About

The McDonough Presbyterian Church was founded at what is today 61 Lawrenceville Street. The precise date in unknown, but according to the records of the old Hopewell Presbytery, the church was established on or around August 4, 1827 with 25 members. The first minister, Reverend James A. Gamble, taught in a school in Rocky River, South Carolina from 1815-1827. Rev. Gamble, in addition to ministering to the 25-member congregation, operated an Academy for the education of McDonough youth. The strong bond between the church and public education (as exemplified by this arrangement) dates back to John Calvin, a Reformation leader who established the Presbyterian motif in Geneva, Switzerland, “the most perfect City of God”.

The early members of the McDonough congregation included many whose progeny are listed on the church roll this very day: the Carmichaels, Greens, Lemons, Russells, and Tyes. One of the members, Elder Thomas Russell, was a host and represented the congregation when the new presbytery, Good Hope, was established on March 20, 1834, at the Lawrenceville Street site in McDonough.