Collins Memorial United Methodist Church

Website: www.collinsumc.org

Services: 11 a.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. Wednesday

Worship style: Traditional

Average attendance: 50-60 Sunday, 150 Wednesday

Minister: The Rev. Randy Walworth

Denomination affiliation: United Methodist

History

On Oct. 16, 1908, the church was organized with 29 charter members. The present building was finished in October 1909, with three stained-glass windows that depict Christ knocking at the door, Christ the gentle shepherd and an angel pointing to an empty tomb.

Pastor’s path

The Augusta native attended St. Luke United Methodist in downtown Augusta as a child, and “early on felt the call to ministry.” He graduated from Augusta College (now Augusta State University) in 1976 with a degree in history, and moved to Atlanta to enroll in Candler School of Theology, where he graduated in 1979.

During his last year of college in Augusta, he was a student pastor for a five-point circuit in the Augusta district. While attending Candler, he served Shiloh UMC in Forsyth County. Walworth served churches in the Gainesville district for 22 years before moving to the Rome-Carrollton district and then to Collins in 2003.

Ministries

Every Wednesday, the church hosts a 45-minute informal worship service at 9 a.m., and members open the food pantry after the service ends -- closing at noon. When the pantry opened about eight years ago, Walworth and the church office worker gave away 15 bags of food each week.

In 2008 as the needs of community residents began to increase, church member Cindy Corona volunteered to direct the pantry. “She’s a super organizer and has a generous heart,” Walworth said. “She’s done a marvelous job with the food pantry. We had no idea it was going to grow like this.”

An average of 300 food bags are given out each Wednesday. Of the 18 to 20 volunteers that help, nine or 10 of them are Collins members. Others come from neighboring churches of all denominations.

As more folks came to the church each Wednesday for food, Walworth realized there was an opportunity to offer food for the soul as well.

“It’s the preacher in me. I see all these people come to church, and I want to do a service for them,” he said. “It has become an ecumenical service. Probably half of the people who attend Wednesday morning attend church somewhere else on Sunday.”

On the first Wednesday each month, a clothes closet is open, and a literacy class is offered weekly for people coming to the church for food.

Walworth said the youth, Sunday school and senior ministries at Collins had a setback in May, when the church van was stolen. Members used that van to bring children to the church for Sunday school and youth activities.

“We are a very mission-minded church, and I’m proud of our volunteers involved in our ministries,” said the pastor.

Thoughts from the pastor

“I believe we need to practice our religion. If you’ve really given your heart and life to Jesus Christ, it’s gonna make a difference. We are called to love as Jesus loved. I see changes in my regular volunteers and hear comments from them about how much they look forward to Wednesdays. That really warms my heart. The church has always been mission-minded, but they’ve never had a mission quite like this.”