From a history found at the church – “Shady Grove CME was organized in 1892 in a brush arbor by the railroad S. E. of Cordele.  Rev. M. J. Morris was the first pastor.  Dissatisfaction came about and the few members that remained erected a wooden structure and called Rev. J. L. Lindsay, H. I. Holloway, Rev. J. Holmes, J. A. Harris was one outstanding pastor and served for 22 years.  The church was named Harris Temple Baptist during his pastorate. Rev. W. W. Whitehead served 24 years.  Rev. Jake Edwards served one year.  Present pastor is Rev. R. N. Eliza.”  The cornerstone of the church foundations tells us the present church was built in 1911.  The church has a very active congregation and we are hopeful some more history will emerge.

A history of the CME denomination from the New Georgia Encyclopedia tells us – “Between 1860 and 1866, more than two-thirds of the Black membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church South (MECS; later United Methodist Church) left that church to join other Methodist bodies then competing for the membership of freedmen. Most joined one of two independent Black denominations from the North, the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Zion (AME Zion), where they enjoyed greater autonomy and freedom of expression. In order to prevent further losses, the MECS resolved in 1866 to support the creation of a separate Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Black denomination. Four years later, forty-six Black delegates and a committee representing the MECS convened in Jackson, Tennessee, to establish the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, the first African American denomination established in the South.”