Washington's First United Methodist Church will celebrate 100 years of worship in its Spring Street home with a rare visit from the denomination's resident bishop on Sunday.

"We are a historic church and have many firsts," said Rev. Gale Seibert, "and we are pleased and honored that our new resident bishop, Bishop B. Michael Watson, will be preaching this Sunday."

The bishop's visit is special in itself, she said. "This will be the first time in 99 years the North Georgia Conference's Resident Bishop has joined us in worship."

The 10:30 a.m. Sunday service will be followed by dinner at noon. "The service is open to the community," Rev. Seibert said, "but come early for a good seat."

It was in 1907 that the congregation of Washington First Methodist Episcopal Church South, as it was called then, "stepped out in faith and began to build a beautiful new sanctuary," she said. "Local craftsmen were hired to shape wood, plaster and mortar into a heart-stirring place to approach the one true living God. It wasn't until August 1909 that the building was finished."

The public is invited.