Mission Statement

To lovingly lead lost individuals into a relationship with Jesus Christ and to intentionally “make disciples” who progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him.

Warmer through Fellowship

Ř To bond in love with each other and to use our God-given gifts to glorify God and to edify others

Ř To develop closer relationships in the church family where Jesus’ commandment to “Love one another” can be learned and experienced in real and everyday life

Deeper through Discipleship

Ř To provide opportunities for the congregation to edify one another, to strengthen the church and individually and collectively grow more deeply and intimately acquainted with Jesus Christ.

Ř To grow in service as Christian disciples while helping others to know and experience God’s love through Jesus Christ

Ř To continue to solicit and encourage the support of members by teaching God’s principles of finances in the church and in each family

Stronger through Worship

Ř To provide a variety of collective worship experiences which focus exclusively on God and are awe-inspiring, joyful, and life transforming

Ř To encourage daily personal devotion, study, and worship and provide counsel and training which enhance personal quiet times

Broader through Ministry

Ř To develop ministries that mobilize those who are looking for ways to help make unbelievers aware of the ways of Jesus Christ

Ř To make Hines an outreach center for spiritual, social, recreational, and economic activities

Larger through Evangelism

Ř To train, equip, and empower members to bring others into God’s eternal family

Ř To seek inclusiveness of members through an evangelistic outreach ministry

From the Pastor’s Desk

Consider this description of the first church:

They would spend their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together. Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. All the Lord’s followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever needed it. Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved (CEV). Acts 2:41-47.

According to the above verses, five characteristics describe the first church, and there is no better pattern than that first church, the Church that was established when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Our vision at Hines is to be a model of that first church at Jerusalem .

As the Body of Christ, each of us has a ministry, and our daily goal is to manifest Christ and serve each other and our fellow man through the administration of our individual and collective ministries. If we are to model that first church, we are to individually and collectively grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism.

About Our Church

Our Basic Belief

Like other Christian churches, Hines Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Is a "Communion of Saints"--a fellowship of believers, a faith community, working for their souls' salvation--who are known as disciples of Christ. Our standard doctrine of faith and practice is set forth in the DISCIPLINE OF THE C.M.E. CHURCH . This doctrine is summed up in our "Affirmations of Faith" used in our Weekly Worship Services. The basis of these beliefs is found in the HOLY BIBLE.

The two SACRAMENTS observed by the C.M.E. Church are: The Holy Communion (The Lord's Supper) and Baptism. We believe that sacraments are "outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace."

• Baptism signifies the profession of a "New Birth" and a mark of difference between Christians and others.

• Holy Communion is taken "in remembrance" of the death, passion and resurrection of Christ. It is a sign of the love and charity, which Christians ought to have among them. Holy Communion is given, taken and eaten by faith.

Methodism: The Wesley Heritage

The C.M.E. Church was founded on December 16, 1870 , in the First Methodist Episcopal Church-South, Jackson , Tennessee . Its birth was a voluntary separation from the parent body--the Methodist Episcopal Church-South.

After the Civil War, our Church Founders were given the option of remaining with the parent church or starting a separate church. They elected to start the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist Episcopal Church-South assisted in this birth by ordaining our first bishops: W. E. Miles and R. H. Vanderhost.

The Wesleyan Heritage means that the newly created C.M.E. Church kept the standard doctrine of faith and practice developed by John Wesley to become known as Methodism. Methodism is distinguished by its style of worship, which places significant emphasis on HYMNS in the worship. Well over 500 hymns were written by Charles Wesley, brother of the founder, for use in Methodist worship.

The C.M.E. Church 's founders also modeled the Church Structure and Administration after the structure of the M.E. Church-South. The "E" stands for Episcopal: A part of a larger whole. The C.M.E. Church is a nationally structured church.

Every four (4) years, the Church Clergy and Lay Persons come together at a General Conference, formulate and review our church policy, and make plans for furtherance of the "work of the Church." In terms of administration, the C.M.E. Church resembles a pyramid. At the head of the church is a College of Bishops, elected by the General Conference as Chief Executives and spiritual heads of the ten (10) Episcopal Districts into which our Church is organized.

Hines is part of the Sixth Episcopal District, headed by Bishop Othal H. Lakey. This District encompasses the State of Georgia .

The Sixth Episcopal District is further organized into four Regions: South Georgia , West Georgia , Central Georgia , and Georgia North. Hines is a part of the South Georgia Region. This Region has two Districts (under the Executive leadership of Presiding Elders). Hines is a member of the Albany-Thomasville District, under the leadership of Dr. Maurice S. Cherry. The other district in this Region is the Moultrie-McRae-Brunswick District, under the leadership of The Reverend Rufus R. Jolly.

The Presiding Elder guides the local churches under his leadership through the Quarterly Conference in accordance with our Discipline.

Here at Hines …

Local Church . The church conference is called by the pastor to consider the business of the Church. All of the Boards and Auxiliaries bring their recommendations to the Church Conference.

Working in the Church

Ideally, members of the Church pursue Christian mission and ministry through two types of Boards and Auxiliaries: (1) Those that are provided for in the DISCIPLINE and (2) locally-created Auxiliaries.

The pastor, The Reverend Kenneth D. McMillian , is the Chief Executive Officer. The Church Conference makes policy. The Church Conference is made up of all the members.

Our mission is to lovingly lead lost individuals into a relationship with Jesus Christ and to intentionally “make disciples” who progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him.