RED BAY — On a hot summer Sunday, regulars file into the town’s United Methodist Church just before the 11 a.m. service.
Noticing new faces waiting inside, the entire congregation warmly embraces the visitors before finding their usual Sunday seats in one of the 16 pews.
The service starts with a hymn led by a lone choir member. There are less than 50 people in attendance, but everyone, for better or worse, joins exuberantly in the worship and a church full of song rises toward the heavens.
Prayer requests are made for two sick relatives and another for growth of the children’s ministry. There are only two children at the service, and that’s with three denominations on hand.
Welcome to Red Bay, and to what the 100 or so residents call “MethoBapterianism.”
Red Bay is so small that although there are three churches in town, only one opens its doors each week. It’s at the Methodist church for two weeks. On the third Sunday it will go through the rotation to the Presbyterian church and then on to the Baptist church.
“It gets a little confusing to me,” said Ed Gomillion, a longtime Red Bay resident. “I just see where it’s fullest and go there.”
Locals in this small corner of eastern Walton County have come up with their own denomination of “MethoBapterian” to explain how the churches in Red Bay have worked for more than 100 years.
“Everybody in the community goes to the same church,” said Boman Monk of Bruce.
“The people here are roads above others because we can all become one, and if you want to be a part of us that’s how it is,” Monk said after the service.
For those outside Red Bay, combining denominations and doctrines is unusual. In fact, Methodist Pastor Henry Martin said he only knows of one other church in north Georgia that holds similar services.
Marie Taunton moved to the area in 2004 with a Methodist background. At the time, she never thought she’d sit through the services of two other denominations.
“The heart and compassion I saw in these people changed that,” she said. “I believe in the MethoBapterian now. As long as you’re where you should be scripturally … where can you go wrong?”
The churches in Red Bay were formed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, although none of the original buildings still stand. Presbyterian minister Durl Odom said there once was talk of building one church for everyone, but the community voted against it.
“Each group wanted a building of their own,” he said.
But there aren’t enough people to support three churches, Odom said.
“Not too long ago it was even brought up that we should separate, but the community voted that down, too,” he said.
“They said they’ve been doing this for 100 years and they don’t want to change,” Martin added.
A sign in front of the three churches lists the service times and locations for visitors and regulars with poor memories. Each service is typically casual dress, and anyone who wants to come is welcome.
“I’ve lived here since 1944 and even then we just all went to the same worship,” Agnes Gomillion said. “It doesn’t matter where we go, it feels just the same.
“We all serve the same God. Denomination doesn’t change that.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.