St. Alban’s & Grace United Methodist

This is excerpted from an online article by Michelle Hiskey, March 3, 2025.  Read the full article here:  https://episcopalatlanta.org/news/albans-umc/

In June 2023, a pastor and a 60-member congregation in Elberton were left without a church home due to the upheaval in the United Methodist Church caused by differing beliefs about discriminatory language and bans related to ministry.

That pastor, Jim McCollough, and his leadership team met in homes to pray and discern next steps. McCollough then contacted Fr. Reid Hamilton, priest-in-charge at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church and asked if his congregation might have a temporary home at St. Alban’s.

Hamilton agreed without hesitation. The arrangement has worked so well that today, Grace United Methodist Church (80 members) is a permanent “resident congregation” at St. Alban’s and a vital co-participant in worship and ministry.

Sunday at St Alban’s, the Episcopal congregation worships at 9:00 am and Grace meets at 10:30 am. Every Thursday, the two congregations share Noonday Prayer, lunch, and Bible study. Additionally, they sometimes hold joint worship services, such as Christmas Eve, Easter Sunrise, and when each denomination’s Bishop came for visits, one in July 2024 and the other in November 2025.