Randolph County AlArchives Church Records.....Radney's Chapel United Methodist Church History Copyright Date 2022
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 October 29, 2022, 10:24 pm

The church was organized in August-1885 with Rev. W. M. P. Rippey as pastor. Mr. 
James M. Radney donated the lumber for the building. The land for the church was 
donated by Almon & Elizabeth Dabney. The members of the church joined together 
and built the church. The church was named "Radney's Chapel" in honor of Mr. 
Radney, plus there were several Radneys who were members of the church. 

The church held Fourth of July picnics, Christmas plays, programs and many 
singings through the early years, plus "Chicken Suppers". The female members of 
the church had a demarcation club. The rivals ran the first week in August 
starting on Sunday night and running through Friday night.  

The old church was torn down in 1951 and a new building was constructed. Louis 
Harmon was appointed to be in charge of the construction. After months of hard 
work, donations, the Wadley Methodist church sold their old pews to Radney's 
Chapel, little by little the new church was completed and furnished. 

On Aug 17, 1958, at three o' clock Sunday afternoon Bishop Hodge dedicated the 
Radney's Chapel United Methodist Church. This church was built three years 
before and was free of debt. Jerrel Hodges was the first member received in the 
new church building. 

On June 2, 1963, Radney's Chapel United Methodist Church celebrated its first 
Homecoming. At that time there was only one charter member living which was
Mrs. Florence Green, the next two oldest members were Mrs. T.J. Hodges and
Mrs. W.D. Stephens.

The Radney's Chapel cemetery is very unique. The land was donated by Mr. & Mrs. 
Adamson, which are buried in the cemetery, but out of hundreds maybe over a 
thousand members through the years, at the last survey of the cemetery, there 
were only ten graves. 

Some of the early pastors of the church:
John McConatha, J.E. Merrill, Rev. Carpenter, Louis P. Martin, L.E. Price, C.E. 
Kaylor, S.D. Lankford, F.H. Giddens, James H. Harris, W.L. Thompson, Charles 
Ferrell. 

The Radney's Chapel school dates back possibly as far as the church. Rev. J.P. 
Lancaster was appointed to teach at Radney's Chapel school in 1900. Some of the 
teachers through the years were: Irene Jeffers, Lee Nora Clegg, Miss Ava Widner 
and Miss Lois Kitchens. 

On December 30, 1925, a fiddlers' convention was held at Radney's Chapel school 
house for benefit of the church. Admission was 15 and 25 cents.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/churches/radneysc196gbb.txt

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