Two Centuries on the Corner of Mulberry and First
Mulberry Street United Methodist Church traces its roots to 1826, when Thomas Gardner, a local carpenter and part-time preacher, organized a Methodist Society with sixteen other Methodists in a small frontier town of about 800 people on the west bank of the Ocmulgee River. There were no churches in Macon at the time; circuit riders from the Monroe Circuit occasionally held services in a temporary log courthouse on Mulberry Street. Gardner, together with Alexander Richards and Elbert Crews, built the first sanctuary in 1828. The 40-by-60-foot building featured a square belfry and a large gallery reserved for enslaved people who worshipped alongside those who held them in bondage. The first ordained pastor, Thomas Darley, oversaw the building's completion, and the Rev. Charles Hardy preached the first sermon in the finished space.
By 1848 the membership had outgrown the original sanctuary. A second church was constructed in its place, far more imposing with white columns. From this building, the church's influence radiated outward through Sunday Schools that led to the founding of East Macon, Vineville, First Street, and Centenary churches. In 1882 the building was enlarged and remodeled. As part of the 1926 centennial celebration, the congregation adopted a plan to renovate the sanctuary completely and add the present Sunday School building, work that was finished in 1928.
The years that followed brought some of the hardest seasons in the church's life. The Great Depression left many of the pledges made during the centennial campaign unpaid, and the building debt lingered until the self-sacrifice of dedicated members brought final payment in 1945. In the 1950s the sanctuary was remodeled once more, and a dining hall, a Youth Center, and the Stevens-Taylor Memorial Chapel were built. More than 1,000 young people from across Middle Georgia passed through the youth ministry beneath a sign that reminded them, "Near where we pray, we play."
Disaster struck in April 1965 when a fire gutted the sanctuary, but the stained glass windows survived and were later installed in the present sanctuary, which opened for worship in 1968. In the early 2000s, the church undertook another major building program completed in 2004 at a cost of approximately $7.2 million, producing the Education Building and other spaces that today house Sunday School classrooms, youth rooms, and the offices of Macon Outreach.
Mulberry hosted the first meeting of the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church in 1831 and is often called the "Mother Church of Georgia Methodism." Its Historical Room, considered one of the finest in the Southeast, holds archival treasures such as Thomas Darley's ordination certificate signed by Francis Asbury, two Asbury night caps, and a Darley Bible.
The Eleven O'Clock Sanctuary Service
Traditional worship is the weekly center of life at Mulberry. The eleven o'clock Sunday service runs about sixty minutes and gathers the congregation in one of Macon's most beautiful and historic sanctuaries. Preaching most often follows the lectionary. The Ainsworth Choir, accompanied at times by string or reed instruments, leads congregational singing from hymnals at the grand piano and pipe organ. Twelve stained glass windows frame the room and the gathered body. Worshipers tend to dress more formally than at many churches, and coffee is set aside for the hour.
The sanctuary can be reached from the front steps on Mulberry Street or through the atrium on the backside of the building. From the atrium, an elevator leads up one floor to a wheelchair-accessible sanctuary entry. Coffee and donuts are served in the atrium from 9:30 to 11:00 am, and the church's parking lot has entrances on both Mulberry Street and New Street, with limited free street parking also available on Sundays.
The 11:00 am service is livestreamed every Sunday on Facebook and YouTube. Recordings remain available on the church's YouTube channel for later viewing, and the most recent bulletins are posted alongside each service.
Wednesday Worship and Prayer
On the first Wednesday evening of each month, the congregation gathers in the Fellowship Hall for a meal at 5:30 pm followed at 6:15 by a worship and prayer service that draws from different Christian traditions. Recent evenings have made use of prayer stations, guided meditations, journaling, and music to open space for encountering God. Visitors enter through the atrium and follow signs to the Fellowship Hall.
Sunday School for Every Age
At 10:00 am on Sunday mornings, the Education Building hums with Sunday School classes for every age. Children gather in the Children's Wing on the second floor, youth meet on the third, and adults spread across several classrooms and the Parlor. The Daughtery Class, a multigenerational group that meets near the elevator on the second floor, has long been one of the anchors of adult Sunday School. The Young Adults Class gathers in the Blue Room in the Family Ministries wing. Short-term series run during Advent, Lent, and other seasons; recent offerings have included "Parables: Godly Play for Adults," led by storyteller Julia Magda, and "Before the Message," a relaxed discussion of the upcoming Sunday's scripture led by Cile Mitchell.
Small Groups Around the Church
Beyond Sunday morning, Mulberry sustains a network of small groups that meet in homes, on Zoom, and at the church.
The Mulberry Book Group meets monthly in homes for discussion around a chosen book. United Women in Faith gathers at noon once a month in the church conference room for a teacher-led study and supports mission projects through fundraisers like an annual bake sale. The YAMs, short for Young Adults at Mulberry, bring their dinners to the home of Associate Pastor Payton Stone and his wife Mallory for a mix of book studies, Bible studies, and the occasional trivia night. The Lamback Lunch Group, hosted by Sam and Gini Lamback at their home every Tuesday at 10:00 am, opens with prayer and discussion, occasionally accompanied by Sam's banjo, and sometimes lingers into lunch at local Macon restaurants. A Tuesday Men's Group meets weekly in the church's Zoom Room under the leadership of retired United Methodist minister Rev. Creede Hinshaw, working through book studies and open-ended questions like "how to practice kindness" or "The Gospel According to Johnny Cash."
Other fellowship traditions recur throughout the year. The Fall Supper Club assigns adults to small groups of eight to ten who share meals in homes for four months. The Second Sunday Lunch brings the congregation to the Fellowship Hall each month for a potluck after worship. Family Picnics and Fun Days rotate through seasons with hot dogs, hamburgers, and games for children and adults. Group outings have followed Macon Bacon baseball, Mercer Bears baseball, and Macon Mayhem hockey.
Children: Kidz for Christ, Godly Play, and a Safe Nursery
The Mulberry children's ministry, called Kidz for Christ and led by Director of Family Ministries Elisa Reece, welcomes children from infants through fifth grade. The nursery, staffed by caregivers certified in CPR, first aid, and Safe Sanctuaries training, opens at 9:45 am on Sundays. Children's Sunday School meets at 9:45 am on the second and fourth Sundays of the month in the Children's Wing on the second floor. On Sunday mornings before worship, KidzPRAIZE invites children in 4K through fifth grade to gather from 10:30 to 11:00 am for music and play.
During the eleven o'clock service, children in 4K through fifth grade are dismissed after the first hymn for Godly Play Children's Church in the Children's Wing. Godly Play is a Montessori-style storytelling approach that invites children to explore the stories of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the church through wonder and discovery. Ushers can direct families to the right classroom, and a volunteer walks the children to the room after the children's message.
Throughout the year, the children's ministry adds Movie Nights, Retreats, an Easter Egg Hunt on Coleman Hill, a Fall Festival, Christmas activities, and Vacation Bible School.
Youth: Sunday Nights, Confirmation, and Mission
The youth ministry serves students in grades 6 through 12 and meets weekly on Sunday evenings from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in the Youth Room on the third floor of the Education Building. Each gathering opens with a time of worship and games, continues with a teaching message and small groups, and ends with dinner.
Confirmation is offered to students in grades 6 through 8 on the second and fourth Sundays of the month from 9:45 to 10:45 am. The journey covers the Bible, the history of Methodism, the sacraments, and what it means to become a professing member of the United Methodist Church, ending with a confirmation retreat that emphasizes worship, reflection, Bible study, and team-building.
Special events through the year have included beach trips, the conference-wide River of Life retreat, Vacation Bible School, Friendsgiving, Christmas mission projects, and local service opportunities.
Music: The Ainsworth Choir and a Historic Pipe Organ
Music undergirds every Sunday at Mulberry. The Ainsworth Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 7:15 pm and sings at the eleven o'clock service, accompanied by Organist Daniel McIntosh at the pipe organ and grand piano. The choir welcomes anyone who enjoys singing; nursery care is provided during rehearsals so that parents of young children can participate. Worship is shaped by hymns sung from hymnals and by anthems offered by the choir, with string and reed players joining on occasion.
The church's grand pipe organ also takes center stage once a month when McIntosh leads an Organ Tour following worship on the third Sunday of the month. Visitors meet at the front of the sanctuary and walk into the pipe room to learn about the instrument's history and mechanics.
Macon Outreach: Soup, Groceries, and Clothing Since 1971
Tucked into the lower level of the church building, Macon Outreach is one of Mulberry's most visible works in downtown Macon. Founded at the church in 1971 and now working in cooperation with other congregations, businesses, and area services, the ministry serves more than 54,000 hot, nutritious meals each year from its downtown kitchen and distributes emergency groceries to roughly 7,000 families annually. A clothing closet supplements the food assistance. Volunteers are needed daily to serve breakfast or lunch, register clients, give hugs, and assist with the clothing closet and grocery pantry. The ministry accepts food, clothing, and monetary donations.
Adjacent to the church, the Outreach Community Garden at the corner of Walnut and New Streets supplements the pantry with fresh produce. Established in 2010, the garden yields strawberries, blackberries, figs, pomegranates, and grapes alongside cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, peppers, okra, sweet potatoes, beans, and peas. Volunteers plant and harvest on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
Mission Partners Across Middle Georgia
Mulberry's mission footprint extends well beyond its own walls. The congregation partners with the South Georgia Conference Disaster Response Ministry, supporting disaster relief through donations of goods and supplies and assembly of UMCOR flood buckets. Wesley Glen Ministries, a ministry of the South Georgia Conference, serves people with mental disabilities and their families. The Methodist Home, a faith-based organization, provides residential and community care for children and families across South Georgia. The Macon Volunteer Clinic, which opened its new downtown location in March 2025 in a building owned by Mulberry, provides free primary medical, dental, and eye care to uninsured working adults. DePaul Daybreak, a day and resource center, serves Macon's homeless population with hygiene, health, education, and job preparation services.
Weddings, Events, and the Historical Room
The church hosts weddings and other events in spaces that include the Sanctuary, the Fellowship Hall, the Parlor, the Conference Room, and several classrooms. Wedding Director Beth Smith coordinates logistics. Charlotte Kennington serves as the hospitality coordinator for non-wedding events.
The Historical Room, considered one of the finest in the Southeast, holds the church's archival treasures, including items dating to the earliest days of Georgia Methodism, and is open by appointment.
Beliefs and the Discipleship Pathway
Mulberry holds to the historic beliefs of the United Methodist Church. The church confesses faith in the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and affirms that every person is a beloved child of God, created in the divine image. The church teaches that the Bible reveals God's word and serves as the authority for matters of faith and practice, that the church is called to be an instrument of God's presence, and that the reign of God will triumph in compassion, justice, generosity, and peace.
Methodist theology has long emphasized three forms of grace. Prevenient grace is the divine love that surrounds every person before they are aware of it, stirring within them a desire to know God. Justifying grace is what reaches the repentant believer with pardon and acceptance, restoring them to a right relationship with God. Sanctifying grace is the continuing work of the Holy Spirit that nurtures growth in love of God and neighbor, what John Wesley called "Christian perfection," a heart "habitually filled with the love of God and neighbor."
The congregation frames its shared life around a Discipleship Pathway of Worship, Grow, Serve, and Give. Worship is the weekly rhythm of praise, confession, forgiveness, and sending. Grow names the discovery and development of God-given gifts for love and service. Serve names the giving of time and ability in support of the church's ministries and through prayer for the wider community. Give names the regular offering of financial resources in support of the church's work.
Mulberry welcomes everyone. "Whatever your ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation, you are welcome here," the congregation states. "If you have deep faith or searching faith, you are welcome. If you are struggling with sin or moving on to perfection you are welcome here." Communion is open to all who love Christ, earnestly repent of their sins, and seek to be at peace with one another.
The Clergy and Staff
The Mulberry staff is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Jack Varnell, an ordained United Methodist elder appointed to the church in September 2024. Jack grew up as the son of a United Methodist pastor in South Georgia, studied Religion and Philosophy at Valdosta State University, and graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2013. Associate Pastor Rev. Payton Stone, appointed in July 2022, came to Mulberry from Berry College and Duke Divinity School, where he earned a Certificate in Faith-Based Organizing, Advocacy, and Social Transformation. Since July 2025, Payton also serves as the pastor of The Bridge UMC, a new church start in Milledgeville within the North Georgia Annual Conference.
Terre Johnson serves as Director of Music and leads the Ainsworth Choir. Elisa Reece is Director of Family Ministries, overseeing children's, youth, and family programming. Daniel McIntosh serves as Organist and leads the monthly organ tours.
The Bicentennial Year
In 2026, Mulberry marked two hundred years on the corner of Mulberry and First Streets. The bicentennial theme, "Found Faithful at Mulberry & First," set the tone for a year of commemorations that included a 200-year history stroll led by historian Creede Hinshaw, a Mozart Requiem concert featuring the Georgia Southern Chorale and the Ainsworth Choir, a Cherry Blossom Organ Concert series, an Old City Flower Show, and a Bicentennial Celebration Sunday with Bishop Robin Dease of the South Georgia Conference preaching. As part of that celebration, the historic Mulberry bell was recommissioned for service after many years of silence.
Plan a Visit
A first visit to Mulberry begins at the parking lot on Mulberry Street or New Street. Coffee and donuts are served in the atrium from 9:30 am on Sunday morning. Sunday School classes meet at 10:00 am, and traditional worship follows at 11:00 am. Visitors can enter the sanctuary through the front steps or through the step-free atrium on the backside of the building, where an elevator leads to a wheelchair-accessible entry. The eleven o'clock service runs about an hour and is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Dress tends to be a bit more formal than at many churches, though all are welcome.
Children are invited to nursery care starting at 9:45 am, to Children's Sunday School on the second and fourth Sundays, to KidzPRAIZE at 10:30 am, and to Godly Play Children's Church during the service. Middle and high school students are invited to youth group on Sunday evenings from 4:00 to 6:00 pm and to Confirmation on the second and fourth Sundays at 9:45 am.
For weddings, event rentals, or pastoral care, the church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and on Sunday from 9:00 am to noon. An after-hours on-call line connects visitors to pastoral care in emergencies. Online giving is available. The church's weekly newsletter, published on Thursdays, offers another way to keep up with the life of the congregation.