England Chapel Methodist
Butts County | Organized in 1887
In 1885, a small group of Methodists began gathering for worship in this area. In the warmer months, services were held under a brush arbor, and during the winter, the congregation met in a nearby schoolhouse, with B.H. Sasnett serving as one of the earliest ministers.
Read more...As the fellowship grew, members dreamed of having a permanent place of worship. In 1887, they purchased a one-acre parcel from David Carmichael for $10, about a mile from their original meeting site. Trees from members’ own land were donated for construction, and local sawmill operator J.B. Settle prepared the timber. With the help of the congregation, the new church was built. The Reverend J.E. England became the first minister to serve in the completed sanctuary, and the church was named in his honor.
In 1948, the building underwent significant improvements, including a complete renovation of the sanctuary interior. Sunday school rooms were added, though the church’s exterior retained its original charm. Additional updates followed—most notably, the purchase of a new piano in 1965 and the installation of new windows in 1968.
For more than 135 years, this quaint country chapel has remained a place of worship, fellowship, and community. Its simple beauty, rich history, and faithful congregation stand as a testament to the dedication of those early Methodists who built it and the generations who have lovingly preserved it.
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4 responses to “England Chapel Methodist”
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The comments here should have been posted to Old Bethel Primitive Baptist Church.
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For years my Father in law Gervin “Preacher” Lewis and his wife and my mother in law Julia Vaughn Lewis maintained the church. My Mother in law Julia Vaughn Lewis’s funeral was there at Bethel, in February 2001, as well as her brother Homer Vaughn. We had dinner on the grounds every year as a family reunion. Pastor Meeks preached at “Grandmomas” ( as what I lovingly called my mother in law) As a Primitive Baptist, if you were not a member of Bethel you could not have a funeral or weddings. I believe my Father in law had a great deal to do with the building of the back building (1970s) with the Baptismal, kitchen and bathrooms.Before pastor Meeks Pastor Kelly preached at Old Bethal, as my husband and his brothers remember, being thumped on the back of the ear as they misbehaved during church services as my husband tells it they only had church on the second Sunday of the month.
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Dad’s parents lived in Flovilla and perhaps were members of this church. Are there any records of church membership during the twenties and thirties?
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Not that we’re aware of but we wish you luck in your research!
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