Our History
People in the area"who were strong adherents to the Methodist faith" began meeting in homes around the time of the American Revolution. Margaret (Peggy) Bramlett and her sons, John, Nathan, and Henry III, are recognized as founders of the church which was organized in circa 1779. Hereafter, the church was known by the family name. In Francis Asbury's journal, he tells of three visits to Widow Bramlett's meeting house, first 1799, then 1801 and 1802
The present building was constructed about 1920 with renovations and additions being made in 1957 and 1963. A playground was added approximately thirty years ago, but the exact year is not known. The Family Life Center was added in 1993.
The Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren forming the United Methodist Church in 1968
Our appreciation and thanks to Judy Riddle, Church Historian, for her research contributions.
I have completed a history of Bramlett United Methodist Church, Bramlett Church Road, Gray Court (Laurens County). Included are early church records, names of slaves who attended Bramlett, extensive cemetery information including over four hundred obituaries of those buried in church cemetery and church family buried elsewhere. Earliest church families were Bramlett and Burdett. Some of the other families throughout the years are Abercrombie, Cox, Duckworth, Glenn, Gray, Harris, Manly, Miller, Prior, Wallace, Whittaker, Williams. There are over four hundred pictures and additional early Methodist history on such things as circuit riders and camp meetings. Contact me at 876-3757 or judyriddle@prtcnet.com for your copy. $40 plus $7 if mailed to you.
Rev. John Fahrney
Kim Cooley Black
Pastor
Music Ministry Director
Forest Black
Assistant Music Ministry Director
Tabitha Keitt
Randy Dowell
Scout Master
Madeline Crowder
Youth Ministry Leader
Melinda Zimmerman
Nursery Coordinator
Jerry Williams Jr.
Sound Technician
Todd Crowder
Trustee Chairman
The Leadership Team
CORE
VALUES
JESUS FIRST, JESUS ALWAYS
We are convinced all things find their true meaning in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus shows us who God is and at the same time who we are meant to be. He has the last word and final say about who we understand ourselves to be and how we live our lives. We believe the greatest thing we can do for the world is to lift Jesus up in worship and invite people into a saving relationship with him.
Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 5:12-13; Matthew 6:33
ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN
Jesus’s fundamental gospel message had to do with God’s Kingdom drawing near. The Kingdom of God is not so much a location as it is a reality—the Kingdom of God is wherever things are the way God wants them to be. To follow Jesus means to devote ourselves to the advancement of God’s Kingdom here on earth by picking up our cross, following Jesus into the broken places of the world, and partnering with him in putting the pieces back together.
Mark 1:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Matthew 25:40
TRUTH IS ESSENTIAL
We believe in truth as revealed in Holy Scripture. The Bible is God’s infallible Word for authority and guidance. Understanding God’s Word provides light for our lives.
Psalms 119:130; 2 Timothy 3:16
PARTICIPATION OVER OBSERVATION
Jesus’s invitation is not to come and see, but to come and follow. There is no neutral in the Kingdom of God. If we have said yes to Jesus then we have also been called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to play a role in what Jesus is doing by serving the church and changing the world.
1 Peter 4:10; Matthew 16:24-25; Romans 12:11
ABOVE AND BEYOND
In sending the world Jesus, God spared no expense, but unloaded the resources of heaven in order to rescue a world He loves. In light of this we are committed to doing whatever it takes to reach people with the good news of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:22-23; Ephesians 3:20; Matthew 28:18-19; Psalm 67:1
PEOPLE MATTER
In Jesus, we are introduced to the God who knows us inside and out as if we were the only person on the planet. We are committed to being a church that doesn’t forget about its people. You are not just a number—you are a vital part of the story God is telling through this church.
Romans 12:13; Matthew 10:29-31
BETTER TOGETHER
The full life of God meets us in a unique way as we move closer together in relationships. Our shared life is one of the primary ways in which we encounter God for ourselves and at the same time prove to the watching world our relationship with Jesus is for real.
Acts 2:42-47; John 17:20-21
PRAYER DRIVEN
Prayer is not the least we can do but is often the most we can do. Prayer is not a formality or a simply going through the motions but there is real power in prayer to move the heart of God to accomplish/bring about things that otherwise would not happen.
1 Thessalonians 5:17; Acts 2:42; 1 John 5:14