1836 to 2011
Celebrating 175 Years!
In 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state to join the union, and Wisconsin was recognized as an official territory of the United States. Betsy Ross and David (he never signed his name as “Davy”) Crockett both died in 1836 – Ross of natural causes at the age of 84 and Crockett as a Texas freedom fighter at the Battle of the Alamo. Charles Darwin was sailing on the HMS Beagle, gathering the data from which he developed his theory of evolution. The U.S. Patent Office issued patents for the match, the Colt revolver, and locomotive wheels. (The locomotive wheel was officially U.S. Patent #1 – the 9957 previous patents issued had been unnumbered.) Martin Van Buren, the first President to be born an American citizen, was elected as the 8th President of the United States. Here in Georgia, Emory College was chartered in Oxford. And Midway Methodist Episcopal Church was planted at our present location in what was then Gwinnett County.
Over the years, due to politics and mergers, the name of the church changed to Midway Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1845, to Midway Methodist church in 1939, and then to Midway United Methodist Church in 1968. Through the Panic of 1837, through the Civil War, through World War I, through the Great Depression, through World War II, through the upheaval of the 1960s and the Watergate Scandal in the 1970s, through 9/11 and now the Great Recession, the people of God have gathered Sunday after Sunday at Midway Church to worship our Lord Jesus Christ and give thanks for His unchanging grace.
Untold thousands of souls have been brought to the Lord and their lives turned to His service because Midway Church has been here.
On Sunday, September 18, Midway Church will celebrate Homecoming Sunday to give thanks to God for 175 years of worship and service in this place. We will have 9:00 and 11:00 worship services with Sunday School for all ages at 9:45. Following the 11:00 worship service we will have a meal together in our new fellowship hall. Your job for Homecoming Sunday is threefold:
1) The meal is covered dish, so please bring food to share. Fried chicken and beverages will be provided.
2) Please pray for our worship services that day, that God’s grace will be present in a mighty way.
3) Each member of Midway Church is asked to invite two people to worship with you on that day. Inactive members, unchurched neighbors, family members, anyone – invite them to worship with you that day. I will be inviting over 50 people to worship on Homecoming Sunday, so I know you can invite two.
I am privileged to be the pastor of Midway United Methodist Church in 2011. And I greatly look forward to seeing you in worship every Sunday.
