A BRJEF HISTORY OF FOREST PARK UNITED dETHODIST CHURCH

Th Forest P;.rk United Methodist Church, ori.ainally the Forest Park Methodist Church w;.s officially organized on June 26, 1955, in the audit rium of w ;.t is now the Forest P;rk Junior High Sc 001 on Colleg street. Reve nd Sale Lilly led the first service ;.nd forty- ight people w@'!re re eived into the church ;.5 charter members.

The present church oroperty, five acres of l.md at the corner of College Street lind Robin e, was pnrc ;lsed .md the first nhase of the building program 'Has begun in March, 1956. On pril 1, 1956, th~ congregation was a Ie to meet in this building. Serving th church as ministers, t this time w~re two students from mory, Reverend Buford Dick nson and Rev rend Farrell Cox.

The third Quarterly Confervnce on May 23, 1957, voted to continue with a full time minister, and th arsona t 1101 toney rook ive was purchased. R verend Jack Re ves came to serve the church at th· s time and remained until 1961.

In 1962, construction w~s completed on the remodline of the existing structure, and th addition of a second floor, adding much needed children I s cIa ssrooms and a new Pastor's Stuqy. The Pastor at this ti e was Reverend Marion church from 1961 ntil 1965.

Pierson who serve the

On June 2, 1969, during the ministry of Reverend Clyde Smith 1965 - 1968, a ceremony was held in which th previously red emed church bonds were burned and ground was bro n for phase three of the building program, the permanent sanctuary.

Construction was hegun in July, 1968, during the pastorate of Re erend Shelton A.dams. On July 7, 1969, our res nt minister, Reverend Zac ry Farr, h ld the first service in this lovely, new, nearly completed sanctu rye The Consecration Service was held on October 5, 1969.

As of June, 1969, Forest park ad increased to a membership of 503 and a Church School enrollment of 422.

The Children's Division of the Church School h~s a total of ten classes; the Youth Division, four; nd the Adult DiVision, six.

There is an ~ctive ~nited Methodist Men's CI b, ~ Women's Society of Christian S rvice, with three active ircles, ~nd two Wesley~n Service Guilds.

Serving the youth and Children are ~n U.t1.Y.F., < Junior High {T.M.Y.F., two Elementary F llo~ships, and two Childron'R chQirs.

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:-'l::F :U~T(\ TH 70""""'3':' P ~3K "T:.ODl1 T CTTU2C:I, G • F •.1

:"IuT lCT, .r-=:C\ .r ....am \L CO L • TC~

~June 6, 1 S5, 'Hi 1 be ( :r u re'1lenbere in th in's rod

roarC arts of those \'lho ha r ~ecJ Ll ne"· l:e ho is hu:c'c in

orest arL.., Georgia. n th t d the :t .0 e e ell led a

.::lOS ins irationa service t '1'1 ic ti e a nOH 110 ho ist C ur c_

'lRS o~~nnize in Forest Par. T initial n ber 1 iting lit:

c urc "l"S fifty-f"ve. This lU! ber ",nc 1des four l'e?/nra-cor e ers,

s en. on rofe~s' on of ai th, - _ree b,r "lOllS, and forty-one by ce ­

tificate fro 1 other .Ie odist chu::'c es.

itl the r ;-i '1eed for

ne- c urc. '"'e feral peo'"\l 'Jere q ic.-= to see tis need and be on 1

eetin"" in the IIig cho 1 ·uditorium L'1 'orest ar~. The met fo~

several -,ee s bofore org<. i ational "'te(Jun 2b, '.C ?) der t e

le8 ers i of the _ev. [: Ie LOlly, \'110 vI s a student in the Candl r

3chool of _''leoloG:, =lor Univorsit~. rior to t: e fi rst rleetings

. ev. . o:l:e e'Tel .ad seel t e nee fo ne-! churc. T. ere a.

cool 'ld' t r i gpe t res onse ':lElS S mm in tlis revival ani•

"nterest beGan to 10 nt for a ne 1 ch ch.

r i n :r01 t'e ' 010 uchool in J me 1/55, .,. ~'r.

S Ie Lill returned to is '10 e conference in l·ort :i;-sissi-... to

ss e ... a tool ties. The :-'ev. Buford Dicrinson, elso a student

in CD.! dler c' 001 of T. eology, IT s appointed to Ie nd the peo'''le

"1 0 -, 'Jre .,. io sly 100 -ing forw.rd to or6aniz t~ on as churc •

. eVe Dickison ass" ed his duties as p stor on June :', 195?, and

8t t"e 1 ort Gear ~ia '.Jlnual Conference in 1 55, he ',l[,>S ap')ointed

to the ne'l org~ized Clurc in For st Jnrk. T e n~Je c asen b

c.. ch conferc'1ce for tl:l ne'l ch rch ,<. s "The """orest r'- .. :etho­

aist C '.rc:."

!h(

pre ara ory me"1bers at the present time. The bud 'et for the f'rst

year '12..S ;2 00, and everytfli[j.g \las paid . n full for the ear •

.~ cr was oreabized and has been doin a _vre ous job. They

have 'JOn the sub-district atten 9nce banner several times. mhe~r

1 ve Horke iligently and f i thfully to nake our churc one of t' e

est.

T e JSCS begaJl 'lith 10 nembers and nOH has a membership of 2 •

The ladies of _e church 11 e re sponde Honderf I to the entire

1:1 tee rly part of 1 56 constr' ct ·_on \v3.s egun on the first

mit of our chu ch. T e first unit is c nice basement, which is

a eq ate for the present ime. On 1'1 1, 1956, we ~oved into the

new church basement. marvelous cl"O/Jd vlclS in attendance on that

ay, and a 1"e'"'"} las re Ii e. Up to that time the church had been

_I eeting in the ligh school audita ium, and e e trul ~rateful to

school officials for llmdng us to HOI'S i_ here.

:Je, of the For st '''r <:: l·:et lodis t Church, fee th~t a great church

h seen started. It can be one of the be~t and bi gest c ill'ches

in t e :i~or t h Geor gin Conferenc e. e dedic te our'selves to the tas:~

of~1aking the Fo e ~t ar 1 et oc'ist C lrc' an ins' rt. n t of Gad's

servi ce. Gre t t' ings lie in t 18 fu ure for us. Ie expect gre t

t' .in s from God; vIe s 1 atte!!l t gre t t: ing s for TT·1••