Where we worship
The Rev. Charles Broome is pastor of Philadelphia United Methodist Church.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
PHILADELPHIA UNITED METHODIST
Address: 780 Old Louisville Road, Harlem, Ga. 30814
Telephone: 556-3299
Affiliation: United Methodist
Services: Sunday school: 9:45 a.m.; Sunday worship: 11 a.m.; Wednesday prayer meeting: 7 p.m.
Pastor: the Rev. Charles Broome
Congregation size: 110 adults, 20 children
Membership: Most who attend services are from Columbia County, Richmond County and McDuffie County.
Founded: 1879
"We don't know the month, but we recently celebrated our 125th year of ministry earlier this year, when we reconsecrated our newly remodeled sanctuary and fellowship hall."
Known for: "Years ago, Philadelphia was part of the group of churches called a circuit, which included Grovetown UMC, Lewis Memorial UMC and Riverview UMC," Broome said. "Each Sunday the preacher would preach in a different church. This meant that Philadelphia would have Sunday school each week and have a worship service only on the second Sunday of each month. Because of this, the tradition of having a covered-dish dinner on the second Sunday was born, which is carried on to this day. Friends of the church still find their way back on second Sundays."
Music: The church offers traditional hymns, gospel specials and contemporary music. The instruments include a piano and organ.
What would you say to someone who's thinking about giving your church a try? "If you are new to the area, come and see," Broome said. "If you want to experience a true fellowship of brotherly love, come and see."
What do you believe to be the biggest issue facing the faithful today? "The toughest issue that I see for the faithful is making sure that we give time each day to prayer and study,'' he said. "Faithful and fruitful lives can become faithless and fruitless very quickly when we give time to everything but prayer and study.''