BOLD SPRINGS METHODIST CHURCH GRADY COUNTY GEORGIA *************************************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *************************************************************************************************** submitted by Donald Dixon Oct 2002 Bold Springs, Church is known as the mother of Methodism in Grady County. The first building was made of logs. The present building originally cost $800.00 The builder was Tom Bullard. There was an upstairs, entered by an outside stairway. This room was used for Sunday School and often for Masonic and Grange meetings. In November of 1863, Robert B. McCord moved from Walton Co. Georgia, to what was then Thomas Co., but now known as Grady Co., bringing with him a few Negro slaves. After getting settled on the land he bought he began to look for a suitable place to build a Methodist Church. He thought a church site should be located near a good spring of water, and after looking for a while, he found a good spring, about 2 miles east of his home. The J. T. Drew place. After calling all the neighbors of the community together and discussing the matter, everyone joined in co-operation and agreed to cut pine poles to build a log church. This was in the late 1860's. Four acres of the Drew Estate was deeded to the church. When the church was completed the neighbors decided to allow Mr. McCord to name the church "Bold Springs Methodist Church" for his old home church in Walton Co., which is still an active Church a few miles east of Monroe, Georgia. Sometime later the members agreed that they must provide a home for their pastor, at this point, Mr. McCord deeded 50 acres of his land east of his home for a site on which to build a parsonage. Again the neighbors all came together and built what they thought to be a very neat log house for a parsonage. The first preacher to live in the parsonage was the Rev. P. C. Harris. The Rev. J. T. Ainsworth, father of Bishop Ainsworth, later became pastor of Bold Springs. When the Bishop was a boy, only 8 years of age. The preacher who lived in this parsonage, also served the Cairo Methodist Church one Sunday in each month for a time. The Rev. H. C. Frentress, served the Bold Springs church in 1876. He was young and full of the spirit. There were Saturday services as well as Sunday large crowds attended both 11 o'clock services. On Saturday before the 4th Sunday in March, Rev. Frentress proposed to the congregation to have a revival. The members said "No" we do not have time for a revival, all have to plant our crops. Brother Frentress said, "well let's pray about it until Sunday A. M. Services". On Sunday morning without further consultation, he announced there would be services on Monday A. M. at eleven o'clock and Monday night at early candlelight. Monday night Rev. Frentress gave an after call 5 teenage young people came to the altar and were gloriously converted. Three of the young men became Methodist ministers and joined the South Ga. Conference. They were Howard McCord, son of Robert B. McCord, Jesse Aldredge and Charles A. Jackson. The girls were Miss Sallie McCord, sister of Howard; and Miss Alice Jackson, sister of Charles A. Jackson, who later married a member of the South Ga. Conference, The Rev. E. A. Sanders and to this couple was born a minister Rev. J. J. Sanders. The Rev. Charles A. Jackson had two sons who were ministers and members of the South Ga. Conference. He himself was a member for 61 years. As a result of the first night service of that revival 7 preachers joined the Conference and served to date more than three quarters of a century. The revival continued to grow and more people were converted. In 1888 Bold Springs Church had more than 400 members, later 3 more churches were organized from among the 400 members who transferred to the different localities. They were Ochlocknee, Pierce and Woodland of which all are active churches today. The above facts were written by Rev. J. D. McCord as told to him by his father Rev. Howard McCord, youngest son of Robert B. McCord, chief founder of Bold Springs Methodist Church. Howard was 18 months old when his father moved to Bold Springs Community in November 1863. BOLD SPRINGS CHURCH LAND DEEDS March 2, 1868 John Gray for and in consideration of five ($5) dollars conveyed to Joshua Merritt, William McMillan and R. B. McCord, trustees (in trust for said Bold Springs Methodist Church), a parcel of land one acre more or less known as lot 351 in the 17th district. Witness: Mattie Gray John Gray J. J. Ragan J. P. Found in Thomas County Deed Book L page137 *note for a complete copy of this deed see http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/thomas/deeds/boldsprings.txt for a photo of this deed see http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/grady/photos/boldsprings.jpg