Our Church History

The church, now known as Brooks United Methodist Church, was established in the 1800's. The land on which the church is presently built was donated by Sewell Waters in 1846. The original church was called The Meeting House. Services held at The Meeting House were conducted by Mr. Daniel Morgan. The Meeting House was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt and renamed Island Creek Church. In later years the name was changed to Brooks United Methodist Church.

During the 1800's the church was used both as a school and a church. The church prospered rapidly and the congregation grew to about two hundred members. Consequently, the building outgrew its usefulness as a religious and educational edifice resulting in the need for a larger and better structure.

In the early spring of 1881, under the spiritual leadership of Rev. T.H. Adams, a new building was begun. Before progress on the new building had advanced very far, the old structure burned to the ground. However, the congregation continued meeting in other locations until the new church was completed. Upon its completion, the church was named Island Creek Church. Some members of the building committee at that time were; the late Thomas Brown, Daniel Rawlings, Harry Parker, Basil Kent and Albert Gantt.

In 1908, with Rev. Abraham Jenkins as its spiritual leader, the church was modernized and was later renamed Brooks Church in honor of Mr. John I. Brooks, a local preacher and undertaker of the community.

The congregation continued to grow and in 1959 under the pastorate of Rev. Sherman Mason and District Superintendent Rev. Hilton Parker, a new church structure was proposed. The final plans to build the new church were made under the pastorate of Rev. Joseph H. Collins, District Superintendent, Rev. Hilton Parker and builder G. Franklin Pettigrew.

The church was completed in the fall of 1968 and was dedicated on December thirteenth that same year. Also under the leadership of Rev. Joseph H. Collins the burning of the church mortgage and the building of a new parsonage was completed in 1980. At the retirement of Rev. Joseph Collins, Rev. Aniachi C. Belu-John was appointed to Brooks United Methodist Church on July 1, 1994.

On July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004, Brooks respectively received Rev. John D. Snowden, Jr. and its first female pastor, Rev. Kay F. Albury. During Rev. Albury's tenure the "Hour of Power" early morning worship service and the Multi-media Ministry were established and the male choir and the Methodist Men organization were rekindled.

On August 6, 2006, Rev. Kay F. Albury, accompanied by the District Superintendent Rev. Ianther Mills, church trustees and building committee members, contractor Sherman Smith, engineer Dan Kelsh and consultant Englis Gray shared in the ground breaking service to begin Phase 1 construction of the new addition to the existing church building.

The present Pastor, Rev. Jason L. Robinson, was appointed spiritual leader of Brooks on July 01, 2009. Under Pastor Robinson's pastorate, the church has experience tremendous growth in membership and has implemented technological advancements in pursuit of spreading the word of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

In 2010, Brooks launched its "Kingdom Agenda" initiative to get the church out of debt in 18 months. With God's blessings and the congregation's devotion Brooks successfully paid off its debt in 10 months. On May 23, 2012, Brooks burned its mortgage.

Great strides in the areas of ministry, membership, service, and worship are being realized under the leadership of Pastor Robinson, including:

• One hundred and eight new disciples have given their lives to Jesus Christ and have been added to the church's roll.
• God has moved many members to become more involved in the ministries of the church.
• Several new ministries have been established, including the successful "Senior Ministry", the children's church, "K.I.D.S. in Divine Study" and the "Jailhouse Rock For Jesus" - Prison Ministry.
• The Young Adult Ministry has been re-established.
• A five-star unit of the United Methodist Women has been re-established.
• Brooks continues to make technological and media advances for the purpose of spreading God's word. These include: On-line Worship streaming and On-Demand streaming archives capabilities. Through its on-worship Brooks reaches 100's of viewers in over 15 countries per month.
• Readers continue to enjoy the spreading of God's word through the reading of the church newsletter, "The Torch".
• The church Facebook page continues to be a very popular way for Brooks to share its upcoming events and worship experiences.

Historically, Brooks has been a pillar of the community and a church where generations of families have worshiped and served God. Its diverse congregation endeavors to fulfill their mission which is to share the good news of God's love for us. The congregation supports the church and the community through its participation in various ministries that are focused on spiritual nourishment, outreach, and leadership. Brooks is a church which provides the teaching of God's word through its sermons, bible study, and Sunday school programs. The love of Christ, family, and community is the rock on which Brooks was built and this love continues to be the foundation of the church today.

As we celebrate the 166th Anniversary of this great church, we know that with God all things are possible. God has poured his blessings upon us over and over again. The door is open for us to reach immeasurable achievements in the name of Jesus Christ.

Brooks United Methodist Church continues to serve as a beacon for the good news of God's love through Jesus Christ. As we embark upon the "Kingdom Agenda" - Phase III: "The Love Movement", the "best is yet to come". God knows the plans He has for us; our future is at hand and now is the time so take hold of it - Loving God - Loving People - Loving Self & Loving Service.