Our Story

The Conyers First Story...

Conyers First United Methodist Church was founded in 1852 and continues a rich tradition of service to our community.

Conyers First History

In 1852 21 people organized the Methodist Episcopal Church South in Conyers at the site of our current sanctuary on Main Street. Caleb W. Key was our first pastor.
1868 – The congregation outgrew the first sanctuary, so they sold it and rolled it down Main Street to Pleasant Hill. A new white frame sanctuary with a single tall steeple was erected.
1878 – Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society was organized in the church.
1884 – Local vandals went “berserk” and burned the church. A new, more modern church was built two years later. Iron stoves and kerosene lamps were still the means of heating and lighting, but an organ replaced the tuning fork.
1900 – The church burned again, this time by accident.
1902 – Our current sanctuary was constructed for $14,000.
1905 - Electricity was brought into the new sanctuary.
1918 – A community mass meeting of prayer was held in our church as the World War was in a most critical stage.
1925 – Our church, in conjunction with the Presbyterians and Baptists, conducted a community Vacation Bible School with an enrollment of 26.
1934 – The Conyers “Tent” was built at Salem Campground. It was later sold in the 40s.
1939 – The long struggle of the Northern Methodist Church for unification with the Methodist Episcopal Church South was completed and the whole became the Methodist Church.
1942 – A drive was launched to raise $5,000 for a church school building. By 1949, the building financial campaign was completed with $28,000 and construction began.
1950 – New church school building was dedicated. Total church membership was 346 active and 136 inactive. Adult Choir and Methodist Men’s Club was organized.
1977 – Sanctuary was remodeled and current office space was added.
1985 – Current fellowship hall and adult education wing were built.
1991 – Ministry in Lakeview Estates began.
1998 – Servant of the Lord Meals on Wheels Weekend Program was established.
2001 – Church votes to initiate a building program for additional educational space.
2001 – Contemporary praise worship service was established.
2002 – Angel Food ministry was established.
2002 – Conyers First celebrated 150 year anniversary and kicked off fund-raising campaign for building program.
2004 – Sunday evening vespers service was started.
2005 – Connect Group ministry with lay pastors was implemented with 30 groups for the purpose of nurturing and caring for the congregation.
2007--Opened the new Children and Youth Facility.
2005 – Prayer was identified as the top strategic priority for Conyers First and an intentional prayer ministry was initiated.