About Speedwell

Ms. Emma C. Lewis and Ms. Viola E. Baldwin, mission women from New York, NY, moved to the Sandfly village and organized a Sunday school. They met on Sundays under an oak tree and eventually moved to a small African Methodist Episcopal Church nearby. This group then met in the Gospel Messenger Society Hall and later, thanks in large part to Mrs. Irene Hayes, moved to a little log cabin that stood in a field. In 1884, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Syrus Sams, Mr. Thomas Marion Kemp, Mr. Allen West, Mr. Abraham Hines, Mrs. Lydia Ann Kemp, Mrs. Cilla Sams and Mrs. Jane Hines organized the Speedwell Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Brother Thomas Marion Kemp donated land, and with the help of the Woman's Home Missionary Society, the church building was completed. The first pastor appointed to the church was Rev. J. Biggam. 
 
The church was destroyed by fire on March 20, 1932. The land where the Gospel Messenger Society was located was purchased and a church building was dedicated by Rev. R. L. Nullaly. Under the pastorate of Rev. D. R. Cooper, a vestibule was added to the church and dedicated on July 29, 1945. During Rev. David L. Rook's leadership, the ground was broken for the educational building. Renovation for the parsonage was completed in December 1964, and the fellowship center was dedicated in November 1966. The land was purchased across the street and a new parsonage was built by 1973. The present church building was completed in 1972. 

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​Located in beautiful Savannah, Speedwell United Methodist Church offers congregants a place of comfort, hope, and a peace of mind for all their worshipping needs. We are dedicated to spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ, and our goal is to inspire you through the holiness of our dwelling and our services. We invite you to become a part of our growing congregation, and look forward to meeting you!