Church History

On May 14, 1956 a small group of Methodist Christians met to explore the need for establishing another Methodist church in Statesboro.  At this meeting, resolutions were adopted for presentation to the Fourth Quarter Conference of the Statesboro Methodist Church.  These resolutions petitioned the formation of another Methodist Church in Statesboro.

On May 25, 1956 the Fourth Quarterly Conference approved these resolutions and, by unanimous vote, gave its blessings to the proposed new church.

On May 27, 1956 the Committee on Locations of the Savannah District ratified the action of the Quarterly Conference and approved a location on the Pembroke Highway.  Mrs. Marvin S. Pittman, wife of former President of Georgia Southern College, presented this eight and one-half acre property as a gift to the church.

On June 1, 1956, the new church group, representing some 104 families, met and took the following steps:

  1.  Declared the name to be Pittman Park Methodist Church.

  2.  Organized the new church in strict compliance with the Methodist Discipline.

  3.  Leased a home for the new Pastor and his family.

  4.  Adopted a temporary budget and provided for the receiving of funds.

  5.  Contracted with Georgia Teachers College for the use of Marvin Pittman School facilities as a temporary church home.

  6.  Elected two delegates to the South Georgia Annual Conference to be held in Waycross, GA.

These delegates attended the conference in June 1956, and heard Bishop Arthur J. Moore read "Pittman Park Methodist Church" in the list of Charges with the Reverend Lawrence E. Houston, Jr. assigned as Pastor.

The first church service was held in Marvin Pittman School Auditorium on Sunday, June 17, 1956.  At this service, the new Pittman Park Methodist Church was officially constituted by Reverend Anthony Hearn.  "It was a real religious experience to attend the first church service at Pittman Park with 257 in church school, 228 at morning worship, and 137 at evening worship," says Dr. Zach Henderson, one of the charter members.

(This history prepared by Dr. A.B. Daniel and Henry J. McCormack)