Services were held in a community building located in the Mallison Cord Mill village. The first Sunday was organized on February 9, 1901. October 12, 1906 the membership voted to build a meetinghouse. Joe R. Edwards, the village blacksmith, served as chairman of the building committee which erected the one-room frame building located at the intersection of the then "Gann Road" and the Athens-Watki
nsville Highway. Om April 4, 1908 the name of the church was changed to Edwards Chapel Baptist in honor of Joe Edwards who gave most generously of his time, talents and money to bring the new building to completion. For many years the church was not sufficiently strong enough to support a full-time pastor. In September 1935 the Rev. Newt Saye began serving as a Friday evening appointment with a membership of only 22. In 1942 he accepted the call as a full-time pastor and a full time church program was begun. Rev. Saye served as pastor until late 1969. During the years the membership has grew. After three additions to the frame church and realizing that further alterations were not feasible, the congregation voted in October 1952 to build the present sanctuary. Saye delivered the dedication message on June 7, 1959. The dream of a "fellowship hall" became a reality in 1964 as a building located at the rear of the church was completed. In 1986 this building was dedicated and named the" Newt Saye Fellowship Building" in honor of our late pastor. The educational annex was built in 1976. From the beginning the church has been a member of the Southern Baptist and Georgia Baptist Conventions, As well as the local Sarepta Baptist Association.
