PG Fellowship (Pleasant Grove) is the oldest, active church in Putnam County, Tennessee and touts the oldest Sunday School in the county as well.
Established in 1815 as "Rock Spring Episcopal Methodist Church", named after a large spring that flowed through a crevice between two very large rocks at the head of the Rock Spring Valley, this church found its beginnings from services held in the homes of families and two week, yearly camp meetings held in the vicinity of the spring attended by individuals who traveled to the site via horseback, ox carts, and wagons, bringing with them just enough provisions to last the entire two weeks.
On November 12th, 1812 at Fountain Head, Tennessee, the Tennessee Conference
was organized and its President Bishop Frances Asbury came and held a revival
at the site of the campground. The revival was a wonderful success and it lead
some attendees to decide to build a church which was to also be used as a school house.
In 1815, the church was organized. However, it wasn't until 1832 that the building was
constructed.
John Boyd and his son Ephriam Boyd donated the ground for the church, trustees were appointed, and the deed to the church was made out to them. A grove of beech trees on the plot of ground led to the renaming of "Rock Spring" to "Pleasant Grove". The church continued under the name "Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church" until 2020 when the church was rebranded "PG Fellowship", maintaining "PG" in respect to the church's rich history and no longer under the Methodist denomination but operating independently as a Spirit-filled church.
References:
1. Ensor, P. H., & Patton, M. E. (2005). The history of Pleasant Grove Methodist Church. M.E. Patton.
Journal of Bishop Francis Asbury