Crossroads celebrates Milstead
By Beth Sexton
Reminiscent of days of old, Crossroads United
Methodist Church will host an old-fashioned ice cream social this
weekend and talk about memories of Milstead. Once known as Milstead
United Methodist Church, the Crossroads congregation still holds
special ties to the community where it began a century ago in 1904.
When its members and guests from the Milstead community gather
tomorrow afternoon at 5:30, they will recall how 100 years ago, a
small group of newcomers in the mill village of Milstead formed a
church called the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The property was
bought from J.H. Almand with assistance from Cason J.
Callaway, who was an official of the then-new Milstead
Manufacturing Co.
According to church history, Callaway and P.M. Grimes
were instrumental in forming the new church and the Callaway
Foundation, owner of the local mill, was a big financial
supporter of the church.
In the early years, church services were held at Milstead Baptist
Church, which was across the street from the property bought for the
new church. The two churches often shared facilities, services,
revivals, homecomings and other events.
The church building, which was a traditional white church structure,
was completed and between 1907 and 1910, the Milstead Methodist
Episcopal Church South was renamed the Milstead Methodist Church and
joined the North Georgia Methodist Conference as part of the
Decatur-Oxford District. The Rev. B.P. Reed was the first
pastor to serve the church as part of the conference and in 1946,
the Callaway Foundation transferred the deed of the church to the
trustee of the Milstead Methodist Church.
In 1960, the North Georgia Conference named the Milstead church as
“Church of the Year.” This was the same year Callaway Mills closed
its facilities in the community.
Milstead reached its peak during the 1930s and ’40s when the mill
was flourishing and the church enjoyed an average Sunday School
attendance of 425.
During the 1960s and ’70s, the church continued to prosper, but by
the 1980s, its membership began to decline as its members were
mostly retired people on a fixed income. When the mill closed in
1960, Milstead began a decline in membership. Its Sunday School
attendance averaged 35 and its worship attendance 40.
Church leaders began addressing these issues and even discussed an
expansion of the existing facility — which proved to be too costly,
the church history states. Church leaders had determined that its
Milstead location had the church “landlocked” if it wanted to grow
and that it also needed to become more visible to attract growth.
“If we’re doing our job as a church, we should and will grow,”
former Milstead pastor Rev. David Moore told his congregation
during that time.
In 1987, a building committee was formed to begin the process of
building a new church. Also around this time, the North Georgia
Conference had purchased 12 acres of land in Rockdale County on
which to build a new Methodist Church. Church leaders discussed the
situation with the conference and the conference agreed that
Milstead United Methodist should become that new church.
In 1989, the Milstead congregation by unanimous vote decided to sell
its property and become the nucleus of the new congregation with a
new church name.
In June 1991, Milstead UMC began meeting as Crossroads United
Methodist Church at Hightower Trail Elementary School, which is
adjacent to the property the conference bought for a new church
start. The church met in the school until the new facility was
completed and, on June 21, 1992, the members of Crossroads UMC,
formerly known as Milstead UMC, celebrated the opening of its new
facility.
In June 1993, Crossroads UMC was named “Church of the Year” for the
Atlanta-Decatur-Oxford District. At its new location, church leaders
say Crossroads has “flourished” and, in 1998, it completed the
addition of new Sunday School rooms.
“We are celebrating 100 years of Christian ministry,” Crossroads UMC
Pastor Mike Morgan said, adding that two weeks ago, the
church began its celebration with special visits from Rev. David
Moore, the former pastor who served both Milstead UMC and
Crossroads UMC and Rev. Phil DeMore, who served the church as
a student pastor in the 1960s.
Founded on Main Street in Milstead 100 years ago, the church now
known as Crossroads UMC is located 2460 Highway 138 in Conyers.
Today’s Sunday School average attendance is around 150. Worship
attendance is around 100 in the 8:30 a.m. service and 125 in the 11
a.m. service. Sunday School at Crossroads is held at 9:55 a.m.
Beth Sexton is a regular contributor to The Rockdale Citizen.
Contact her at [email protected].
