The little church you see above holds a remarkable place in both Georgia and Methodist history. Smyrna Methodist is the second-oldest Methodist church in the state, organized sometime before 1790, when Hancock County was still part of Greene and Washington Counties. It was first known as the Piney Woods Meeting House.

The frame of the present church dates to 1800, just one year into George Washington’s presidency. Though no longer active, it is lovingly maintained by the Jack Hill family, who helped secure its place on the National Register of Historic Places. Records show the building was remodeled in 1878, but the original frame and foundation were retained. Brick steps were added in 1950, and a steeple was placed in 1985.

The earliest reference to the church comes from Bishop Francis Asbury, the first Methodist bishop ordained in America. His 1800 journal notes a visit to the Piney Woods Meeting House: “I crossed the Ogeechee River, came on the village of Powelton, found there a Baptist Church presided over by a man by the name of Mercer. Came on from Powelton in Hancock County to a place where some men were tearing down the old building to erect a new Methodist Church building in its place.” Powelton, just seven miles away, was home to Jesse Mercer, namesake of Mercer University, and one of Georgia’s oldest Baptist churches.

Smyrna’s history also tells of extraordinary camp meetings held during the Second Great Awakening. In 1806, Jesse Lee recorded a meeting at Piney Woods with 176 tents and an estimated crowd of 10,000. Bishop H. N. McTyeire later recalled another such meeting where the young Dr. Lovick Pierce preached with such power that more than 100 conversions occurred in a single day. Though the surrounding community has long faded, Smyrna Methodist endures as a witness to the faith and perseverance of Georgia’s earliest settlers. We are deeply indebted to the Hill family for preserving this historic treasure, which continues to tell the story of Methodism’s beginnings in the state.