Dryman’s Chapel Church
We are a small, rural church, dedicated to fulfilling the call of Christ by building a community of faithful followers that includes all generations. Our neighbors are all those whom God recognizes as His own. God wants us, as a church to first, be guided by the Almighty God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit and by the Bible, His written word. Secondly, He calls us to minister to all people in all walks of life.
Dryman’s Chapel Methodist Church Has Served the Tessentee Community of Macon County for over a hundred years. A revival was held in the Tessentee School in 1913 by Fred Dryman. The school was located at the present site of Dryman’s Chapel Church. The revival was a huge success with many people professing their faith. These people also made a decision that a church building was needed. Samuel Picklesimer gave the land and construction began in 1914, the location being at the area of the picnic table near the cemetery. The completed building was ready in the same year and named Dryman’s Chapel for the efforts of Fred Dryman. The church was a wood frame building on rock pillars. The building was heated by a wood stove sitting in a dirt box to prevent sparks from igniting the floor. The light was provided by kerosene lamps.
The church was built by volunteer labor from the community. A partial list of the individuals who helped in the construction were George Conley, Charles Dryman, Oscar Buchanan, Jim Justice, Tom Cabe, Love Henry, John Cabe, Badger Justice, Bascom Picklesimer, and Les Justice. Services were held in the church for forty years. The last service was the funeral of Bascom Picklesimer in the spring of 1954. The church was severely damaged by a wind storm that blew it from it pillars that same spring. R.L. Poindexter was the minister in 1954, he immediately started the efforts to rebuild the church. Oscar and Edna Buchanan gave the land for the construction of the new church which is the present-day site. Members of the church again volunteered to provide the labor to rebuild. Tom Hopkins laid the blocks and was in charge of the total project. The church was completed in 1955, being of block construction on a concrete slab.
The first service in the new building was the funeral of Oscar Buchanan on March 2, 1955.
Dryman’s Chapel has gone through various stages of remodeling and additions. The first addition, which included restrooms, occurred in the 1960s with Howard Keener doing much of the work. Several members of the community helped him with the construction. The second addition added the fellowship area and kitchen. Howard Keener and Bob Henry, along with other volunteers, provided the labor. This project took place between 1986 and 1987. Many remodeling projects have taken place over the past seventy-five years. The more recent changes started in the 1970s. The lights fixtures in the sanctuary were changed by with a donation by Rev. John Foster. The oil stove was replaced by the central oil furnace. The carpet was put on the tile floors. There have been many changes to the interior taken place recently. Ceiling fans have been added to increase ventilation. A rock planter and new sign were built by James Buchanan and Bob Henry. The stained glass windows have added great beauty to the church. The block walls are now covered with drywall to give a finished appearance to the interior. Under the direction and guidance of Rev. Duane Corle part of the narthex, we created an audiovisual room so that we can record the services, both in audio and video, run the overhead projectors, and have the services on the television in the fellowship hall in the back for the ones working in the nursery. The Lighting Committee did a great job upgrading the lights in the statuary and choir loft with the help of Kevin Fountain and Morris Stiwinterand under the guidance of Pauline Stiwinter, Gail Stiwinter, and Kathy Fountain.