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Historical Sketch
About 1802 the good people of Sandy Springs community,
known as Methodists, began their public religious worship in a building
used for both school and Chuch purposes.The Church, then known as Sandy
Springs, or Ebenezer, stood just below the present depot, near some large
sandy springs, from which it derived its name.
The Presbyterians also worshipped here for quite a while.
The pastor who served "The Old Stone" Presbyterian Church, also
served the congregation at Sandy Springs, using the same building as the
Methodists for preaching service.
These were the good, old camp meeting days, but even
then, men could not always agree, for there arose some objection to the
Methodists holding camp-meetings at this at place. In 1965, a staff reporter
for the "Messeenger" uncovered a ledgend that claimed that the
Presbyterian’s complained that the Methodist made too much noise during
worship.
In order to keep peace among the saints, a committee
composed of Thomas Gassaway, John Reaves, Hezekiah Butler and Thomas McDaniel,
sought to obtain a place for the Methodists as their own, where these camp-meetings
might be held year after year. This committee acting as Trustees of Trust
for the Conference, bought, on June 31st, 1828 of Sampson Pope, fifteen
acres of land where the Methodist Church now stands, for forty--five dollars.
This fifteen acres was then artistically laid off in
small lots, contained in three rows, surrounding a square reserved in center
for an arbor and on which it was afterwards erected. Fifty cents was paid
for the privilege of erecting a tent on any one of these lots by those
who desired to tent year after year. The orginal tent layout still hangs
in the church building, as does a picture of the arbor.
Great camp meetings were held here for over seventy years.
These meetings usually began the 3rd Sunday in September and ran for ten
days or two weeks.
People came for miles each year and tented, to attend
this spiritual feast. They made it a time of prayer and turning to God.
Like Jacob of old, they often wrestled with God in prayer till break of
day, or until the blessing came. It was no unusual thing to hear in those
days, a shout in the camp of Israel. The Gospel was preached with authority
and power and many a redeemed soul dates his or her conversion from one
of these old camp-meetings. There were at one time over three hundred wooden
tents arranged In three rows around the arbcr, besides a great number of
cloth tents.
The encampment was called together every morning at 8
o’clocck for prayer by the blast of a horn. Mr. Saterfield, who tented
there year after year, felt this to be his duty, to trumpet out the hour
of prayer and the four preaching hours of each day. Learn a lesson of service
from this humble man. If you cannot preach like Paul, you can at least,
blow your own horn for the Master day by day, and thus have his smile and
approval. The old wooden arbor have all decayed with the lapse of time,
but the a picture remains in the current church.
The first Church building to be erected on this ground
was built in the Northwest corner of the camp ground. It was a frame building
rudely constructed, unsealed and without glass windows. When the building
had served its day a more modern Church was desired. The following were
appointed as a building committee for this purpose: J. M. Major, W. T.
McGill, W. W. Rampley, James Webb and William Perry. A brick Church was
decided upon and about ninety thousand bricks were made by voluntary labor.
After the bricks were made they proved to be unfit for outside walls. Mr.
Wallace Perry took the brick off the hands of the committee and gave them
in exchange, the framing and three hundred dollars for the erection of
the present Church.
This Church was errected in 1868, and has been standing
one hundred hirty years and is the same as original plan, except a few
small alterations. The pulpit was moved into an alcove in 1900. The pews
were hand made in 1871 by church members, B.L. Blackmon and J. Blackmon.
White pine plank, used in the pews was donated by members of the church
from the original forest pines found on their farms.
The pews were made from a pattern selected by a committee
after they had visited other churches before making a final selection on
the one to be used. The seats are made from three timbers. The wides used
for the back which is 16 inches in width. The pews are now in excellent
condition, having been in use since 1871. They were refinished in natural
color and shape in 1964. The chancel railing and altar were also made with
extra wood from the pews.
On October 25, 1964, a church school building was dedicated
to God’s service. It is a white frame building, constructed to match the
worship building. The congregation of Sandy Springs Church, still worships
in this building, largely unchanged since it’s construction. The building
has been kept in a good state of repair. Metal shutters have been placed
over the windows to protect the glass. Most of the glass panes are original,
and upon close examination, one can see the ridges made when these panes
were hand blown.
Six preachers have come out of the membership of Sandy
Springs Church.In addition its sons and daughters have gone out to furnish
many leaders as lay people in many churches.
Please
send any comments or suggestions to Rev.
Melton Arant, Web-"Steward."