Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Centenary located?
Centenary is located at the corner of College & Ash Streets across from the main entrance to Mercer University and Tatnall Square Park. Our address is 1290 College Street. Our facilities wrap around the corner of College onto Ash St where our Fellowship Hall, Community Center, Community Garden, and parking lot entrance is located.
Where can I park?
Our parking lot is next to the Community Center on Ash Street and circles around behind the Fellowship Hall and the Community Center. Handicapped Parking spots are located directly behind the lower level of the Sanctuary building. On street parking is also available around Tatnall Park and on Sundays parking is permitted on the Mercer side of Ash Street.
Is Centenary Handicap Accessible?
Handicap parking spaces are located behind the lower level of the Sanctuary building, where there is also access to the rear entrance. We have a small elevator just inside that entrance to take you to the upper level and the Sanctuary. Both the Fellowship Hall and the Community Center are accessible via ramps into the buildings.
Who is Centenary’s Senior Pastor?
After a nation-wide search, Reverend Sara Pugh Montgomery accepted the position of Senior Pastor at Centenary. In June of 2021 she moved to Macon from Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband, Larry, and three young children for the express purpose of serving the unique community that is Centenary.
Learn more about Sara and the rest of the Centenary team here.
Where is worship on Sunday Morning?
Our in-person worship service is held at 11:00 AM on Sunday mornings in our beautiful historic sanctuary on the upper level of the Sanctuary building. The front entrance on College Street will take you directly into the sanctuary for worship. If you have parked in the parking lot the closest entrances will be either the side door on Ash Street or the lower-level entrance in the back of the building. If you need to use the elevator, we suggest that you arrive a few minutes early, as we ask that everyone enter through the College Street entrance after worship begins.
Our greeters will be there to welcome you and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to meeting you, whoever you are, whether you are visiting for the day or are looking for a permanent church home.
What are your worship services like?
Worship at Centenary is a truly blended service. Sometimes traditional. Sometimes not. Most often it is a combination of both within a single service. You’ll hear hymns, worship songs, and even a familiar tune from the radio. We utilize different voices to lead us in our worship by offering prayer, reading scripture, sharing solos, and in preaching.
Each week, we strive to hold each other in prayer, wrestle with the questions and doubts of our faith, and learn how to authentically live as followers of Christ within the world. Worship shifts and changes us, as we move towards a greater understanding of loving God, neighbor, and self.
Is there a virtual service available?
Each week Pastor Sara prerecords the sermon for the following Sunday to be available for those who are unable to attend in person. These pre-recorded services have the same sermon as Sunday with a combination of music from our live services, as well as some of our favorite songs and hymns from other churches and Youtube. These can be accessed through the Centenary Macon Vimeo Page.
What should I wear?
Whatever you are comfortable wearing! Centenary is home to a diverse constituency from many walks of life and lots of different backgrounds, which influences what our folks choose to wear. You will find a few folks who still choose to put on their Sunday best, but you’ll also see people in work clothes, blue jeans, shorts, and flip flops. In general, most of our folks attend in casual attire.
Do you have a nursery & programs for children?
Yes! We have a stellar nursery staffed with well qualified professionals and a variety of groups and programs for our children, including Vacation Bible School, an After School Program for students of Alexander II, Children’s Choir, and a Sunday morning community group at 10:00 AM. Additionally, the children are active participants in worship as ushers and communion servers, and are involved in a variety of service projects throughout the year. At Centenary we don’t believe the children are the future of the church, they are active participants today.
Do you have study groups?
Yes! We offer a variety of what we refer to as Community Groups for all ages designed to provide opportunities for study, growth, fellowship, and fun! Some groups meet regularly on an ongoing basis, some gather for a season for classes or projects, and some are one time workshops. Our community groups are a great way to get better acquainted with the diverse congregation within a more intimate setting. To learn more about current class and group offerings email office@centenarymacon.org or visit the Centenary Community Facebook Page.
How do you put your beliefs into action?
At Centenary we believe that God calls us to action. Whenever we gather together - whether for worship, fellowship, or study - we do it with our hearts directed toward our community. We grow in our own understanding of who we are as God’s beloved so that we can share that truth with others who need that reminder of hope, healing, love, and solidarity. Often our actions will include sandwich making for the community fridge, advocacy with letter writing around legislative bills, showing up at protests, playing at Macon Pride Festivals, and sharing hugs with strangers who have become friends at our Community Breakfast.
Check out all our upcoming community events here.
What do you do for fun?
Fun? Yes, Fun. We believe that play is an important spiritual practice that builds community, restores our souls, and renews us with the energy to do the more serious aspects of the work we are called to do.
So, whatever your idea of fun and whatever your age, we invite you to come play with us. Frequently our gatherings involve food. Imagine that! From our Annual Chili Cook-Off to the Palm Sunday Egg Hunt and Picnic to our summertime Hot Dogs and Hymns, there are regular opportunities for us to gather around to share a meal together at least once a month.
From Macon Bacon games to pumpkin painting for the kids at Halloween to Caroling at Christmas there’s always something to engage the young and the young at heart.
Learn more about our upcoming events here.
Why should I visit Centenary?
Even our best attempts to explain what Centenary is like fall short of the experience of meeting the people who call Centenary “home”. At the end of each service you will hear Pastor Sara’s heartfelt benediction and blessing,
“You are a beloved child of God worthy of love and respect, and God will use you to change the world.”
Is there an expectation that I will join the church?
It is our deepest desire that you will feel completely at home here and will want to sink your roots at Centenary. We have folks that have been life-long members of this church. We also have many who are deeply committed and involved in the life of the church who, for various reasons, choose not to officially “join” the church. Still others are here for a particular season of their lives. Regardless of which category you fall into, know that you are welcomed without exception or expectation as a Beloved Child of God.
What denomination is Centenary?
Centenary is a United Methodist Church and has been since its formation in 1884, which was the 100th anniversary of Methodism. Most, if not all of the new United Methodist Churches formed that year were named “Centenary” in honor of the centennial celebration of the church.
Centenary is also part of “Reconciling Ministries Network” committed to intersectional justice across and beyond the United Methodist connection, working for the full participation of all LGBTQ+ people throughout the life and leadership of the Church.”
