Story by:
Alana Tinsley
Senior Reporter
It’s the closest you can get to God, with limited elbow room of course.
Tucked away off of exit 67 from US Hwy 17 S in northern McIntosh County, you’ll find a white cinder-block building nestled among Spanish moss-laced trees whose branches wildly intertwine with other oaks nearby. The exposed soil surrounding the building is the designated ‘parking lot’ for the lightly trafficked area.
Approaching the façade of the modest structure, there are two wooden park benches set up facing one another so visitors may hold conversations, or just enjoy the dampened South Georgia air.
Standing separately from the church, a bronzed bell tower serves as a symbolic beacon of purpose, much like the white wooden cross predominately placed atop of the place of worship.
What makes this church unique compared to any other, is the number of people it can hold. Upon entry, one immediately will notice only six pews, three on the left and three on the right.
Only 12 people can sit, excluding a pastor in the front to preach.
It proudly holds the title as The Smallest Church in America.
The quaint 190-square-foot building seems too small to be taken seriously, which is misleading to those who don’t know it’s history.
About 69 years ago, Darien, Georgia’s local grocer, Agnes Harper, decided to build “The Smallest Church in America.” With nearly almost zero support from her community, Harper defied all odds and did just that in 1949.
Following Harper’s death, Reverend Ward, who held mass every Sunday, took over until he too passed in 1986. Within Ward's last years of life, Otis Young and his wife became caretakers of the church alongside Rev. Patrick Young, son of Otis in Effie, then soon too got involved. After Otis’ death in 1993, Patrick became the sole caretaker of the church and property.
Young is the single component to the church’s survival. He shares that Harper dedicated this house of worship to God. Young believes that another factor for the building’s purpose is for Harper’s son’s death. He explained that her son was driving late one night and crashed, believing he fell asleep at the wheel.
“She wanted a place for people to be able to pull over and rest, and have the comfort of God right there with you.” Young said. “I think that’s a pretty good reason to just go down there and talk to God.”
Young shares that the church has only ever run on donations throughout its existence, and while he would love to upgrade the church and the property it rests upon, the location isn’t a highly-trafficked area and Young’s body is older. He can’t provide intensive labor like he could have before.
“I have plans to beautify it,” Young said. “I want have bright green grass out front and plant some flowers to liven it up and…”
Young’s list for future plans is endless. From getting pavers to laying down a parking lot for trucks and RVs, a new walkway down instead of the merely dirt to lead the path, and eventually dedicate an area to where people can get their loved one’s names engraved.
Young visits the church at least once a day to check on the property and any donations, as well as taking care of basic clean up. He visits at least once a day because the church is unlocked 24 hours for anyone in need; however, having it’s doors always open can attract the occasional vandal, Young said.
“Unfortunately back in 2015, on November 28, actually, what I was hopin’ people wouldn’t do… ruined it,” Young recelects.
According to an article by Jacksonville.com, the fire was reported just before 1 a.m.. Because of the church’s size, the smallest church was destroyed from suspected arson before firefighters could extinguish the flames.
Young expresses that the any visitor that stops by the little coastal secret immediately falls in love. Due to that connection, donations began to flood in within a few days after the fire’s devastation. The Smallest Church in America was fully rebuilt by springtime of the following year.
During the rebuilds the goal was to keep the integrity and design as close as possible to Harper’s original, however, when the church was originally built, Harper had installed stained-glass windows that were imported from England. Certain aspects can’t be replaced.
The church holds a nondenominational service every third Sunday, but since the building lacks heat and air conditioning it can be difficult to have a turnout during extreme weather conditions, Young said.
While the twelve-seater church offers mass, people visit from all across the United State. Some come just visit, and others come for huge moments in life.
“We’ve even had a young lady and man come all the way from Pennsylvania, just to get married here,” Young said.
