Irine Keebaugh hadn’t visited the church in decades, since leaving the New Holland community and later joining a Baptist church.
So, Sunday’s trip to New Holland United Methodist in Gainesville was especially meaningful, bringing back childhood memories.
“I’d get up and walk down here from Quarry Street,” she said.
Keebaugh just had to see the old white clapboard building, with its tall steeple, wooden pews and ornate stained-glass windows, one last time before it closed its doors for good.
Tears falling, she said she couldn’t believe that “people who loved this church and loved to come to it” aren’t attending any longer.
“I know there has to be Methodist people who live here in New Holland. So why didn’t they come here?” Keebaugh said.
The church, which opened at the turn of the 20th century, announced last week it would hold its last worship service Sunday morning.
Its pastor, the Rev. Paul Youngblood, said the Gainesville congregation had dwindled to the point it couldn’t afford the costs of operation. Recently, there have been only five active members.
“Churches are basically living entities,” he said. “Sometime they thrive, and sometime they close.”
Located at 2 Spring St., the church met with Richard Chewning, Gainesville District superintendent of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, on Tuesday night and voted to close, according to the sole item listed under “recent events” in Sunday’s church bulletin.
The service began as most others, with members and visitors filing in the front door, taking a bulletin and mingling for a few moments before taking a seat.
After a lighting of candles and opening prayer, the congregation read the Apostles’ Creed and sang a couple of traditional hymns, “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace.” Keebaugh’s husband, Roger, sang “Surely the Presence of the Lord” while strumming a guitar.
Eventually, about 50 people, many of whom were former members or visitors, filled the red-carpeted sanctuary.
“I usually would ask the members to greet the visitors, but most of you have been here much longer than I have, so welcome to all of you,” Youngblood said.
He went on to pray, acknowledging the church’s last service in his words.
“This is just another chapter in the long history of this community,” he said. “Father God, it is our prayer that this building, its property will be reused in the future with a new congregation, that life will spring forth here even more abundantly.”
Youngblood passed on giving the church’s last sermon, deferring to Chewning.
“There are just too many emotions, too many memories here,” Youngblood said. “I can’t do it.”
In his sermon, Chewning exhorted the congregation to keep the faith despite the circumstances.
“Is this a sad day? Yes. Do we grieve? Yes,” he said. “But do we not also have faith and are we also certain of things we hope for and not yet seen?”
Chewing also said, “We may not be certain about how God is going to use this place, but folks, we are certain that God is going to use this place.”
“Amen,” the congregation responded.
The service ended with a final hymn, “Because He Lives,” the candles being put out and a closing prayer.
“The candles are out, but our hope is not out,” Youngblood said.
As for his own future, the pastor said he is not certain.
“God doesn’t always share his plans beforehand,” he said.
The bulletin also stated thanks for Youngblood’s service: “We wish Paul the best as he moves forward in his ministry.”
The service also featured a time of testimony and reflection on the church’s past, with several people recalling Sunday school teachers, weddings and baptisms, and even one member’s dog who used to wander in and sit through services.
Lynn Maynard, one of the longtime members, was emotional as she spoke after the service about the church and its place in her life.
“I think it’s more the memories,” she said. “But they’re good memories.”
She now plans to start worshipping at a church near her home in Murrayville.
“It’s a small country church, kind of like this one,” Maynard said.