Who we are …
Our mission is to be a welcoming community of faith where anyone can experience God’s grace, find belonging, and be refreshed in the spirit.
Open Doors: We practice radical hospitality, making our church a safe home for everyone who walks through the doors. Removing every barrier to belonging, believing that all are welcome at the Lord’s table.
Galatians 3:28 (NRSV): "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
Open Hands: We live in generous service, working for justice and mercy as the hands and feet of Christ within our community.
Isaiah 1:17 (NRSV): "learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."
Open Hearts: We are committed to a lifelong journey of spiritual growth, allowing for God’s love to perfect our own love for our neighbor.
Matthew 22:37-39 (NRSV): "He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Open Minds: We seek to deepen our understanding of God and the world through prayer, study, and thoughtful dialogue, embracing questions and diverse perspectives as we grow in faith.
Romans 12:1-2 (NRSV): "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Our History
On July 17, 1887, the Candler United Methodist Church was founded when all its members transferred from other congregations. The first pastor was S. H. Braswell, and the charter members were from the Bates, Cobb, Simmons, Heely, Little, and Coh families.
Early History & Denominational Shifts
The building that would become the church initially served as a school for literacy. After a year, it was established as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Candler. This founding occurred after a major split in the Methodist church. In 1844, the Methodist Episcopal Church divided over the issue of slavery, with the southern churches forming the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Following the Civil War, the church structure in Georgia saw more changes. In 1866, the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South was split into the North Georgia and South Georgia conferences. Concurrently, the Methodist Episcopal Church re-entered Georgia, establishing a new Georgia Conference. The Candler church's founding pastor and charter members were part of this reorganized structure.
The Cemetery
A small cemetery sits on a ridge behind the church. It contains the remains of individuals who were reburied there from the Dunacan Cemetery. This relocation occurred in 1957 as part of the Buford Dam and Reservoir project, which created Lake Lanier.