In
1958, the outlying area to the south of the city of Savannah,
known as White Bluff, was sparsely populated. Oakhurst, Paradise
Park, and Windsor Forest were beginning to put down roots. The
Superintendent of the Savannah District Methodist Church, the
Reverend Dr. Anthony Hearn, and the Vice President of the Savannah
Board of Mission, the Rev. Thomas H. Johnson, together envisioned
a new congregation to serve the growing south side area of Savannah.
The call had come for the new church.
Rev. Johnson was appointed chairman of a Guiding Committee to
find suitable property for a church location on White Bluff Road.
Five acres of land located at 11911 White Bluff road, with a frame
cottage and a small block building, once used as a store, was
purchased for $16,000. Expansion Day funds, a loan from Mrs. Luisa
P. Walker, and a matched amount from Dr. W.T. Knight, Sr., provided
the monies necessary for the transaction. An area promotional
meeting was held in the block building on January 25, 1959, and
a survey of area residents was favorable. A date for a planning
meeting was set and letters of invitation were mailed.
Growth
in numbers and commitment of the young south side church led to
a bold expansion program. In 1961, ground-breaking for the first
permanent building, under the chairmanship of Mr. Stuart Knight,
was established and the construction commenced for a sanctuary/fellowship
hall (now Horton Hall), a kitchen and classrooms. Trinity Methodist
Church of Savannah, White Bluff’s mother church, contributed $10,000
to White Bluff’s Building Fund on the condition that the church
supply matching funds, which were quickly raised.
Enthusiasm
(a word which has its roots in the words "God breathed") was flowing
through the body of Christ at White Bluff and many of traditions
began in the first four years of the founding of the church. The
name of the church was changed to White Bluff Methodist Church,
in May 1961. In 1962, the women of the church organized weekly
Church Night Suppers and the Women’s Society of Christian Service
(later The United Methodist Women) began. 1968 was a year of dramatic
change for Methodism. The Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical
United Brethren and our new name became With Bluff United Methodist
Church. The church became incorporated in 1970 and later that
same year plans for an educational wing were finalized.
Steady
growth and faithfulness brought the construction of our third
and present sanctuary which was consecrated on January 9, 1977.
This is built in the shape of the cross. The nave is alter-centered,
the altar table being in the exact center of the room, symbolizing
that God is present in our midst and hopefully at the center of
all we do personally and as the family of God. The altar table
is located directly below the finial where the exposed beams intersect.
Above the finial is the steeple, reaching 90 feet into the sky,
lifting high the cross. The stained-glass
windows are made of one-inch thick faceted glass
set in 5/8-inch thick epoxy. The three large windows depict the
Holy Trinity.
With the multitude
of ministries expanding at White Bluff, more room was needed in
which the people could serve and be served. In 1986, planning
began for a "Christian Life Center" which was consecrated on April
29, 1990. This new facility provided 22,600 sq. ft. of additional
classrooms, sports area, church office and conference rooms.
Today
our church is a thriving Christian community of hundreds of families
that love and care for one another and are committed to the original
purpose statement of the church: "To develop and practice our
faith in God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, through loving
concern for our fellow church members, for others in our community,
and for our distant neighbors throughout the world."
Note:
This is just a brief history of our church. A more comprehensive
history "The first 35 years, 1959 - 1994" is available in book
form in our church office.
