History
In 1830 William Killian moved his family from McMinnville, Tennessee, and settled about one mile north of Trenton, GA. At that time, there were a few scattered Cherokee Indian cabins, but other non-Native families would soon begin arriving in the area.
With preachers from Tennessee arriving to preach in individual family cabins in the early 1830s, the establishment of our church predates the establishment of Dade County in December of 1837.
The first church building was a community church deeded to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In 1875, James A. Case donated land for the building of a Methodist church. A large one-room church was built beyond the railroad track east of the square. It was dedicated in 1883. Unfortunately, the church burned sometime after 1925.
Our next church building, still used today for a variety of church ministries, was constructed in 1931 on land donated by William Gross. Once again, members and friends of the congregation erected the new church, many of whom were descendants of original pioneers in the area.
A parsonage was built on the church lot at the corner of First Street and Main Avenue in 1943. The educational building, consisting of five church school rooms and a fellowship hall, was erected in 1956.
In 1986, the old parsonage became the Annex of the church to be used for Sunday school classes and various other congregational and community meetings.
1996 ushered in an exciting new phase in the life of our church. In September of that year, we broke ground on a project to construct a new facility to include a new gym and kitchen, office spaces, and classrooms. Through tremendous congregational support, in November of 1997, we dedicated this new facility as the Family Life Center.
In 2001, we purchased the city block directly behind the church. Through the diligent work of parents and youth, the block building was completely renovated and used for youth meetings. More recently, it has become space for our offices, the food pantry, and a headquarters for several community ministries.
Easter Sunday, 2004 was our first Sunday in the beautiful 500-seat sanctuary on the corner of E. First Street and Main. In 2005, the kitchen, fellowship hall, and educational areas in the new church were completed.
When deadly tornadoes ripped through Dade County and the surrounding area in April 2011, our church served as the center for community relief by providing meals, shelter, clothing, and innumerable other needs for families impacted by the storms. In the midst of tragedy, our church dedicated itself to fulfilling the greatest of commandments: to love our neighbors as ourselves.
In recent years, our church has maintained its emphasis on community engagement, training young people in the foundations of the Christian life through the scriptures, caring for the aging in our congregation and beyond, and fostering shared purpose and collaborative mission with other churches in Dade County.
In 2023, our congregation chose to chart a new path of mission and evangelism separate from the United Methodist Church and re-established itself as Trenton Methodist Church.
With humility and eagerness, we move forward into this new chapter in our Church’s history praying that the Lord will equip us to even more boldly do His work in our community so that we might bear witness to His love and teachings.