MACON, Ga. — What’s in a name? In this case, a lot, actually.
Choosing a name for a newly formed church is about sharing the congregation’s new identity with its community and the world. And these 12 new United Methodist churches in Georgia aren’t like any new church plants our Annual Conferences have seen before. Each of them started from a group of committed, generous United Methodists after their churches disaffiliated from the UMC.
These are congregations that followed the Holy Spirit, depended on the love and care for one another and their communities, and were committed to their collective love for The United Methodist Church.
So yes, there’s a lot in a name, and here’s how these 12 new churches selected theirs.
Christ United Methodist Church
Bainbridge
An emerging church in Bainbridge held a meeting in August 2024 to come up with a name for their congregation. Though they wanted to be intentional about the process, they also needed to act quickly in order to be able to share their identity with the community by Christmas.
In comes another new UMC to the rescue. Laine Reichert, a lay person from Grace UMC in Thomasville, had just led her church through their naming process and offered to help this new UMC through the same. Two things were crucial to the congregation: that they let the community know they are welcoming and that they are Christ-centered.
At just the right time, Christ UMC shared their new name by way of a Christmas tree in a display of trees around the community park with ornaments bearing all the different names for Christ.
In addition to helping with the naming process, Grace UMC also shared hymnals, offering plates, and other means of support.
“It was a true display of the UMC’s connection,” said Rev. Melissa Traver, Christ UMC’s pastor.
Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church
Dahlonega
One night when a group from an emerging church in Dahlonega was discussing potential names, they started talking about hemlock trees and their many appealing attributes. Hemlocks are native to Dahlonega. They are slow-growing. They promote forest diversity. They provide shade and shelter. They can persist for decades. The floor of a hemlock grove is more open than most areas of the forest.
“Slow-growing, diverse, shelter-providing, persistent, and open became key words that align with who we are as a faith community,” said Hemlock Grove UMC’s pastor Rev. Justin Combs. After much discussion and consideration of other names, the group kept circling back to the hemlock tree. “Like a hemlock, we are a congregation that is ready to flourish and grow in the community of Dahlonega.”
St. Paul Chapel United Methodist Church
Vienna
When congregants of three churches came together to worship in what had been called the St. Paul Chapel, it was a natural evolution that the new church in Dooly County took on that name.
According to a founding member, however, it may be a little more than that. The apostle Paul’s words have been used and interpreted in ways that were not supportive of women and gay people, explained Bert Gregory, who is also the director of Dooly Campground on which the church sits.
“The name of the church was happenstance,” he said. “But what better tribute to grace and forgiveness and moving forward than to name a church that resulted from a split over inclusivity, St. Paul Chapel UMC.”
Community First United Methodist Church
Carrollton
“Welcome to Community First, where we put community first!” is how every service opens at Community First UMC in Carrollton, with the congregation harmoniously joining in on the last two words of the greeting from the liturgist.
According to the church's pastor, Rev. Robert Brown, the period of discernment after their former church disaffiliated brought them to a clear realization of what they wanted to be, and so they put community first. Many members of Community First were from the former church, but they've also attracted folks who were disenchanted and disenfranchised by church.
“Above all else, Community First UMC reflects communion with God and with ALL of God’s people," explained Rev. Brown.
Hope United Methodist Church
Columbus
For Hope UMC in Columbus, church leadership took a methodical approach of looking at multiple names, narrowing the list down to three, and letting the congregation choose.
“Hope” received an overwhelming response. Comprised of former members of several churches that departed the denomination in the area, its pastor, Rev. Dr. Mike Bankston, said that they have intentionally planted a missional and inclusive church. With core values of being a safe space and an “inside-out” church that is mission-driven, he explained that Hope UMC is seeking to share the love and grace of Christ with the least, the lonely, and the lost.
“For our church, Hope isn’t just a name, hope is why we exist,” said Rev. Bankston.
The Bridge United Methodist Church
Milledgeville
Members of the new The Bridge UMC in Milledgeville said choosing a name was simple.
“We thought on it, and because the Oconee River runs through Baldwin County and the communities around us, we know the importance of bridges,” said a church member. “And we knew we would be the bridge for change and the future.”
And the church is living up to the ideal already! In July, the North Georgia Conference congregation welcomed Rev. Payton Stone, a South Georgia Conference cleryperson, as their new pastor.
Mosaic United Methodist Church
Valdosta
One new church was many months in the making, gathering in borrowed spaces and calling themselves “Stay UMC Valdosta” or the “Reconciling Community.” Those names were enough to hold the group together, but eventually a permanent name became clear to them.
“When we finally voted on the name Mosaic UMC, something shifted,” recalled Margaret McCranie, one of Mosaic’s founding lay leaders. “It was like we became a family overnight.”
“Mosaic” isn’t only about coming together after a season of brokenness. “We chose the name Mosaic because we felt like bits and pieces coming together to make something beautiful,” said Shelley Mitchell, another of the church’s founding leaders. “And that’s exactly who we are.”
New Thomson United Methodist Church
Thomson
The name New Thomson UMC came from two deeply grounded ideas—one practical and one profoundly spiritual, said its pastor, Rev. Sargent Nelson.
“Practically speaking, we recognized that people in our community would likely refer to us informally as ‘the new Methodist church,’ especially in contrast to the congregation from which we emerged,” he said. “But more importantly, the name felt spiritually right. From the very beginning, we have sensed that God is doing a new thing among us. Isaiah 43:18–19 has been a guiding word for our community.”
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up—do you not perceive it?
Grace, upon Grace, upon Grace, upon Grace
Clarksville, Elberton, Forsyth, and Thomasville
Grace is so much a part of who we are as United Methodists, and given how all of these churches came to be, it shouldn’t be a surprise that four new churches in Georgia, located in Thomasville, Elberton, Clarksville, and Forsyth, selected Grace United Methodist Church as their name.
The ways these four churches came to their names range from a year-long, methodical process starting with suggestions from the congregation, narrowing down in work groups, and then a vote, to as simple as a discussion at the new church’s first gathering.
In the end, whether the decision took several months or one meeting, the reasoning behind the name Grace was similar among all four congregations and is best summed up by a member of the Forsyth congregation, Olin Mills.
As told by Grace UMC Forsyth’s pastor, Rev. Carol Cook, “He glowed as he shared that everything we were talking about reflected God's unmerited love for all and how that is such a part of what it means to be United Methodist.”
Funny enough, someone outside of the naming process commented almost the same thing: “The name Grace is so United Methodist!”
Perhaps “grace” also speaks to what these churches have given themselves and each other during this time of transition, and even what they give to those who left.
And one of those churches has extended and received grace in a wonderful way in the last year. Outgrowing the building they were using, Grace UMC in Clarksville recently merged with nearby Cornelia United Methodist Church to become Cornelia UMC – A Grace Filled Community.
So yes, there’s a lot in a name. To even get to the point of selecting a name, the leaders and founding members of these 12 congregations had to lean on their faith in a season of grief and move forward. But move forward they did, and now they are filled with all the energy that comes with returning to something familiar, but with an exciting new approach, in addition to a new name.
In fact, all 12 are a little like Mosaic UMC: They are bits and pieces coming together from across our great state to add to a beautiful connection.
Rebecca Wallace is a communications consultant and active United Methodist layperson.