Silver Creek Presbyterian Church

On August 31, 1875, God led fourteen people with a strong belief in their Presbyterian heritage and a desire to worship and serve Jesus Christ, to form Silver Creek Presbyterian Church. The church was a small building built in about 1833 as a Primitive Baptist Church whose members had since moved away to the community of Wax. It was located in a rural wooded area just south of Rome near present-day Lindale. The building was situated directly on the road in a bend of the spring-fed Silver Creek. The property had originally been part of the large Larkin Bennett plantation. The family deeded the property to the Trustees of the church in 1875 for $5.00, so long as it was used only as a church.

The Reverend J. D. Burkhead, an evangelist of Cherokee Presbytery, preached for the founding group and ordained and installed E. R. Lumpkin and R. H. Porter as ruling elders. Over the years the size of the congregation has at times waxed and waned. During the peak years, when the mill town of Lindale was in its heyday, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church was the main church hub of the entire community. In the 1950′s the road that passed in front of the church was moved to the other side of the creek away from the church to avoid having to ford Silver Creek three times. The church members responded by picking the little white church up and turning it 90 degrees to the east so it continued to face toward the road. At about the same time a two-story addition was built on the back, which included classrooms, a kitchen and restrooms.

Our historic church is also said to be the site where confederate soldiers held annual reunions and where President Woodrow Wilson, a Presbyterian, picnicked on the grounds as he was courting his soon-to-be-bride who was from Rome.

A deep belief in God, a sense of mission to the community, and an ecumenical spirit have remained strong throughout the life of this church family. Current ministry opportunities include a food pantry, clothing closet, adoption of a primary school, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Habitat for Humanity and disaster relief. We also have joint Easter Sunrise services and joint VBS with other area churches.

We have grown from 60 to over 100 members in last 5 years. In response to God’s urging the session approved the “Drawing Near to God” campaign — a plan for taking the bounteous beauty of the church site and developing it into a place of retreat, meditation and respite for the use of others in the area and across the presbytery. The completed work will have walking paths, a serenity garden, and a large lighted pavilion.

Our founding fathers followed God’s will and served the community and were active both within and beyond the church walls. Today, the faces and names of the church family are different, but the Holy Spirit still moves us to fulfill the Christ’s Great Commission!