Snellville United Methodist Church

Website: www.snellvilleumc.org

Services: Traditional at 8:30 and 11 a.m., contemporary at 9:30 a.m., Latino/Hispanic at noon.

Average Sunday Attendance: 1,000

Minister: The Rev. Jim Cantrell

Denomination Affiliation: United Methodist

Mission statement: "To make disciples for the transformation of the world."

History: The church was organized in December 1883 and met in a local schoolhouse until the first building was constructed in 1886. The white frame church was dismantled in 1954, taken apart piece by piece to preserve timbers that were used in building the new stone chapel. The congregation outgrew the 300-seat chapel and a 1,000-seat sanctuary was built in 1985.

Pastor's path: Cantrell is in his 37th year as a United Methodist minister, a calling that came while he was serving as a lay person in his home church, Marietta First United Methodist.

Cantrell is a graduate of the University of Georgia, Candler School of Theology and United Theological Seminary. Except for a three-year stint (1979-81) serving an international English-speaking church in Germany, Cantrell has led churches in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Ministries: Cantrell said the major focus points for the Snellville church are worship, missions and care-giving. Members are loyal in attendance and supportive of the varied worship styles.

Roughly 12 to 14 mission teams serve locally and around the world. Each Sunday after church, a group goes to Hurt Park in Atlanta to feed and serve the homeless. The congregation also supports the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry, which gives food, clothing, rent and utilities assistance to people in need.

“We are a remarkably mission-minded congregation,” said Cantrell. “I’ve never been in a congregation that’s so giving and outwardly focused.”

The third strength is care-giving, a ministry that helps those who are sick, confined to home and hospitalized. Members keep up with each other through the Sunday school classes. Welcome stations are staffed at each service and Sunday morning, first-time visitors are given a loaf of fresh baked bread along with a packet of information about the church.

On Christmas Eve, members take “hundreds of dozens” of cookies to people working in hospitals, nursing homes, fire and police stations, according to the pastor.

Cantrell counts education, which includes a 200-student preschool, as an offshoot of outreach and care-giving.

“The laity are the keystone of this congregation. We have the most committed, energized and incredible laity,” said Cantrell. “We clergy and staff function in ways to support and assist them. They make all the difference.”

Thoughts from the pastor:

“We’re a congregation who loves Jesus and who loves people, all people. We welcome everyone regardless of anything. We love to see people living out their faith in caring ways. Our membership is made up of folks from 14 different counties around the world. It’s quickly becoming an international congregation and we welcome and treasure that. We have a great family kind of congregation and we are growing stronger and stronger.”