Dillard United Methodist Church

The Dillard United Methodist Church

"A Caring Church ... Where ALL Become Family"

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The Past, The Present, The Future, and The Eternal

The Past

In the early days of Rabun County, "circuit riders" held services in homes. There were Methodists in the county in the early 1850s. In 1853 James Dillard deeded land for a Baptist church, stating it was to be used by other denominations when not being used by the Baptists. It was here that the itinerant Methodist ministers held services. In 1875 a joint revival was held by Rev. Bonner, a Methodist minister, and Rev. W.A. Nelson, a Baptist evangelist. Seventeen converts organized the first Methodist church. In October 1876 another joint revival was held at the Baptist Church and forty-two of the sixty converts joined the Methodist church. The Metkodists continued to hold services in the Baptist church until 1886.

In 1883, W.A. Curtis deeded land to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, on which the first Methodist church, Wesley Chapel, was built. Land for a cemetery was also included. Services were held in Wesley Chapel until 1931.

There was a need for new Methodist and Baptist churches, as both were in need of extensive repair. By this time there was also a need for a Presbyterian church. A fund-raising campaign was held to build two churches for three denominations. The Methodist and Presbyterians agreed to share one building while the Baptists would have their own.

On September 30,1931, the dedication services were held at the Dillard Methodist-Presbyterian Community church built in Dillard on land given by Mr. and Mrs. Lee M. Happ.

In the 1940s a parsonage was built adjacent to the church. A joint Sunday school was held. Since neither denomination had a full-time pastor, all three congregations attended the worship service at the church having services that day.

On May 2,1947, fire destroyed the Dillard Methodist-Presbyterian Church. The two congregations agreed to each having its own services. The Presbyterians met at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School. The Methodists met at the Rabun Gap Community School while the new church building was being built on the same lot as the one that burned.

In the spring of 1948, the basement was completed, and services were held there while the sanctuary was being constructed.

On the first Sunday of June 1950 the initial worship service was held in the new sanctuary. The cost of this building totalled $25,000.

Improvements have continued: lighting, gas heaters replaced by central heating and air, old roll-out windows replaced by stained glass, and carpet and fans have been added. The old piano has been replaced, and an organ has been added. A narthex has been constructed, parking parking lots paved and new ministry building will be completed early in 2006.

Not only has there been progress with the physical building, but also in our ministry. We have a full-time pastor, and new members are joining our congregation. We have overcome many struggles.

The Present

The congregation of the Dillard Methodist church has seen good times and not-so-good times, but through it all, the church family has held together as a unit with one goal. That goal is to provide a place where people can come together to worship God/ make disciples for Jesus Christ, have fellowship and work as God intended for the betterment of the world and the well-being of all of His children.

Under the leadership of our pastor. Rev. Ross Wheeler, the members of this congregation strive to be good disciples of Jesus at all times and in all places. The church is active in supporting missions both at home and abroad both financially and with a lot of hard work. Periodically, there are classes offered on discipleship, Stephen ministries and Companions in Christ for any who would care to participate. Additionally, several of our members have been on the Walk to Emmaus.

There are two adult Sunday school classes. Rev. Sam Clark teaches one class. Bill McDole, Sid Neville, David Grist, Carol Robinson and Johnnie Grist teach the other adult class on a rotating basis.

We offer Sunday school for children of all ages as well as a nursery. Confirmation classes are offered for those young people who are ready to become members of the church.

The Dillard church has a wonderful music program with accomplished pianist, Malivia Swanson, leading. Betty Claire Clark is the organist. June Coleman and Janine Bethel serve as substitute pianists. The choir is open to all who would care to participate.

There is an active United Methodist Women's group aptly named, "We Care", which meets the third Thursday of each month at 4:00 P.M. in the fellowship hall at the church. There is also an active United Methodist Men's group, which meets the second Monday of each month at 7:00 P.M. rotating host duties among the Dillard, Tallulah Falls, Tiger and Antioch Methodist churches.

The Future

Of course, we cannot know what the future holds for our church. But, we do look forward with an attitude of "faith, hope and charity" (I Corinthians 13:13). We have faith in God's grace; that He will give us the strength to follow Him as he leads us into righteous paths (Fsal-m 23:3)..^We hope that through our weakness His strength will enable us to push on even during the difficult times we will surely face and that we can even view our failures as stepping stones to success. So we will not fear the future, for He is with us; we will not be dismayed, for He is our God. He will strengthen us and help us and uphold us with His righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Most of all we promise to mirror God's love for us as we serve each other, those who choose to become a part of our church and also the wider community during the years to come. We see our future as being filled with potential that grows even while being actualized. For/ "it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned and it is in dying that we are born to everlasting life" (St. Francis of Assisi).

The Eternal
It is difficult to describe the eternal, for the description of time without end does not fully describe what we mean by the term. However, this is certainly one component; since the New Testament calls it the ages of the ages. If time is thought of as a line, it is best to think of eternity as a sphere where there is no beginning and no end. We move along a time line that touches the realm of the eternal when we experience the presence of the Divine. Jesus puts himself above time when he says, "Before Abraham was I am."

But the eternal must also denote a quality of existence as well as quantity. Only the Divine can be eternal, and we can experience eternal life only if we participate in the Divine. As Paul puts it, we experience the eternal only "in Christ." One way of thinking of this is that we are restored to essential existence (Paul Tillich in his Introduction of "Systematic Theology" p, 29), or to a state symbolized by the New Being. In this state we communicate with God continually and directly, and we are totally in harmony with His will.

In the eternal we will retain our individual identity, or eternal life will not mean much. This is what Paul intends by his insistence on the body, "Not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

Therefore, even though we describe eternal life by many symbolic terms, we receive assurance of its realty by the Spirit through faith. If we rest in this faith we should experience serenity. I have tried to put this in a more poetic form.

The evening sun sinks toward the Southwest,
And brings to a close this bright Autumn day.
I take the road home for a night of rest:
Brightly colored leaves fall along the way.

As I retire I see through my windows
The moon rising in the dark Eastern sky,
I hear the sound as the cool north wind blows,
And once again the flowers and leaves die.

I think as the wind blows the leaves around,
That my life on this earth is in the Fall.
Soon will come Winter with snow on the ground.
And with a sad farewell I will leave all.

In the darkness of night I had a dream
That I viewed the bright eternal sphere.
I was carried by a force like a stream,
That by the tree of life gently flows near.

The world seen with human eyes goes away,
The eternal world is unseen on earth,
In the next world we will see a new way,
Through eyes of faith opened by the new birth.

Our brief lives move through time like tangent lines
Touching the sphere of eternity bright.
Through the ages of ages the sphere shines
By the reflection of the Divine Light.

I saw more than the realm of endless time.
I saw our true being overcome the fall,
When we heard directly the voice sublime,
And the intent of our will was His call.

When this earthly tent weakens from decay,
Our body we will receive from above.
Our image that will never fade away:
We will always dwell in eternal love.

I describe this world in symbolic speech.
For the communion with the Essence
Surpasses what our human words can reach.
Only the Spirit can speak to this sense.

I woke from my dream of eternity,
And I still could not describe the beauty,
But in my soul was a serenity,
For an Eternal Presence was with me.

_{The Friendship Sunday School Class at Dillard United Methodist Church has written this pamphlet to inform our congregation, visitors and other interested persons about our church, its history, its current ministry and its hopes for the future. It has been prayerfully written with gratitude for all God has done, is currently doing, and will do for us over time and beyond. God has greatly blessed the Dillard United Methodist Church, and we invite you to join us as we celebrate our partnership with God and seek to continue our ministry in His name.}