The congregation of Wedgefield Presbyterian Church in the community of Wedgefield was founded in 1881 with 12 charter members. Its first elders were Cornelius McLaurin and James Caldwell, and the first deacons to serve the church were Dr. Henry J. McLaurin and Edward H. McCutchen. While its board-and-batten sanctuary was being built, members met in a nearby schoolhouse where they were led by the Reverend H.B. Garris, who initially preached twice a month.
The church was built on land donated by James Aycock, who also donated the land for Wedgefield Baptist Church. In fact, the two churches sit adjacent to each other in rural Sumter County.
When the church was completed in 1881, the Reverend Garris became the church’s first full-time permanent pastor. He was installed in 1885 by the Harmony Presbytery, now called the New Harmony Presbytery.
Wedgefield Presbyterian Church is nicknamed “The Church in the Pines.” Indeed, the sanctuary is tucked away in a rustic sylvan at the end of a short road occupied only by its neighboring church. Wedgefield Presbyterian Church remains an active congregation and belongs to the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PC-USA).
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