Second Presbyterian to mark 103 years this month

Oct. 22—Like the Biblical figure of Job, Brunswick Second Presbyterian Church has been through its own trials. And, like Job, the congregation has kept its faith and continued through tough times.

It was on the second chamber of the Book of Job that Pastor Benjamin Holmes based his sermon last Sunday. As the story goes, Satan believed that all humans would renounce God to save their own lives. To prove him wrong, God allowed Satan to subject Job, one of the most faithful believers at the time, to all sorts of tribulation.

In the second chapter, Job's wife questions his desire to stay true and tells him to simply "curse God and die."

Job's response?

"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

In the 103 years since its founding, Second Presbyterian has accepted all that God has given, both the good and the bad.

Sheree Atkinson, a member of the church since childhood and now one of its elders, didn't mince words. Sometimes the church met only once a month. For a while, it shared a minister with another church, and for some time it operated with none at all.

One of her earliest and most vivid memories was from a time when the services were held at 8 a.m., much too early.

"I still had the rollers in my hair and my gown and my robe on," she said.

That did not go over well with the elders of the day. You showed up on time, you dressed appropriately, maintained a positive attitude and, when spoken to, you were polite and courteous.

"(The pastor at the time) said 'I feel like tanning you until your hide drops off, this is your first warning ... if you ever appear here at church in your pajamas again, it's me and you,'" she said.

Being out of line got you on the wrong side of the likes of Mrs. Cassells, Dora Bryant, Joan Boone or Ethel Griffin — all of whom were very influential, but very strict, on the young Atkinson and other current elders. Being asked to light the candles during service was an honor a child did not refuse, or they risked the wrath of Mr. Arthur Carter, she continued.

Those elders would keep tabs on the unruly sorts and line them up at the back of the church when services were over, wrapping them on the knuckles or pinching their arms in punishment. Nothing particularly bad, but enough no make sure there wasn't a repeat.

Despite the punishments that often ensued, Atkinson and others who grew up in the church recalled with much laughter that they were not often dissuade them from being themselves.

"To this day I still know how to do a face that's unhappy and not get caught," Atkinson said. "But at this church, there was always love here, and always somebody to inspire you."

Several families go back generations. Vivian Flowers, another elder, is in the middle of six generations of her family who have attended. Her parents and grandparents attended, as do some of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Elder Elaine Griffin's family has been in the church for three generations.

While she couldn't attend in person, Elder Keesha Ferguson watches via video conference. She's been in the church since early childhood as well, among three generations of her family at the church.

They're only three of several families still attending. While she's much younger and doesn't share the same memories, they resonate with Odet Douglass, whose father Orion also attends.

"A lot of us have grown up in the church. Not everybody, which makes us so diverse as a church," Douglass said.

While the congregation is smaller now — around two dozen or so — the old, traditional church is still there. As such, Griffin considers Second Presbyterian part of the microchurch movement. Rather than getting bogged down in that tradition of strict Sunday morning services, the congregation prefers to be small and nimble, able to tackle the needs of their community at a moment's notice.

"We don't just judge our success anymore by the number of people we have," Griffin said. "How many people do you touch every other day of the week?"

In fact, the church is in a very good financial position today, said Orion Douglass. Despite few members, the church has maintained a community outreach arm, giving out food for Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia from the small garden next door to those in need. It has rarely made any effort to advertise these giveaways, word spreads quickly enough through the tight-knit community around Albany Street.

"I don't know how, but we have never gotten into a position where we are not financially solvent," Douglass said.

The next distribution is on Nov. 5, he added.

On a wooded lot a few blocks down Albany Street, the church plans to build a multi-use education and cultural center for the neighborhood, offering access to computers as well.

At 11 a.m. on Oct. 30, the church will celebrate its 103rd anniversary and rededicate itself to its new mission: "Renewing our hope in changing times." Brunswick Mayor Cosby Johnson will attend as the speaker and special guest.

Times have indeed changed, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Holmes. Now more than ever, the world needs faith and hope for the future. Second Presbyterian is going to be a force for good in that arena, he said.

The church always accepts donations and volunteers to help with the mission. For more information, contact brunswick2ndpresbyterian@gmail.com. Checks made out to Brunswick Second Presbyterian Church can be mailed to 1901 Albany St., Brunswick, GA 31520, or drop it off in the mail slot at that address.