History of Pattillo Memorial UMC

Behind Pattillo Memorial Methodist Church lies a rich heritage of courageous people striving for spiritual expression.

At the turn of the century, the Oakhurst, Georgia community was expanding rapidly to join Decatur with Kirkwood, one of two municipalities that stood between Decatur and Atlanta. The community had grown away from the churches in central Decatur. It had not entirely reached the churches on Howard Street in Kirkwood, three miles away. Oakhurst people were church minded. But three miles measured in horse and buggy travel over unpaved roads presented a hardship even to the most devout.

To fill this void, Mrs. C. J. Johnson organized a Sunday School in 1908 (some sources say 1907). The group met on Sunday afternoon in the Johnson home. The first spiritual step in Oakhurst proved vastly popular.

Into this spiritually awakening community, came Methodist minister Rev. Charles L. Pattillo, who had served for 35 years in the North Georgia and Florida Conferences. He was searching for a well-earned rest. But the hope of retirement never materialized for this kindly man, for he soon found himself engulfed in the community's struggle for spiritual expression. Instead of rest he found work -- challenging work that would have taxed the strength of a younger man.

In 1909, the people of Oakhurst, under the leadership of Rev. Pattillo, secured a tent and placed it on a vacant lot on College Ave. between Mead Rd. (later named Hopkins St.) and Olympic Place. In this tent a revival was held, with Rev. George Duvall, pastor of Decatur First Methodist Church, and others preaching. Rev. Pattillo assisted in this revival. So great was the response and interest that Rev. Pattillo decided to continue the tent services at an interdenominational level.

The Sunday school that Mrs. Johnson had organized outgrew her home. So she and the newly organized Union Ladies Aid Society that grew out of the revival, with Mrs. Emma Sherard as President, purchased a vacant lot on Hibernia Street between Germania Ave. (later named Adair St.) and Atlanta Ave. There a tent was pitched and Sunday School and various services were held there for several months.

From the Hibernia St. location, the tent was moved to West Howard and Drexel Avenues and services were held. The tent service grew until it became apparent that additional space was required. Rev. Pattillo suggested that Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians each strike out on their own.

In 1911, a lot was secured on the corner of Hampshire and Melrose Avenues. On November 3, 1912, Rev. Pattillo organized Oakhurst Methodist Episcopal Church, South. There were 35 charter members representing a dozen families. The first plant was a small shell-type wooden structure. When, in 1914, a fire destroyed the local Oakhurst School, Decatur officials asked to use the tiny church as classroom space while the school was being rebuilt. To make the building comfortable, the city installed a ceiling and constructed two classrooms.

Late in 1914, the Rev. H. H. Jones came to Oakhurst as the first Conference assigned pastor. He went on to become superintendent of the Decatur-Oxford District.

The church originally was multi-denominational and served Methodists, Baptists, and Episcopalians. Later it became a union church for the Baptists and Methodists. But during 1918, Rev. C. B. Drake saw that the church could not continue as a union church. So he lead the way in changing to a strictly Methodist church and Sunday School.

The first church building was sold in 1920 and beginning in February, 1920, services were held in the Oakhurst School auditorium. A great homecoming was held in June of that year. Dr. J. E. Dickey (later Bishop Dickey) delivered a moving sermon to a capacity crowd. Those present pledged $11,000 towards purchasing a new, temporary building.

The church acquired the property and by Thanksgiving work was under way on the building. A large number of the men of the church spent Thanksgiving Day working on this building. Although temporary, the building was well planned. It contained quarters for a thoroughly graded school.

In 1920, Oakhurst Methodist Church moved to College Avenue, Decatur, Georgia, where it remained until the 1971 merger with Avondale United Methodist Church. At the annual Conference in November 1920, the church was made a station and by unanimous consent, the name was changed to Pattillo Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in honor of its founder. Pattillo Memorial M. E. Church was part of the Oakhurst Charge.

Of the crucial period from 1909 to 1915, the aging Rev. Pattillo wrote on a leaf in his Bible:

In 1922, plans were drawn for a permanent building consisting of three units. The educational unit was to be constructed first. The church also acquired a parsonage at 620 West College Avenue.

Rev. Pattillo died on June 16, 1923, but the work that he began in the twilight years of his life lives on. Some of Rev. Pattillo's children remained members of Patillo Memorial into their golden years. These include Dr. C. E. Pattillo, Mrs. Will D. Knight, and Mr. Frank Pattillo.

Work on the church school plant was started in June 1929, and a week of special services beginning September 1st marked the opening of the new building.

Pattillo Memorial M. E. Church, as sketched in the 1930 church directory, was described as "one of the most thoroughly modern church and Sunday School plants in Methodism."

The depression of the 1930's struck as hard at Pattillo as it did elsewhere. For a time it appeared that the mounting debt with it's mounting interest would overcome the church. PMUMC 1934 temporary sanctuary

But the faith of a courageous people can work wonders. The loan was divided into monthly payments. The congregation not only met these payments, but in August 1934, faithful members began work on a temporary sanctuary on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Pattillo Memorial acquired an organ and purchased property that added 103-foot frontage to the church grounds.

The church pressed steadily forward. By the conference year of 1945-46, it was entirely free of debt for the first time in many years. Leaders turned to expanding the program and community service.

With a vision of a great church to encourage them and with a "will to work," the people of Pattillo bent to the task at hand and by the end of the year had raised $11,000.00 towards a new building.

By 1948, the church membership had expanded to 1,057 and the church school had an enrollment of 674. There was a critical need for classrooms, space for an adequate kitchen, and a recreation area for youth. At the fourth quarterly conference on May 27, 1948, plans were made, to begin work on a new building on a vacant lot adjacent to the educational building.

Two years later, the church brought a very special offering and on January 17, 1951, at a church conference called by the pastor, Dr. C. B. Cochran, a resolution was adopted to resume building the sanctuary.

An opportunity arose to purchase the property at 114 Feld Avenue, an old, two-story building that had been divided into apartments. At a specially called quarterly conference on April 30, 1952, the Board of Trustees was instructed to buy this property for $6,500.

Work on the sanctuary progressed daily. June 8, 1952 was chosen as the opening day for the new church building. PMUMC - 1962

This indeed was a great day at Pattillo -- a dream of 40 years had come true!

Bishop Arthur J. Moore brought a great and caring message to more than 800 persons. At the close of the service, Bishop Moore, assisted by Dr. C. B. Cochran, the pastor; the Rev. T. M. Sullivan, former pastor; the Rev. H. H. Jones, the first conference assigned pastor, and the Rev. 1. R. Kelly, oldest member of the quarterly conference, consecrated the new sanctuary.

Plans for the chapel had been drawn together with those for the sanctuary, but for the time it appeared that work on the chapel could not proceed. But a member with a strong desire to see the building program completed came to the rescue. Mr. J. Harold Hudgins gave the chapel in memory of his mother and it was named for her, "The Mattie Hudgins Memorial Chapel."

Members And friends gave the furnishings and the new chapel was dedicated in the fall of 1954.

The year 1953 was important at Pattillo. The church engaged Mr. Lindell DeJarnett to serve as full time minister of music. Soon Mr. DeJarnett had six choirs in operation with approximately 200 participants from the age of three and one half years upwards.

By 1955, Pattillo Memorial had a membership of more than 1,400; the church school had an enrollment of 1,153. The Children's Division enrollment had increased from 225 in 1950 to 358.

The Commission on Education recommended to the Board of Trustees that the old building on Feld Avenue be torn down and re-placed with a modem building suitable to the needs of small children. Although heavy indebtedness still existed on the church plant, the people of Pattillo again stepped forward to meet a need. A fireproof structure was ready for occupancy by the children in 1955.

In honor of pastor C. B. Cochran and his family, the new building was named "The Cochran Educational Building."

In April 1959, Pattillo made still another giant stride forward. The old parsonage at 620 West College Avenue was sold and the church purchased a beautiful, modern parsonage at 432 East Pharr Road at a cost of $16,400. Classes and organizations in the church donated much of the lovely furnishings in the new parsonage.

Two important improvements were made in 1960. Dr. and Mrs. C. E. Pattillo, a son of the church's founder Rev. Charles L. Pattillo. They donated some lots behind the church to be used as a parking facility and thereby relieved an acute parking problem.

Later in the summer the sanctuary was air-conditioned. This is being paid for by gifts of members. Mr. Milton W. Pierson donated his service as engineer for the work.

Much of the attention and effort at Pattillo had been directed towards construction of the plant. But at the same time, through the interest and work of consecrated pastors, the missionary emphasis of the Women's Society of Christian Service, the Wesleyan Service Guild, and the cooperation of official boards and members, the church maintained an active participation in missions.

In 1950, Pattillo had given little more than $1,000 to world service. Ten years later, the conference report showed that a total of $17,730 was paid into missionary causes that year.

As the years went by, the trend in membership at Pattillo Memorial began to be steadily downward, due to many families moving from the area. So the church approached the Avondale Methodist congregation about a merger. And in 1971, a merged congregation celebrated its first service on Christmas Eve.

Several young men have gone from Pattillo into the ministry: The Rev. Marion Pierson, the Rev. Lewis C. Davis, Jr., the Rev. Eugene Davis, all members of the North Georgia Conference, and the Rev. William Bathman, who served in England.

Thus grew Pattillo Memorial Methodist Church. But the finer things of a church cannot be recorded. They are so intangible and yet so vital: the joy of service; the fellowship of friends; comforting visits and prayers of the pastor in times of sickness, tragedy and trouble; the wonder of seeing a young life unfold in Christ as he or she learns. Most of all, the joy of being "workers together with God."

Ministers who served Pattillo Memorial
Minister	Years
Rev. C. L. Pattillo, Rev. H. H. Jones, Rev. C. D. Read, Rev. C. D. Drake, Rev. W. W. Brinsfield, Rev. J. H. Allison, Rev. J. O. Brand Rev. W. M. Twiggs Rev. T. Z. B. Everton Rev. V. E. Lanford Rev. Robert L. Armor Rev. E. D. Rudisill Rev. S. D. Cherry Rev. F. Q. Echols Rev. T. M. Sullivan Rev. C. B. Cochran Rev. Cullen B. Jones Rev. H. Oscar Green Rev. James H. Griffin	1912-14 1915-16 1917 1918 1919 1920-21 1922-24 1925-29 1930 1931-33 1934-37 1938-41 1942-44 1945 1946-49 1950-60 1960-65 1965-1970 1970-71

History - Pattillo Memorial