Wilmington Island Methodist Church sits on a quiet stretch of Wilmington Island Road, just east of Savannah in coastal Georgia. As a member congregation of the Global Methodist Church, it identifies itself as theologically traditional and Wesleyan, gathering each Sunday around a single blended service that mixes contemporary songs and classic hymns. Its mission statement is simple and direct: to make disciples of Jesus Christ by inviting, incorporating, nurturing, and serving. That fourfold rhythm shapes everything from Sunday morning to midweek dinners, music rehearsals, recovery meetings, a Christian preschool, and mission partnerships that reach from coastal Georgia to Kenya and Honduras. The church's logo carries the same identity: a cross rendered in the blue of the Global Methodist Church, paired with the letters W and I that mirror the shape of the stained-glass windows at the front of the sanctuary.
One Sunday service at ten o'clock
The Sunday schedule centers on a single worship service at 10:00 AM, preceded by Sunday school for all ages at 9:00 AM. The service lasts between sixty and ninety minutes and follows a blended pattern that combines contemporary choruses with traditional hymns, anchored by a sermon from the senior pastor. The words for every song, scripture reading, and prayer, including the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, are projected on screens mounted at the front of the sanctuary, so visitors do not need a bulletin or hymnal to follow along. Dress is open: members arrive in everything from suits to shorts, and the church's simple guidance is to wear whatever is comfortable. Services are livestreamed each week on YouTube and Facebook for those who cannot attend in person.
Beliefs in the Wesleyan tradition
Wilmington Island Methodist describes itself as a theologically traditional church in the Wesleyan tradition that stands on the Scriptures as contained in the Old and New Testaments. Its statement of belief covers the one true, holy, and living God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the person of Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, who lived, died, rose again, ascended, and will return; the work of the Holy Spirit in calling, comforting, and guiding believers; the Bible as the rule and guide for faith and practice so far as it is necessary for salvation; the Church as the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ; and the two sacraments ordained by Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, as means of grace. As part of the Global Methodist Church, the congregation shares its denomination's mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe.
Pastor Doug Walker and the staff
The pastoral leadership of Rev. Douglas James Walker is a defining presence at the church. Pastor Doug and his wife, Lynn, came to Wilmington Island in June 2020 after serving several churches across South Georgia. He grew up in Camilla, Georgia, graduated from Westwood Academy, earned a History degree from Georgia Southern University in 1986, and received his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, in 1990. Lynn, a retired public school teacher of thirty years, plays the organ and sings in the chancel choir. The Walkers have four children and four grandchildren.
Around Pastor Doug is a ministry team that runs the week-to-week life of the church. Caitlin Long Borges directs music and works in donor relations at Georgia Southern; she sang in the chancel choir and played in the bell choir while growing up at WIMC and holds degrees from Georgia Southern and Florida State. Donna Bazemore leads children's and family ministries and brings more than thirty years of experience in that work, including service in southeast Georgia and southern California, with a Bachelor of Ministry from Covington Theological Seminary. Angie Wittenberg directs youth ministry and came to Savannah in 2011 after a background that includes six years with Youth With a Mission in Xining, China. Wendy Amerson runs the preschool program after years of teaching kindergarten and fifth grade in Georgia public schools.
WIMC Kids from nursery through fifth grade
Children's ministry at WIMC, called WIMC Kids, is built around a single phrase: "Connecting Kids to Jesus." On Sunday mornings the rhythm begins with a children's sermon during the service; afterward children are dismissed to Children's Church, where the lesson is designed for them and coordinated with Pastor Doug's sermon. Small group Bible learning meets from 9:00 to 9:45 AM, with two classes, Pre-K through second grade and third through fifth grade. A nursery is provided throughout the morning for children under three. A points-for-rewards system encourages attendance, Bible memory, and daily Bible reading, with a quarterly shopping trip using earned points. During the school year, a Drama Club meets Sunday mornings from 11:30 AM to noon for children ages five through fifth grade who love to sing and act, and these presentations become part of worship services throughout the year.
Wednesday nights with food, friends, and fun
From August through May, Wednesday evenings bring the whole church family together. Dinner is served in the Fellowship Hall at 5:15 PM, with kids heading to Room 10 for games, crafts, and stories while adults stay in the hall for a Bible study or program with Pastor Doug. The evening runs until about 6:30 PM. Reservations are taken through the Sunday bulletin connect card or by emailing the church office on Monday morning.
Youth in grades six through twelve
Middle and high school students meet for Sunday school at 9:00 AM in the Youth Room. The youth ministry works closely with parents and welcomes questions through the church's contact form.
A blend of chancel choir, hand bells, and praise band
Music is a central thread at WIMC and runs through three ensembles that span traditional and contemporary styles. The Chancel Choir sings each week in worship, helps with hymn singing, and presents special musicals at Easter and Christmas. Open to youth and adults, it rehearses Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 PM, with the month of July off. The Hand Bell Choir rings periodically through the year, rehearsing Sundays after the 10:00 AM service, and is open to youth and adults. The Praise Band is a six to eight person ensemble of singers, guitarists, keyboard, and drums that prepares contemporary songs each Sunday and rehearses Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:15 PM. Anyone interested in joining any ensemble can contact the music director at music@islandmethodist.com.
Small groups, classes, and studies
Adult formation at WIMC is built around several Sunday school classes that meet in the education wing and library before worship: Single on Sunday, originally for women who come to church alone and now open to all; New Beginnings, a discussion-based Bible study for adults of all ages; Class for Christ, biblically based and discussion oriented; the Friendship Class, a large group of senior adults with quarterly socials and in-class singing; and the Good Book Class, which uses videos and books to study books of the Bible. Outside of Sunday morning, a Thursday morning Bible study meets at 10:00 AM through the academic year, currently working through Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Women's Circles gather monthly, with Agape on the third Thursday at 6:30 PM and Outreach on the fourth Thursday at 7:00 PM. The Widows' Fellowship meets the first Tuesday of each month at noon. Methodist Men meets the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM for breakfast and a program. Wesley Walkers, a three-mile walking group, meets every Tuesday at 9:15 AM, rain or shine, year round. A prayer group gathers every Wednesday at 4:15 PM in the church library.
Celebrate Recovery on Thursday nights
For those carrying hurts, habits, or hang-ups, Celebrate Recovery of the Islands meets at WIMC on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM in the education wing, following the program's purpose of helping people find freedom and healing through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Reaching beyond Wilmington Island
Mission outreach is built into the church's identity and supported by a missions committee that welcomes new ideas. Locally, WIMC partners with People Helping People, the Inner City Night Shelter, Wesley Community Center, PACK Savannah, Unto the Least of His, Safe Shelter, The Living Vine, A.B. Williams Elementary School, the Salvation Army, and a church-based food bank. Nationally and globally the congregation supports Mission on the Move and Operation Christmas Child, and prayerfully and financially backs two missionary families: James and Shelley Myrick, who serve at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya, with African Inland Mission, and A.J. Ford, who works with Mission on the Move in Santa Elena, Honduras. Past mission trips have gone to Santa Elena and to Tapachula, Mexico.
A Christian preschool accredited with honors
The Wilmington Island Methodist Preschool is a Christian preschool accredited with honors by the Georgia Accreditation Commission. It offers preschool classes for ages two through four and a Mother's Morning Out program for ages six months through two years, including classes for six to fifteen month olds and another for sixteen to twenty-three month olds. The preschool maintains a nurturing, Christian environment focused on learning, play, growth, and reinforcing God's love for each child. Families can request an information packet, complete a new student form, or email preschool@islandmethodist.com.
A restored sanctuary and a refreshed church
The sanctuary was built in the 1970s and, after years of wear, the Sanctuary Restoration Committee concluded that the pews, which had veneer finishes and particle-board components, could not be repaired. Renovations began in January 2025 and were completed in three short weeks, including pew replacement and broader repairs and updates to the sanctuary, accomplished without cutting missions and ministries budgets and with many volunteers giving their time and labor. The sanctuary's stained-glass windows at the front, which mirror the W and I of the church's logo alongside the cross in Global Methodist blue, are a defining feature of the worship space.
RightNow Media and a digital library
Members and regular attenders have free access to RightNow Media, a streaming library of more than 20,000 Bible study and family-friendly videos, accessible on computers, phones, and streaming devices. The library includes series on books of the Bible plus resources on marriage, parenting, finances, mental health, kids' content, and more. The church also provides a member directory through Instant Church Directory, available as both a PDF and an app, and gathers families around shared Bible reading through The Bible Recap, a daily chronological plan paired with a short podcast.