Photo Courtesy of Sally Curtis AsKew
Oconee Street UMC
Oconee Street United Methodist Church in Athens, Ga., has a long history of serving its local community as well as broader needs.
If churches were judged by the size of their hearts instead of by the number of people on their rolls, then Oconee Street United Methodist Church in Athens, Ga., would be one of the biggest congregations in United Methodism. Founded in 1869, Oconee Street – technically considered a "small" church for its 160 members with a part time pastor – has been a church that reached out to meet community needs in Athens.
Twenty-five years ago the church began a daily noon meal program known as Our Daily Bread. That program continued in the fellowship hall until April 2013 when a fire completely destroyed the sanctuary and fellowship hall. The adjacent education building, which was built in the 1950s, was structurally sound, but had to be gutted because of smoke and water damage. Our Daily Bread – which by this time was supported by many other churches and civic groups in Athens – had to find a new place.
The church met for a year in the old sanctuary of another United Methodist congregation in Athens. The old parsonage across the street was used for meetings and other church activities. After a year the church moved back into a large open space on the first floor of the education building. The Sunday School classes were back in spaces designed especially for them, and the church continued to flourish, gaining new members.
During the time that worship services were held first at another church and then in the open space in the education building, members began to think about what Oconee Street's new ministries would be. Our Daily Bread had been permanently relocated, but Athens has other needs. The old parsonage began to be used for several recovery groups. In the fall of 2014 a group called U-Lead began using the space on Thursday nights.
U-Lead Athens is local organization that helps Clarke County students with varying immigration statuses prepare for, apply to and pay for college. It was founded by a group of high school teachers and professors from the University of Georgia College of Education in response to the needs of immigrants. Students from all over the world can be considered for admissions for any University System of Georgia institution, except for immigrant students with or without DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] or TPS [Temporary Protected Status] who have grown up in Georgia and graduated from Georgia high schools. These students are banned from UGA and four other top University System of Georgia schools, and must pay international tuition at all other USG colleges.
U-Lead mentors work with students holding these "resident immigrant" statuses to prepare for the SAT and ACT college entrance exams, as well as to help them with college applications. The mentors also work to help the students to find financial aid to enable them to enroll once they are accepted at a college. In Fall 2015 U-Lead was granted a $20,000 grant from Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC). U-Lead was one of 10 national recipients of an E4FC matching funds grant. U-Lead Athens is barely one year old and thanks to mentors and donors, the non-profit group was able to provide tuition support for 15 students this fall. The E4FC grant secures multiple-year funding for the young scholars and will also increase the number of scholarships that U-Lead will be able to grant.
In June 2015, Oconee Street UMC congregation moved into its rebuilt sanctuary and fellowship hall. The church's concern for the large UGA student population in the immediate neighborhood continued to grow. A part-time youth/young adult coordinator was hired, and a cookout for the community was planned for August when classes resumed at UGA. United Methodist Communications contributed 100 door hangers, which were placed on the doors of neighborhood houses inviting neighbors to the cookout.
The church began a Bible Study on Tuesday evenings. The youth/young adult coordinator applied for and received a grant to cover materials for the study and a meal for each week. A young adult Sunday School class was formed during the fall. At exam time, as students returned home they were given a small “care package” of cookies for two afternoons.
In addition to these outreach programs. Oconee Street's Sunday School has grown so that there are five children’s classes, two youth classes, and a vibrant adult class. The United Methodist Men’s group was re-chartered and is very active. United Methodist Women meets monthly and participates in many district and conference activities. In late January five church members were part of a mission team to Honduras.
Oconee Street UMC has come a long way since it was founded on the west side of the Oconee River in 1869. In 1901-1902 the church was taken apart board by board and moved across the Oconee River to the neighborhood called Carrs Hill. There were four mills in the area, and most of the people worked in those mills. Up the street from Oconee Street Methodist was the Neighborhood House, a kind of mission that was a place for learning, especially for the mill children, along with offering Christian education, and vesper services. Having only a sanctuary, the congregation held its meetings at the mission house.
Today Oconee Street United Methodist Church still reaches out to all people, especially those outside the mainstream. Its Welcoming statement, printed weekly in the worship bulletin, describes the congregation's commitment:
"Oconee Street United Methodist Church welcomes all people regardless of age, color, race, ethnic background, economic status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, struggles with addiction, physical and mental challenges, or educational level. …"
Oconee Street UMC has proven that small-membership churches can grow and thrive by tending first to the common good of the surrounding community.
A retired law librarian, Sally Curtis AsKew is a member of Oconee Street United Methodist Church in Athens, Ga. She currently serves as clerk for the United Methodist Judicial Council, the denomination's "high court."