The American Legion log cabin building in Fayetteville was the first meeting place of the Fayetteville Church of God.

Twenty-two people got together here in March 1968 and that core group has expanded to just over 200 members.

The current pastor is the Rev. Roger Powell, who has served the congregation for six years.

He was born in Arkansas and reared in Jonesboro, Ga. He first felt pulled toward serving God in the ministry at the age of 7. He received his master's in theology at the Church of God Theological Seminary in Tennessee and is just a few hours away from his doctorate.

He has served as a pastor to the military in Hawaii, oversaw a private school in Louisiana and started the Peachtree City Church of God in 1975. Unfortunately, the church was misunderstood and got off to a rocky start. The word had gone out that it was a “snake handling” church and Powell found himself threatened, along with his tires being slashed.

“Some of those doing the threatening,” he said, “discovered they had incorrect information and are now members of that church.”

He came to the Fayetteville church in September 1993.

He and his wife, Sharon, met at the Riverdale Church of God, and have been married since September 1969. They are the parents of Tina Pettit, Savannah, Tonya Barron, who is a hospital administrator, lives in Jonesboro and is expecting a baby, and Tiffany, who is a senior at Fayette County High School. There are two granddaughters.

Powell is active in the ministerial association that meets each Tuesday morning and derives satisfaction from the fact they do not try to change each other as they realize they are all working for the kingdom of God. They attend each other's revivals and often assist in them. “All the glory for our joint efforts goes to God,” he said.

The church has a worship service each Sunday morning at 10:30 and Sunday evenings are devoted as follows: first Sunday, corporate worship in the sanctuary at 6:30 p.m.; second, third and fourth Sundays are in cell groups at 6:30 p.m. and fifth Sunday evenings are designated to be a family night.

There is a worship service Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

The church is at 895 S. Ga. Highway 85, just south of the new Kroger shopping center. It can be reached at 770-461-6235.

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