New Bethel United Methodist Church in Elbert County

It was established in early 1857 as Hammond Meeting House on the Elbert-Anderson Highway near Pickens Creek. It was a log structure. At some point lost to time it was decided to move the church to a more accessible location. W.I. Gaines donated an acre of land and a new frame church was built in 1886 and named Bethel. it was quickly discovered there was a Baptist church nearby by the same name so they changed the name to New Bethel. Until 1894 the deceased were buried in family plots but in that year it was decided to have a cemetery on church grounds. In 1944 a debate went on about the construction of a new church. The debates was decided by a tornado which damaged the church. The church was demolished and in 1946, the first services were held in the structure you see here.
Andy Sarge