Old Anderson Primitive Baptist is a rare and encouraging story among Georgia’s rural churches—still thriving in a remote part of Tattnall County with an active congregation that meets every Sunday. While many sanctuaries have declined into disrepair, Old Anderson is alive and well.

The church was founded in 1847 by Peter Anderson, who had come to Tattnall County from South Carolina around 1818. The first sanctuary was a log meeting house, later replaced by the present structure, likely built soon after a deed was issued in 1885 for 5.7 acres of land from Charles D. Anderson to the church. The cemetery is large for a rural congregation, holding over 1,000 burials—nearly 100 of them Andersons. The oldest grave is that of charter member William Hodges (d. 1849). Peter Anderson himself, who passed in 1884, also rests here.

The church’s beginnings reflect a personal story of conviction. Peter initially joined Mt. Carmel Methodist in 1825, but later left the denomination, troubled in spirit and disillusioned. By 1846, he resolved to build a new meeting house near his home so that elderly women who had been walking long distances to Cedar Creek Church could worship closer to home. Thus was born Anderson’s Meeting House, with fifteen charter members—five men and ten women.

Like many rural churches, Old Anderson endured lean years. By the mid-1900s, membership had dwindled to just four, and the church went inactive. Then, one elderly member’s desire for a service sparked a revival. From that turning point, the congregation returned, restored the sanctuary, and breathed new life into this historic place of worship.

Today, Old Anderson stands as both a spiritual home and a testament to resilience. Its weathered timbers, tin roof, and peaceful cemetery are reminders that with stewardship and faith, even the most endangered churches can live on for generations.