About Our Church

Our Basic Belief

Like other Christian churches, Everette Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Is a "Communion of Saints"--a fellowship of believers, a faith community, working for their souls' salvation--who are known as disciples of Christ. Our standard doctrine of faith and practice is set forth in the DISCIPLINE OF THE C.M.E. CHURCH . This doctrine is summed up in our "Affirmations of Faith" used in our Weekly Worship Services. The basis of these beliefs is found in the HOLY BIBLE.

The two SACRAMENTS observed by the C.M.E. Church are: The Holy Communion (The Lord's Supper) and Baptism. We believe that sacraments are "outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace."

• Baptism signifies the profession of a "New Birth" and a mark of difference between Christians and others.

• Holy Communion is taken "in remembrance" of the death, passion and resurrection of Christ. It is a sign of the love and charity, which Christians ought to have among them. Holy Communion is given, taken and eaten by faith.

The C.M.E. Church was founded on December 16, 1870 , in the First Methodist Episcopal Church-South, Jackson , Tennessee . Its birth was a voluntary separation from the parent body--the Methodist Episcopal Church-South.

After the Civil War, our Church Founders were given the option of remaining with the parent church or starting a separate church. They elected to start the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist Episcopal Church-South assisted in this birth by ordaining our first bishops: W. E. Miles and R. H. Vanderhost.

Methodism: The Wesley Heritage

The Wesleyan Heritage means that the newly created C.M.E. Church kept the standard doctrine of faith and practice developed by John Wesley to become known as Methodism. Methodism is distinguished by its style of worship, which places significant emphasis on HYMNS in the worship. Well over 500 hymns were written by Charles Wesley, brother of the founder, for use in Methodist worship.

The C.M.E. Church 's founders also modeled the Church Structure and Administration after the structure of the M.E. Church-South. The "E" stands for Episcopal: A part of a larger whole. The C.M.E. Church is a nationally structured church.

Every four (4) years, the Church Clergy and Lay Persons come together at a General Conference, formulate and review our church policy, and make plans for furtherance of the "work of the Church." In terms of administration, the C.M.E. Church resembles a pyramid. At the head of the church is a College of Bishops, elected by the General Conference as Chief Executives and spiritual heads of the ten (10) Episcopal Districts into which our Church is organized.

Everette Temple is part of the Sixth Episcopal District, headed by Bishop Othal H. Lakey. This District encompasses the State of Georgia .

The Sixth Episcopal District is further organized into four Regions: South Georgia , West Georgia , Central Georgia , and Georgia North. Everette Temple is a part of the South Georgia Region. This Region has two Districts (under the Executive leadership of Presiding Elders). Everette Temple is a member of the Moultrie-McRae-Brunswick District, under the leadership of The Reverend Robert Yarbrough. The other district in this Region is the Albany-Thomasville District, under the leadership of The Reverend Carlton Mahone.

The Presiding Elder guides the local churches under his leadership through the Quarterly Conference in accordance with our Discipline.

Here at Everette Temple …

Local Church . The church conference is called by the pastor to consider the business of the Church. All of the Boards and Auxiliaries bring their recommendations to the Church Conference.

Working in the Church

Ideally, members of the Church pursue Christian mission and ministry through two types of Boards and Auxiliaries: (1) Those that are provided for in the DISCIPLINE and (2) locally-created Auxiliaries.

The pastor, The Reverend Bobby Dailey, is the Chief Executive Officer. The Church Conference makes policy. The Church Conference is made up of all the members.