Methodism in the United States became an organized Church at the Baltimore (Christmas) Conference in 1784. Early on, Georgia was a district of the South Carolina Conference, but, in 1830 Georgia became a separate conference. A historian wrote, “The Savannah District probably included the counties of Screven, Effingham, Chatham, Bryan, Bulloch, and Liberty.” The Rev. Lewis Myers, one of the early circuit riders, was appointed supernumerary for Effingham County by the 1825 conference, and settled at Goshen. His name appears as a trustee of the Springfield Church on a deed to the church in 1831, although it is reasonable to think that there was a church in Springfield by 1825 or sooner. Over the years there have been several changes in Methodism affecting the Springfield Church. In 1844, the Methodist Church split over the slavery issue, and became the “Methodist Episcopal” and the “Methodist Episcopal, South” Churches. In 1939 the two bodies reunited and Springfield became part of “The Methodist Church.” Again in 1968, the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren Churches united to form the present “United Methodist Church.” It was back in 1865, however, that the Georgia Conference was divided into the North Georgia Conference and the South Georgia Conference. So here we are The Springfield United Methodist Church of the Savannah District of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. During these years, The Springfield Church found itself in various groupings known as “circuits”- as many as eight churches. However in 1962, Springfield became a “station” church as it is today.
The Early Church