Allens United Methodist Church, a long pillar of influence in the Red Hill Community, Franklin County, Georgia, had its early beginning, in a home, where a group of Christian neighbors met in a prayer meeting to pray for a sick person. As a result of the meeting, this group of devout persons decided to hold services regularly in a log house.

James Mabry, in his early history of Allens Church, tells us the church was first organized in 1790. We know very little about the early church, but we do know the site of the first church was near Hunter's Creek, adjacent to the Dock Burnette Farm. The old cemetery is still there.

Allens Church was named for the Allen(s) family, originally from South Carolina, and who inter-married with the Vaughters family of Red Hill. The Allen(s) family later moved to Arkansas. The Vaughters and Allens families were among the leading families of the church. Some of the earliest members of the church during the period of its humble beginnings were the Dorsey, Prickett, and Quillian families.

The second site of the Allens Church was on the present site of Negro Allens or Ellis Chapel Methodist Church on GA HWY 106. We do not know the year in which the church was removed to the second site, but in searching the old records, we find that the people were not granted any land until the lottery system of granting land was instituted in 1818. The first records listing pulpit appointments states that the Rev. John Oliver was pastor in 1832.

The period of time from 1875 to 1889 saw great advancements for the church. A campground was built in 1875, in the wooded area where the parsonage is now located, and continued until 1889. Many great revivals were held during the early years of the church, one of which was in the year 1875, under the minsitry of the Rev. H. H. Mashburn. Two years later, in 1877, Dr. Warren T. Hunnicutt started a boy's prayer meeting which was regularly attended by the boys in the community. Sunday School has been held continuously since 1887. The regular monthly preaching service was held continuously through the years on the first Sunday of each month, until 1958. From then until 1992, church services were held the first and third Sundays of each month. Our first full-time connectional church services was commenced in June 1992, with Rev. Joe Hassell, as pastor. Our church would not be complete without mention of the Women's Society, later the W.S.C.S., and now called the United Methodist Women, organized in 1884.

Through the years, many names have been added to the membership register - names of men and women who have been leaders in the church, community, country, and our state. The great work which has been done by this famous old church needs no finer monument than the lives of some of the leading pastors of the state who received their early church training here at Allen UMC.

Resource ~ "Allens United Methodist Church (A Short History)" by C. Patrick Milford. March, 1998.

Thank you to our former church historian, dear friend, and long-standing member of Allens UMC, Pat Milford, for his devotion and hard work in researching the history of Allens UMC. Mr. Milford's family continue to be a strong Christian influence at Allens UMC and in the Red Hill Community.