history

Mr. Franklin Allen, Sr., who was one of the first settlers and pioneers on Merritt
Island, came in 1875 and homesteaded the land where the church now stands.
He donated the ground for the church and the old part of the Cemetery.

In the summer of 1886 the church building was started. The lumber was brought down from St. Augustine in sail boats, and the men of the community carried it through the woods on foot path, as there was no roads at that time.

On September 20, 1886, Mr. Edwin Nelson, who had charge of the building, with nine other men put the roof on the church, and on September 25, Mr. Munson moved some kind of seats to the church so they could hold Sunday School for the first time on the following day. Later in the fall he brought down lumber for the church pews.

For nearly eleven years before this, there had been meetings held every Sunday and prayer meetings on Wednesdays nights in the different homes.

Rev. White was the first preacher on the Island. He came with part of his family to Merritt Island on November 29, 1875, which was on Saturday. Sunday he conducted services at the home of Mr. Hiscock on the Point, which is now Bruin Place. His granddaughter, Mrs. Jenny May Bower Sams, was the first child born on the island.

The first preaching service to be held in the church was on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1886. There were no windows or doors in the building or ceiling inside, only the walls were up and roof was on.

The church was ceiled during September 1887. The older men who were not able to work on the building of the church spent days matching the beautiful grained lumber to be used on the sidle walls and ceiling. The alcove was built a year or two after the original church was finished, as well as the tower and belfry. The first bell had a tolling hammer and was tolled for funerals.

When the present bell was used for the first time it was heard across the river and the people gathered on their docks and sang, and many wept for joy as they were so glad to hear a church bell again.

The congregation welcomed Reverend Charles Parker as their pastor in June 1998. He follows Reverend Ned Kellar who served Georgianna UMC for 28 years. Reverend Kevin "Corky" Calhoun has served Georgianna as senior pastor since 2004.