Photography by Bryan Stovall
Mizpah Methodist
Effingham | Organized 1859
Mizpah church history begins in 1858 when Dr. Anderson P. Longstreet, a young physician and surgeon, moved his family from Rome, Georgia to what was to become the Mizpah Community in Effingham County. His wife, Laura Ayer Longstreet, was the daughter of Dr. Cornelius K. Ayer of Rome, and he wanted his daughter to have a Methodist church to attend. The Ayer family were staunch Methodists from South Carolina, where they had previously started several churches. The Mizpah records read, “feeling the want of a Methodist Episcopal church in this vicinity . Dr. Cornelius K. Ayer, the father of Laura Longstreet and a strong supporter of the Methodist faith, gave a donation and encouraged the building of a Methodist church.”
+ Continue readingChurch records show that total monetary contributions were $632.00. L.S. Malone was selected to build a church that measured thirty-five feet by fifty feet and thirteen feet in the body. Four acres of land for the church and a cemetery were purchased from George Best for twelve dollars. Lumber, materials and much labor were donated by the members. On Sunday, December 18, 1859, Mizpah held its first worship service with 20 male and 20 female members.
The rural churches were always the center of the community and took an active role, if necessary, to discipline members who were engaged in one form of sin or another. Unacceptable social behavior would not be tolerated. Upon accusation, the procedure called for a committee to be appointed to “see if trial is necessary” for the offender. The accused would then be brought before the committee and given a chance for redemption. Repeated offenses or lack of sufficient repentance could result in expulsion from the church. For instance, in 1893 the records show a church member was accused of dancing, a very serious offence in that time. Fortunately, he or she “made acknowledgement to the pastor and was heartily forgiven.”
Today, Mizpah has an active congregation and sits proudly on the original location, surrounded by lush pine forests and cultivated fields. Many of Effingham County’s early prominent citizens are found in the cemetery. Some of the original families, such as the Porters are still here. Mizpah Methodist is also the home church for the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jon G. Burns Sr., and his family. She has a proud tradition of service and will continue to serve for generations to come.