Woodstock Presbyterian Church 2.3

The history of this church’s beginning is somewhat mystifying due to the passing of older members and the lack of informative session notes of the beginning of the church. However, from the information we have in our possession, a Bethesda Church was organized in June 1869 and was located on Sixes Road in Lebanon, Georgia, just up the road from Woodstock.

The 1869 Minutes of Cherokee Presbytery record a church at Sixes Road in Cherokee County with twenty-seven members and four elders, named “Bethesda,” or Bethesda I. Minutes of Bethesda and Woodstock 1914-1963 revealed that the Bethesda Church burned July 15, 1916.

The congregation, dedicated to serving Christ, met in tents, homes of members and the Baptist church in Lebanon after the morning service. They elected trustees to receive the insurance money for the building that burned, voted unanimously to build a new Presbyterian church at Woodstock, set up a building committee of: J.S. Dorn, Wiley Dobbs, and John D. Hillhouse.

Much of the time while the new church was being built, the pulpit was filled by Stated Supply ministers from Presbytery or students from Columbia Seminary. Many new members were received into the church, both by letter and profession of faith. They sent representatives to the Presbytery and the Synod of Georgia. Session meetings were held only to receive new members, elect commissioners for Presbytery or the Synod, and for business concerning the rebuilding of the church. This resulted in long spans where there were no entries in the minutes.

Sometime during the seven years they were displaced, they moved to Woodstock and changed the name to Woodstock Presbyterian Church. Changing names, combining and dissolving congregations, bespeak the struggles of these years.

Using the insurance from the facility that burned, a new brick building was constructed at Rope Mill Road and Main Street in Woodstock, on land donated by the Kemp family. The building was completed in 1923.

In 1979 the active membership was 5. During the summer of 1980, a student from Columbia Seminary held weekly services. The membership began to grow. At the end of the summer, Presbytery yoked Woodstock with Trinity Presbyterian Church allowing them to share a pastor until 1985, when the pastor took a call from another church.

In 1987, Presbytery purchased five acres at 345 Arnold Mill Road and asked Woodstock Presbyterian Church to move there. Presbytery commissioned Morgan Building Systems to construct a modular structure on the site. Woodstock Presbyterian Church moved to the new site on August 7, 1988.

Plans began immediately for the construction of a permanent sanctuary. This building was completed in September 1996 and the first service was held on Sunday, September 29, 1996.

Today, our church is blessed by the love and dedication of pastor Don Esa and a warm, friendly, loving congregation.

SOURCES: Minutes, Presbyterian Women History, Cherokee Presbytery, Sara Lou Johnston, W. Dean Power Jr., Kathye Alston