United Methodists of Thomasville witness God’s blessings through partnership, giving, and mission

By Allison Lindsey

Just eight short months ago, as a group of United Methodists in Thomasville found themselves displaced as a result of disaffiliation, God’s prevenient grace was at work orchestrating the path for these believers now proudly known as the United Methodists of Thomasville.

In January, Rev. Leigh Ann Raynor, following God’s call, came out of retirement to once again shepherd a body of believers who loved the Lord and The United Methodist Church. Their new faith journey began the first Sunday in February, and they have been meeting weekly ever since.

United Methodists have always been a beacon for hospitality with the motto, “Open Hearts, Open Minds & Open Doors,” and through the hospitality of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the United Methodists of Thomasville have truly been shown what extravagant hospitality looks like in very tangible ways.

The synergies that exist between these two churches and the intentional discernment process by Thomasville United Methodists could become a model for other groups to follow who have found themselves displaced.

What began as gracious hospitality of St. Thomas Episcopal Church by providing space to meet weekly has flourished into a beautiful symbiotic relationship as these two denominations have found themselves independent yet interwoven in worship, fellowship, discipleship, and missions.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of the Episcopal church in South Georgia,” said Anne Bosarge, Director of Leadership Strategies and Local Church Resources. “These congregations have been so welcoming and several have hosted groups during their discernment period. We currently have groups in Valdosta and Camden County also being hosted in Episcopal churches. This is a beautiful picture of what it truly means to be the body of Christ and we are so glad for these amazing ministry partners!”

The ways in which the United Methodists of Thomasville have witnessed God at work is an affirmation for this group of believers who have sought to be obedient, grow in their faith, and love their neighbor through serving. As a result, they also have learned what it means to be “the church” in new ways.

In the beginning, Rev. Raynor immediately found herself posing the question, “How does one start a new church?” She admitted to initially having been focused on all the things of which they would not have in this new beginning: no historic, beautiful sanctuary to meet, no magnificent pipe organ with a skilled organist to help enter into God’s presence, no choir singing beautifully and opening God's Word in song, no money, no committees, and no structure in place.

Fast forward to all that has taken place from January through September 2023 and one will understand why this humble body of believers celebrates saying, “But God!”

On September 1, with deep gratitude, a lease agreement was signed with St. Thomas Episcopal Church, providing a dedicated space to call their own for worship. 

“On Sunday mornings we now go into a space that we have been able to set-up in a way that is clearly a worship space,” said Rev. Raynor. “We’ve been able to display the cross and flame, which makes this space truly ‘home’ to United Methodists. While we have all grieved the loss of the beauty and the grandeur of the building in which we used to worship, we have truly learned that wherever we are gathered, God is among us.”

This symbiotic relationship of two different denominations has happened organically and the United Methodists are striving to be what the finance committee chairman, Matt Delarber, describes as “the best roommates ever” to St. Thomas Episcopal Church.  

Some of the ways in which this is happening is the group's involvement in ministries that are already ongoing in the Episcopal church. Members are participating in the October annual spaghetti supper to raise funds for their pre-school by baking 400 brownies and signing up for shifts to serve in the kitchen.

Another beautiful example is a feeding ministry through Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, a mission of St. Thomas, which traditionally has suspended the feeding during the summer. The United Methodists filled the summer months and plan to continue serving throughout the year.

With a welcoming invitation, United Methodist members are also participating in St. Thomas’ supper clubs to get to know their hosts better and to grow together through Bible study and service.

Since they began meeting in February, this body of United Methodist believers has adopted their mission statement, vision statement, and core values and are living into a structure. 

On September 3, two days after signing the lease, the first Commitment Sunday worship service was held in this space they called their own, and members over-pledged their adopted budget by over $40,000. 

“Our Commitment Sunday resulted in fully funding (+) our budget with basically 100% participation from the congregation - something I personally have not seen in my 20 years involvement in church finances,” said lay member J. Knapp. “It begins with having people willing to get involved, laity in action. If they believe enough to support it with their presence and their energy, they will support it with their finances and gifts. When every member gets involved serving somewhere, in meaningful ministry, God does amazing things!”

A Missions Committee is currently being formed with 10% of the new budget being set aside for missions. Members are dreaming and committing to ways in which they want to respond to God’s call to go and serve both in their community and beyond.  One member wants to go on a mission trip to Rwanda; another member has assumed responsibility for working with Good Shepherd Episcopal Church’s Sunday evening dinners; and there is a desire for service with the local homeless shelter. Members also helped to fund a back to school project at Vashti earlier this year.

One Sunday School class is now meeting with plans to begin more in the near future, and members are growing deeper in their faith and with each other through studying God’s word together.

But this is not all. The Long Range Planning Committee met recently and looked at the checklist concerning the process for chartering to become a constituted United Methodist congregation. 

“Honestly, it was like the checklist was written based on the things we had already done,” said Rev. Raynor. “As we went through the list it was ‘check, check, check.’ Even we were surprised at how much on the list we had accomplished without having actually looked at the list.”  

Bishop David Graves will be with the United Methodists of Thomasville October 22 to preach and celebrate their witness. When the Rector at St. Thomas, Father Wallace Marsh, learned that Bishop Graves was coming, he extended the invitation for him to preach during their worship service that day as well. 

“We couldn't be more excited about what God is doing through the people called United Methodist in Thomasville!” said the Rev. Dr. Ben Gosden, the South Georgia Conference Congregational Development Board Chair and senior pastor of Trinity UMC in Savannah. “They are stepping out in faith and exercising the kind of courage most of us pray to have. Many of these folks chose to leave a place they had always known to go on a journey, trusting God will lead them the whole way. Now we're seeing that journey is an adventure into the heart of what God still wants to do through The United Methodist Church in Thomasville. As a Congregational Development Board, we couldn't be more proud. And I know as an Annual Conference, we couldn't be more inspired by these folks!" 

Allison Lindsey is a member of St. Mark UMC in Douglas, Ga. and chairs the Conference Nurture Team.