Perry Methodist Church has stood on Carroll Street in Perry, Georgia for two hundred years. The congregation has marked this milestone with a community street party, special worship services, music, and a church-wide meal, then released its first worship album, a six-month project that brought together beloved hymns and new expressions of praise recorded by members of the church family. A commemorative cookbook has also been produced to mark the occasion. Through two centuries of change, the church's purpose has stayed the same: helping people know Jesus and experience His love and grace.
Two Centuries on Carroll Street
Generations have gathered on Carroll Street to hear God's Word, care for their neighbors, raise families in faith, and share the love of Christ with the community. The bicentennial milestone was a reminder that the same God who led Perry Methodist for two hundred years is still at work, and that the church's story is still being written. The main church entrance is on Carroll Street, and visitors are invited to come as they are.
Sunday Mornings at 9 and 11
Two identical traditional worship services are held each Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., each lasting about an hour. The services center on beloved hymns, prayer, Scripture reading, and a meaningful message, celebrating the love of Jesus while honoring generations of faith and tradition. The 11 a.m. service is livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person, and recordings remain available afterward.
Sunday School for all ages meets at 10 a.m., filling the gap between the two morning services. A dozen adult classes, ranging from young adults to seniors, singles and couples, meet throughout the campus. Some gather upstairs in the Education Building, others above the Sanctuary (stairs on the Main Street side), under the Sanctuary, or across the street in the church office conference room. Classes use Lifeway's Bible Studies for Life, David C Cook's Bible-in-Life, Lifeway's Explore the Bible, and Cokesbury Adult Bible Studies, with rotating teachers guiding Scripture-based discussion.
A Sanctuary Filled with Music
Music has long been a hallmark of Perry Methodist. The Sanctuary Choir sings at both Sunday services, and seasonal services throughout the church year are accompanied by orchestra. The choir's recent major works include Vivaldi's Gloria, Schubert's Mass in G, selections from Handel's Messiah, John Rutter's Magnificat, Robert Shaw's The Many Moods of Christmas, and John Leavitt's All Good Gifts. The choir has also performed commissioned pieces such as For I Know by John Behnke and The Word Became Flesh by Dan Goeller.
Dr. Carol Goff leads the music ministry, which extends well beyond the Sanctuary Choir:
- J.O.Y. Choir (Just Older Youth) - a choir for older adults that meets Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. in the Choir Room.
- Sanctuary Bells - the handbell ensemble, rehearsing Mondays from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Handbell Room.
- Seasonal services with orchestra, including the Christmas Cantata The Incarnation by K. Lee Scott, The Living Last Supper by Ruth Elaine Schram, and Rhapsody in Bluegrass: A Christmas Jubilee by Joseph Martin.
The church's first worship album, recorded to celebrate two hundred years of music at Perry Methodist, collects beloved hymns and new songs reimagined by church members. CDs are available by request.
Children, from Nursery through Fifth Grade
Children are a central part of life at Perry Methodist, and programming is offered for ages six weeks through fifth grade.
The Perry Methodist Nursery is open Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon and during most church events. Staffed by four caregivers who are mothers or teachers themselves, the nursery welcomes children from six weeks old through age four. Families enter through the door under the breezeway by the Blessing Box. A nursing room is available for mothers, and the church posts a packing list for diaper bags on its children's page.
Children's Church meets at 11 a.m. on the main floor of the Education Building for children age four (potty-trained) through first grade. Sunday School for ages three through fifth grade begins at 10 a.m., with classes divided by age using hands-on curricula that walk students through the Bible.
On Wednesday afternoons, Treehouse Trades gathers children from Pre-K (enrolled in a five-day program) through fifth grade from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for an after-school activity. Birthday Bingo, a monthly celebration of every child's birthday, is another highlight, along with the monthly Sunday School Shindig that brings a special theme to Sunday School.
One of the church's distinctive offerings is the LUCAS Ministry, which serves children and youth with special needs. A team of trained volunteers works during the Sunday school hour and the 11 a.m. service so that parents and caregivers can worship while their children are cared for. Families complete a LUCAS form before their first visit so volunteers can be prepared.
Youth Across the Street
The Youth Center sits across Carroll Street from the Sanctuary at 1005 Carroll Street and serves students in grades six through twelve. The mission of the youth ministry is to equip students to stand firm on the truth of God's Word, grow in His love, and live out His purpose in everyday life.
Sunday mornings begin with Sunday School at 10 a.m. Confirmation classes are part of the fall schedule. Wednesday evenings are the heart of the youth week: a 7 a.m. prayer breakfast (with transportation to Westfield and Perry High afterward), praise band practice at 5:30 p.m., $5 pizza at 6 p.m., and worship and small groups at 6:30 p.m. Nichole, the children's and youth ministry director, oversees the program and asks that each family complete an annual information form.
Reaching Out in Perry and Beyond
Missions are woven into the life of Perry Methodist, and the church points to several long-standing partnerships. Katie coordinates the missions ministry, and Kathy Cawthon oversees the Operation Christmas Child efforts. Highlights include:
- Blessing Box and Fridge: two yellow cabinets on the church campus where the community can take or leave food at any time. The box and fridge are restocked through regular donations.
- Community Assistance Program: on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, the church provides assistance with utilities, shelter, and food to individuals and families in Perry, available once every six months per family.
- Weekend Snack Sacks: each Friday during the school year, 500 snack bags are delivered to children in K-3rd grade at Morningside and Tucker Elementary who would otherwise go without food over the weekend. Volunteers package and deliver the sacks, funded by designated gifts.
- Hospice Casserole Ministry: the church provides casserole meals each month for distribution by local hospice to families caring for a loved one at the end of life. Homemade or store-bought meals are welcome, with a label required on each package.
- Operation Christmas Child: every fall, the church fills shoeboxes with essentials and gifts for underprivileged children overseas through Samaritan's Purse. A recent collection sent hundreds of boxes to children in the Philippines, Angola, and other locations.
- Family Promise of Greater Houston County: Perry Methodist serves as a host church in a rotating network that houses families experiencing homelessness for a week at a time while they find jobs and save money.
Men, Women, and Prime Time
Adult ministries give almost every stage of life a way to belong.
Methodist Men meet quarterly for a meal, fellowship, and service, supporting local, national, and international missions, coordinating service projects, responding to disasters, hosting Christian speakers, and supporting the Methodist Children's Home. A weekly men's prayer breakfast gathers on Tuesday mornings, and F3 (Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith) exercise meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:15 to 7 a.m. The F3 group is open to men of any age or background.
Methodist Women gather on the second Monday of each month at noon in the Fellowship Hall for lunch, fellowship, and a program, supporting local and global missions and the Methodist Children's Home in Macon. Mom's Fellowship Lunch meets monthly at restaurants around town for devotion and support, and the Caring Cards Ministry sends handwritten notes of encouragement to those who are sick, grieving, homebound, or celebrating.
Prime Time, led by Associate Pastor Rob Ray, is the senior adult ministry (55+) that meets monthly for a catered luncheon and a speaker from the community.
CenterStage for Christ
CenterStage for Christ is a Christian comedy theater group that grew out of an idea by Diane Kinsley in 2006. The group began producing original scripts with its second show and now stages two full-length comedies each year, drawing about 800 audience members per show. A new spring dinner mystery theater has joined the calendar, and ticket proceeds go entirely to charity. In February 2018, the group was asked to produce one of its original shows, The Cowardly Brian, for the Warner Robins Little Theater, where it played to near sell-out crowds. The group is funded by donations and is always looking for servers, set builders, and actors.
Cub Scouts on Monday Nights
Cub Scouts meet at the Youth Center on Monday evenings at 6 p.m., welcoming boys and girls ages five through ten. The troop focuses on activities that encourage good behavior and lifelong values. A full calendar is posted online, and Kevin Hall coordinates the program.
The Global Methodist Tradition
Perry Methodist is a congregation of the Global Methodist Church and is governed by its Book of Doctrines and Discipline. The church affirms Holy Scripture as the primary rule and authority for faith and life, and receives the historic doctrinal standards of the Global Methodist Church - the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Articles of Religion, the Confession of Faith, John Wesley's Standard Sermons, his Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, and the General Rules of the United Societies - as faithful witnesses to the teaching of Scripture.
The church's foundational statement affirms belief in one God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, fully God and fully human, whose death and resurrection make salvation possible. The church teaches that the Holy Spirit is active today, drawing people to Christ and empowering believers for ministry, and that God's grace both forgives and transforms. The Church is described as the Body of Christ, called to worship, proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, celebrate Baptism and Holy Communion, care for one another, and serve the world. The church looks forward with hope to the resurrection of the dead and the new heaven and new earth.
The church's mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe. Members seek to worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly, with every activity centered on helping people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.