A Stone Church on Main Street Since 1919
Conyers Presbyterian Church stands at 911 North Main Street in Conyers, Georgia, a tall gray stone sanctuary that has anchored the town's main thoroughfare for more than a century. The congregation was organized on July 28, 1860, by the Rev. Hampton C. Carter, when twenty-six members gathered to form a church and elect their first Elders. Less than nine months later, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter and the nation went to war, but the little congregation endured. In January 1919, after years of debate and the resignation of three trustees over the building project, the present stone church was dedicated on the second Sabbath of the month. The round stained-glass window at the front of the sanctuary, known as "the Sower" and crafted by German artist F. C. Fisher, was dedicated to the memory of the beloved nineteenth-century pastor Rev. Henry Quigg.
The church is one of three downtown congregations that became known as the "sidewalk churches" of Conyers. Conyers First Methodist Church was founded next door in 1852, and First Baptist moved in on the other side of the Presbyterian property in 1898, creating a row of houses of worship that share a single walk in front of their buildings.
The Beginnings: From Scottish Highlanders to Rockdale County
The first Presbyterians in Georgia were Scottish Highlanders recruited by James Oglethorpe in 1733 to help defend the colony against the Spanish in Florida. They settled between Savannah and Darien. The Presbyterians who eventually made their way into what is now Rockdale County were Scotch-Irish who moved south along the rivers and streams from Henry County and founded Smyrna Presbyterian Church in 1827 under the old Hopewell Presbytery. From Smyrna, the gospel traveled the short distance into Conyers, and the church that would become Conyers Presbyterian was born.
For many years the church's ministers served part-time and alternated between local congregations, sometimes leaving the pulpit vacant for years at a stretch. Conyers Presbyterian did not have a full-time pastor until 1946, when Rev. J. F. Akin was employed. The church struggled through the Depression, reporting a membership of 146 and a budget of just over two thousand dollars on the eve of the Second World War. A new education building was completed in 1958, the sanctuary was remodeled in 1963, and a two-story wing was added in 1979. In 1989 the active membership reached 656 and a new Fellowship Hall and classroom building was approved. In 1964, Mrs. Bura Bradford became the first woman elected an Elder in the church's history, and in 1969 the Rev. Dr. Albert Aldrich (Al) Myers Jr. began a thirty-year pastorate that reshaped the congregation.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Sunday at Conyers Presbyterian begins with coffee in the Fellowship Hall at 10:30 a.m., where members and visitors gather before the service. The congregation then moves into the stone sanctuary at 11:00 a.m. for worship, a service shaped by the Presbyterian tradition but warmed by a music ministry that draws from a wide range of styles. The adult choir performs choral music of every era, including classical pieces, spirituals, gospel, Renaissance works, Sacred Harp hymns, contemporary arrangements, and global music. Pianist Andrew Davidson, who joined the staff with more than twenty years of experience as a versatile accompanist and a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Valdosta State University, supports the choir and the congregation each Sunday. Director of Music Charles Haraway, a choral director and conductor with thirty years of experience whose ensembles have performed at the Washington National Cathedral and at the Piccolo Spoleto festival in Charleston, leads the music program.
Those unable to attend in person can listen to or download recent sermons through the church's YouTube channel, which carries recordings of the pastor's messages along with congregational news.
Wednesday Nights at Myers Hall
The heart of the church's community ministry beats on Wednesday evenings in Myers Hall, where a free dinner is served at 6:00 p.m. The meal opens with a brief devotional and prayer, and the doors stay open to anyone in the neighborhood who wants a hot meal and a seat at the table. The church describes this weekly gathering as the primary ministry of Conyers Presbyterian, a place where members of the congregation get to know the community and the community gets to know them. Mission dollars fund the program, and donations are accepted to help keep the table set.
Sunday School and Bible Study
Adult education is built around the Interactions Sunday school class, which meets at 9:45 a.m. in the Session Room under the leadership of Wendell Broadwell, a retired professor of history at Georgia Perimeter College. The class reads and discusses the Bible alongside the people and events that shaped how it has come to be understood, drawing on Broadwell's background in history to add depth to the conversation.
Two weekly Bible studies round out the week. The Ladies Bible Study gathers on the third Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall for fellowship and study. The Men of the Church (MOC) meet on Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m. in the Session Room for a Bible study in which members take turns leading the lessons, sharing the work of worship, service, and fellowship that defines the group.
Music Ministry
The Sanctuary Choir leads worship each Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. service and welcomes anyone interested in sharing their musical gifts. The choir's repertoire is unusually broad, ranging from classical masterworks and Sacred Harp to spirituals, gospel, contemporary settings, and global music, reflecting the belief that music is one of the most accessible ways to serve God and the congregation. A separate Children's Choir is on pause for the time being, with the program expected to resume in a future season.
Children and Youth
Children from preschool through fifth grade are invited to Sunday school on the first and third Sundays of the month at 9:30 a.m., where they are introduced to the basic concepts of who Jesus is and how He would have His followers live in relationship with their neighbors. Vacation Bible School is one of the highlights of the year. Youth in middle school and high school also meet for Sunday school on the first and third Sundays at 9:30 a.m., with quarterly events and activities designed to deepen their understanding of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit and to grow their relationship with Christ through salvation, grace, and justification by faith.
Iglesia Horeb: A Hispanic Fellowship
Inside the same building, Conyers Presbyterian hosts Iglesia Horeb, a Spanish-language fellowship led by Rev. Benjamin Reyes. Although recently retired from full-time ministry, Rev. Reyes has led the Iglesia Horeb Fellowship for more than twenty years, walking alongside his wife Naomi through both lean seasons and seasons of plenty. The fellowship is part of the broader life of the congregation and is named among the mission and outreach efforts that the church supports.
Mission and Outreach
The Mission and Outreach Council of Conyers Presbyterian works to put the second great commandment into practice, loving neighbors within the community, the nation, and the world. The church invests time, energy, and resources in a wide network of partners: Family Promise, the Angel Tree Ministry at Pine Street Elementary, the Operation Christmas Child shoebox project, the Wednesday Connections free dinner, Vacation Bible School, Rockdale Emergency Relief, Rockdale Houses for Women and Men, Servants of the Lord Meals on Wheels, Iglesia Horeb, the Girl Scouts, the Georgia Council of the Blind, individuals in need, and the food pantry at the Presbyterian Church of the Resurrection. The council regularly informs the congregation of new opportunities, encourages both member and corporate participation, and distributes benevolences to worthy causes as time and resources allow.
Leadership and Governance
Like every Presbyterian congregation, Conyers Presbyterian is governed by the Session, a body of elected Elders moderated by the pastor. The Session oversees every aspect of the church's goals and business, and is supported by several councils. The Administrative Council, chaired by Andy Latimer, manages staff, the preschool, physical and financial resources, and matters of civic and theological concern. The Worship and Music Council coordinates the work of ushers, liturgists, and musicians. The Church Life Council gathers the committees responsible for fellowship, youth ministries, membership and congregational care, children's ministries, and mission outreach. Anita Payseur serves as Clerk of Session, maintaining the church's official records and communications.
The pastor is Rev. Kevin Hicks, a lifelong Presbyterian and a "second career" minister who answered the call to full-time ministry at age thirty-five. After earning a B.S. in Management from Georgia Tech and working in manufacturing and computer programming in Birmingham and Atlanta, he moved with his wife and children to Austin, Texas, where he earned a Master of Divinity. He served as pastor of Vidalia Presbyterian Church for ten years before being called to Conyers Presbyterian in January 2016. Rev. Dr. Al Myers, who served as Senior Pastor for more than thirty years, continues to participate in the life of the church as Pastor Emeritus and contributes regularly to the Thursday morning Men's Bible Study.
The church offices are open during the week and can be reached at 770-929-0700 or secretary@conyerspres.org. Visitors driving in from Interstate 20 are directed to take Exit 82, head north on GA 138, turn onto Dogwood Drive, and follow the route along Green Street, Scott Street, and Main Street to the large gray stone church on the right at 911 North Main Street.