Turin Methodist, located in rural Coweta County, was organized in 1838 by families who had migrated from Newberry County, South Carolina, in 1828, just a few years after Coweta was created by the 1825 Treaty of Indian Springs. The treaty was signed by Chief William McIntosh, who was later killed by fellow Creek leaders who believed he had no authority to cede tribal lands. These settlers came from Prosperity, South Carolina, and named their new church Tranquil Methodist, after the congregation they had left behind.

According to church history, the earliest building was a log structure located between a large oak and cedar tree at what is now Tranquil Cemetery. A second, larger frame building was later built on the same site. Land for both was donated by William Baugh Shell and his wife, Nancy. The Shell home included a “preacher’s room,” always ready for visiting ministers. Remarkably, a direct descendant of William B. Shell has been active in the church for more than 150 years. Of the 322 recorded burials in Tranquil Cemetery, 42 bear the Shell surname.

One Shell family member, CSA veteran William Derrick Shell (the son of William B. and Nancy) left behind letters to his parents from 1861 and 1862, the last written in June of that year. He died three months later in Lynchburg, Virginia. His father, ironically, had been a delegate to Georgia’s Secession Convention in Milledgeville and signed the ordinance of secession.

By 1886, the congregation decided to relocate to the nearby town of Turin. The name was changed from Tranquil to Turin, and the new building was a true community effort. Members hauled logs to be sawn into lumber and then gathered to raise the church themselves. Today, Turin Methodist stands as a testament to nearly two centuries of faith and dedication. Its roots stretch back to the earliest days of Coweta County, and its story is intertwined with both local and national history. The congregation’s stewardship ensures that this church will continue to serve future generations.