A HISTORY OF FRIENDSHIP PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

In 1836, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church recorded the organization of Friendship Presbyterian Church of Concord, Georgia during the year 1835. 

Rev. J.Y. Alexander and Rev. A.M. Mooney were the organizers of the church. Friendship Presbyterian Church was one of forty churches in the Hopewell Presbytery of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia.  

From 1835 to 1869,  Friendship church was located about four miles from its present site on what is now Bottoms Road. The old cemetery of the original church is located at the intersection of several Indian trails now designated as Bottoms Road and West Road.

Most of the records of Friendship church prior to 1918 are extremely limited because all records were burned as a result of fire in the home of Elder D.P. Blake during that year.  

After 1835, Rev . W.J. Keith supplied the church for a number of years as pastor and in 1849, Rev. Andrew J. Peden became pastor and served for 23 years.  Rev. Peden was succeeded by Rev. L.H. Wilson who was pastor for three years. 

The minutes of the 1862 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church record that Rev. Henry Safford served Friendship as a “Domestic Missionary” during the difficult days of the Civil War.  There were about forty members of the church at that time.

From 1835-1869, west Pike County was settled by several Presbyterian families as well as families from other denominations.  A store, a post office and a school were built in a community that came to be known as Pedenville, named for its many Peden families. 

In 1869, construction  of  the  present  church began.  It was an effort to make the church more central to its  growing membership.  The  project  was under the direction of W.A. Hollon, after  whom the town of Hollonville was named. The church was erected on the same grounds  as  the Pedenville school house. The land for the new church was given by Andrew Wier Blake and Eli Hood.

The  church  was completed  in 1870 and dedicated in 1871 by Rev. Andrew J. Peden who resumed the  pastorate.  Rev. Peden was assisted by Rev. L.H. Wilson.  He served as pastor at the current church until 1896.  Records from the late 1800’s reflect that Rev. Peden was paid a salary of $300.00 per year for his pastoral services.

One of the most unique features of the church are the hand-hewn pews. They were dedicated in 1871, are still in use today.  The pews are unique in that they have a wooden partition in the middle of the church. The partition separated the men from the women, which was the custom in those days.  The original pulpit and entrance doors of the church are still in use today.  The doors, however, were moved to the front of a narthex which was added to the church structure in 1983.

In 1896, Rev. Andrew J. Peden died and Rev. J. Edwin Hemphill began serving as pastor for Friendship.  Rev. Hemphill continued in this capacity until 1904 at which time the church became inactive.  For a period of twelve years, the church stood vacant with no services being held from 1904 through 1916.  This was not uncommon among small rural churches as populations shifted from the countryside to more urban areas.

The church structure and the cemetery needed repair during this inactive period. But once again in 1916, Friendship became active.   Rev. J. Edwin Hemphill served as pastor as the church became vital again. For several years, church services were held only once a month with morning and evening services.  Pastors often served at least two churches and had to travel considerable distances in order to lead the churches they served.   Church members would take turns hosting the pastor on these Sundays.

From 1933-1949, Rev . W.G. Harry served as pastor. While Rev. Harry served as pastor, the church had afternoon services as Rev. Harry was shared as minister with Presbyterian churches in Greenville and Manchester, Georgia.  

When electricity came to Concord, the Concord Christian Church donated its carbide lights to Friendship. In 1943, when electricity came to the Pedenville community, large white globes were suspended from the ceiling with pull string switches. To finance the new electrical lights,  church members were creative.  They saw that bees had made hives at the front doors and in the rear of the church.  The honey was removed from the hives and sold in order to finance the new lights.

One of the most enduring legacies of Friendship Presbyterian church has been its vital and caring congregation.  The members have been faithful through the years and because of that they have preserved an important part of Georgia history for future generations.  

Appreciation goes to Martha Johnson, the church organist, for furnishing most of the above history.