McCaysville Church of God

Organized before 1912 by W. F. Bryant and J. W. Buckalew, the McCaysville Church of God is still the oldest congregational Church of God in the state of Georgia.

The work here was begun prior to 1912 by W. F. Bryant. J. W. Buckalew led a tent revival prior to January, 1912. The revival was held in Copperhill, Tennessee. It was during that revival that T. A. Richards (who later became one of the early pastors of the McCaysville Church of God) was converted. Pastor Richards at that time had a business in Cleveland, Tennessee. During the revival at the North Cleveland Church of God, T. A. Richards accepted the call to preach. He said he felt so unworthy to be a preacher, but he sold his business to a Mr. Maples and came to Copperhill where he began a revival in a small building. In that meeting, Brothers Henry Chancey and Arthur Tarpley were saved, sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Later, Brother Richards moved to a place over near the business part of Copperhill, rented a store building, and started a meeting. The building soon became too small and the Copperhill congregation moved across the state line into McCaysville, Georgia (This according to the Church minutes January 1912,page 39).

Several ministers have come from the McCaysville congregation. There is a good reason to believe there is a connection between Jones Church of God established in 1904 and the Copperhill-McCaysville Church of God congregation. According to the Church of God Evangel Records, W. F. Bryant was the pastor of Jones Church in 1910 and he had also served there previously. The locations are very close, and with the persecutions, the size of the earlier congregations, and the early trend to move to town, it is easy to see that the Jones congregation became linked with the Copperhill-McCaysville Church. Therefore, the McCaysville Church of God has the high honor of tracing some of its roots to the Jones Church, the first Church of God in Georgia.

Former pastors: W. F. Bryant, John C. Jernigan, M. S. Lemons, T. A. Richards, Daniel J. Cupp, Arthur Tarpley, Robert Bell, E . E. Coleman, Gilbert Gann, Gilbert Geren, Graham Oglesby, Roy Phillips, James Underwood, James Shoupe, Floyd D. Carey, Sr. F. S. Smith, Homer Cantrell (served twice), J. E. Thornton, G. W. Shepherd, P. W. Heirs, B. W. Suggs, James D. Edmondson, Robert Horton, E. L. Addis, C. A. Register, Edward Wood and Willard Fitzpatrick.

All pastors served from two to four years except Pastor Graham Oglesby who served six years.

The McCaysville Church of God is located on Market Street, beside the Toccoa, River, McCaysville, Georgia.

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