Our History
Note: This is a first-hand historical account of the history of Shiloh M. E. Church established in Henry County in 1872, as provided by Judge John Ackbar Darsey (1 Jan 1869 – 14 Feb 1953) who is buried here in the church cemetery.
“The original church building was erected on a one acre plot of ground deeded by Benjamin Barfield and his wife, Sara Barfield, dated the 29th day of August 1872 and recorded January 28th 1873.
The land conveyed consisted of one acre more or less and was described as follows: Beginning in the public road and running the original line east 4 chains 56 links to the Macon and Western R.R., now the Central of Georgia Railroad; thence parallel with the Macon and Western R.R. north 2 chains 69 links; thence west 4 chains to the public roadl thence south 2 chains 69 links to the place of beginning,. Said lot or parcel of land belonging formerly to lot No. 108 of originally Henry County. The land was conveyed to R. W. Griffin, J. H. Malier, N. Miller, A.M. Ramsey and L.H. Miller, trustees in trust for the use and purposes declared their successors in office forever in trust that they shall erect and build or cause to be erected and built thereon a house or place of worship for the use of the members of the M.E. Church South according to the rules and disciplines which from time to time may agreed upon be adopted by the ministers and preachers of said church at their General Conference forever hereinafter permit such ministers and preachers belonging to said church as shall from time to time be only authorized by the General Conferences of the Ministers and preachers of the said M.E. Church South or by said General Conference to preach and explain Gods Holy Word therein.”
“The original building must have been erected in the fall of 1872 and the spring of 1874. The building was erected by the members and William Pendley was the foreman. It was mortised together and but a few nails were used in its construction. The writer remembers that when a very small boy he used to bring the workers water being too small to work himself.
The present church edifice was erected in 1989 and the foreman or contractor was A.E. Hindsman. Your writer helped build the present edifice. The members worked under his supervision and the good women furnished dinner every day while it was being built. Your writer remembers one good woman in particular, Mrs. Annie Griffin, wife of David Griffin. She never failed during all that time to bring a chicken pie and boy, believe me she could make a chicken pie. There were other good things to eat too, such as potato custard and such things as home cured ham.
The witnesses to the execution of the original deed were J.Y. Patterson and G.B. Buchanan. Buchanan was clerk of the Superior Court and Patterson was Deputy Clerk.”
The following preachers have served the church:
James R. Mayson 1873
E.H.Wood 1873
J.D. Gray 1874 (3 yrs)
T.R. Kendall 1877 (2 yrs)
W.F. Smith 1879-1882
J.A. Rosser 1882-1883
R. W. Boyers 1883-1885
J. M. Lowry 1885-1887
L.P. Mese 1887-1889
W. J. Cotter 1889-1892
B. H. Trammell 1892-1894
T. P. Spenser 1894-1897
W.H. Speer 1897-1898
L. Lyle 1899 (died before serving)
T.P. Graham 1899-1900
E.H. Aiken 1901-1903
A.E. Sausburror 1903-1904
G.W. Pharr 1904-1905
Walter Millican 1905-1907
E.A. Ware 1907-1909
J.R. Allen 1910-1912
Thomas C. Elliott 1913-1914
Nath Thompson 1915-1917
A.B. Sanders 1918-1919
J.H. Farr 1920-1923
B.L. Belts 1924-1926
D.P. Johnson 1927
G.P. Gary 1928
Et.al. (see church book)
The following served as P.E.
Josiah Servis
Et. Al. (see church book)
Josian Servis was the 1st PE and E.H. Wood was the 1st pastor.
“The original church building was almost square and had 2 entrances, one of the right side and one on the left, and had a petition running down the center of the church dividing it into 2 sections, the right side was for the Ladies and the left side for the males. They did not sit together in the church. Your scribe was quite a young man, big enough to go with the girls before he ever sat on the ladies side. The first time he ever sat on the ladies side of the church it nearly scared him to death. He went to church with Miss Emma Malair and sat with her. The pulpit was boxed in about shoulder high to our preachers, practically all you could see of the preacher was his head.”
Mr. Darsey continues on with a rambling and sometimes humorous account of various local personalities and church members, which has tactfully been omitted from this publication — but preserved forever as a church treasure! He ends with this paragraph about Pastor Millican …
“Walter Millican was pastor of this church … He had a trait of character that I always admired when he would pronounce the Benediction, dismiss the congregation, get his hat and walk out of the church, get in his buggy and go home. He did not hang around and engage in the idle gossip — he was a good man and a grand preacher.
I could go on but I do not want to get tiresome.
Thank you, J.A. Darsey”
