Opening New Doors – In the Beginning

One hundred years ago, in the spring of 1922, following World War I, a group of people from the Brookhaven community began worshipping in a small log cabin where the present buildings are located. In 1923, they organized as the Brookhaven Methodist Church.  
 
The 37 Charter members had very meager funds but working at night by automobile lights, they managed to erect a small building on the northeast corner of North Druid Hills and Peachtree Roads.  Shortly afterwards, they discovered that the title to the land was not clear.  The congregation dismantled the building and moved to another site.  They held their first service in that building in the fall of 1925. Our congregation was determined to have a place to meet and worship.
 
The church constructed the present building in 1948 and held the first service in the sanctuary on April 18. Again, determined to meet the need for a place to meet for study and activities, they completed the much needed Educational Building in July 1957. The official name became Brookhaven United Methodist Church in 1968 with the merger of various Methodist entities and the Evangelical United Brethren Church
 
Over the years, this church became the home for members of two other United Methodist Churches, Oglethorpe and Cokesbury when their churches were closed.   Brookhaven United Methodist continues to serve God in this community through worship, service, study and fellowship.
 
Opening New Doors - To the Community and World    
 
The Brookhaven United Methodist Church has a long history of service and outreach. For over forty years our Child Development Center has offered a full day enrichment program for up to 100 children ages six weeks to pre-K in a caring, Christian environment. Another large ministry is our Recovery Ministry Program. We have been a pioneer in the area of supportive addiction recovery as a discipleship focus for men and women in our community. Over two hundred persons weekly are touched through recovery meetings, Bible study, worship, meals and activities. The Clothes Closet providing free clothing and necessities, Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Bags are also part of the ministry.
 
Many outreach projects include National Day of Service participation through making sandwiches for the homeless and health kits for Haiti Earthquake victims; Saturdays of Service, assisting neighbors who need help with home projects; providing space for community groups such as the Census Bureau, Latin American Association, summer camps, Georgia Tech International Student Fellowship, Redentor Vive Hispanic Congregation, Telugu Indian Congregation, and neighborhood associations.
 
Many other ministries support those in need locally and around the world. Operation Christmas Child, Habitat for Humanity, the Brookhaven Community Food Bank, community school supply drives, the Wesley Walk for Others and many other Christian & United Methodist agencies are included in our outreach. Our United Methodist Women also provide local and global missions support. Through our recent Costa Rica mission trips, we developed a relationship that now supports a missionary couple in Thailand. Other mission trips included home repair and Katrina relief in Kentucky and New Orleans. Our Empowering/Outreach Committee also supports community events such as Trick or Trunk, Breakfast with Santa, “Eggs”Travaganza, and Bingo, Ball & Barbeque. 
 
The congregation of Brookhaven UMC seeks to reflect the same diversity of the community it serves. The surrounding community has grown by almost 6,000 people in the last 20 years and is projected to add another 2,000+ in the next five years. The community has a diverse population economically, educationally and ethnically. Brookhaven United Methodist Church may be a small membership church, but our desire to reach out and serve the community and the world is large! 
 
Opening New Doors - To All
 
God has done marvelous things for us as evidenced by the energy that is buzzing through our congregation! A few years ago, we were determined yet again for our building to open its doors to all as we tackled the challenge of accessibility for the handicapped. In 2011, we undertook a renovation of our sanctuary, realizing our ultimate goal of making disciples for Jesus Christ by ensuring access to all who wish to enter via a ground level side entrance to the sanctuary which continues through the chancel area allowing access to the Educational Building. Our “opening doors” has helped us make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by opening our space to every person! The door is open for you, and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday.