Church Record Sunday: Johnson County, Georgia Churches

In the book, "A History of Johnson County Churches" compiled for The Johnson County Historical Society by Magnolia Press and copyright 1986, my ancestors are mentioned several times as founders, preachers, deacons, and members of many churches in that area.  I thought I would share these references here.  (I am sure I missed a few - there are a LOT of names in this book!)

Corinth Methodist Church 
  Organized in 1877.  Charter members included... Mr. and Mrs. John Drake, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Harrell, Mr. and Mrs. James Harrell, John Harrell, and Simpson Harrell.
  John S. Drake hewed the framing for the first church building.  The lumber for the siding and floor came from Dr. Odum's sawmill, located near the site of the church.
  The largest baptism in the church consisted of twenty-six people.  Among those baptized were:  Ed Drake and Verta Drake.

Gumlog (Mount Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church) 

  Constituted in July 1880.  
  Clerks of Church have included:  Z.W. Claxton.

Kite United Methodist Church
  Organized in 1914.
  There were 25 charter members on record.  These include:  Mrs. Henry G. Wheeler, B. B. Tapley, Gordon Wheeler, Mrs. Gordon Wheeler, and Mrs. Maud (B. B.) Tapley.
  Pianists of the church have included:  Mrs. Emma Townsend.
  Sunday School Teachers of the church have included:  Mrs. Charlie Sconyers.
  Sunday School Superintendents have included:  Gordon Wheeler.
  Stewards and trustees of the church have included:  J. Townsend, Sr., Gordon Wheeler, and Woodrow Wheeler.
  Treasurers of the church have included:  Woodrow Wheeler.

Minton's Chapel Advent Christian Church 
  Organized on the fifth day of September, 1885.  By 1895, there were 238 church members with Charles M. Schwalls of Kite as Secretary.
  The land on which the church was built was donated by George Jeff Minton after whom the church was  named and who built most of the original church.  He served as Church Secretary-Treasurer from 1903 until his death in 1905.
  Outstanding in the field of service for many years were...John T. Minton, John Perdue and John S. Wheeler.  J. J. Perdue was church clerk form 1905-1909.  John S. Wheeler was clerk from 1909-1913, and was secretary of the conference 1909-1917.  John T. Minton became a deacon in 1903.
  Church membership through the years has amounted to approximately 500 members.  Sam T. Schwalls had one of the longest membership records.

Poplar Springs United Methodist Church 
  Because families living on the west side of the Ohoopee River in Johnson County found it difficult to cross the river in row boats and a further hardship to walk two miles after crossing the river to attend church at Key's Church, these families resolved to organize a Church in this community.  Among the pioneer families were such names as ... Drake.
  The Reverend Jim Drake, a local preacher, held the first services on the spot under a brush arbor in 1866.

Powell's Chapel 
  In 1875, under a big oak tree on Powell land, a few of the people around in the community decided to begin having services under this tree, among those were...Jim Tapley.
  (While not in this book, I happen to know that my grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley, played the piano at Powell's Chapel for many years, even traveling more than 10 miles from Wadley by horse and buggy for a time.)


Sardis Church
  Established May 7th, 1853 by Elder Archiball Odom and Elder Spencer Meeks.
  Many of my family surnames are listed among the early members of the church:  Beasley, Tapley, Wheeler, Kight, Claxton, Odom, Schwalls, Townsend, and Price.

Scott Methodist Church
  Founded in 1910.
  Among the families who have been faithful members of the church:  Schwalls.

Smith Chapel Church
  The charter members included:  J. S. P. Lampp.
  Member list include the names Tapley, Lampp, and Bush.