible""0 c.re a,,'are of the f'-ct that sorre donations of dif:':erent kinds

h,ve beon over looked, BO please re~e~ber every thing l2r~c or ~~D.ll

is opprecie.tcd.