New UMC churches planned in NE Ga.

ATLANTA - One of the fastest-growing areas of northeast Georgia is getting a new Methodist church.

The church will be established in the Chateau Elan area near Braselton.

The founding pastor will be David Cochran Walters, the associate pastor at Sugar Hill church, according to the North Georgia Conference Web site. In addition, a new church is also planned in the Jefferson area.

A number of Methodist churches in the area are getting new ministers. Check the link below to view the list.

The North Georgia United Methodist Conference, which concluded its annual meeting last week, also reports that Hispanic membership in Methodist churches in north Georgia grew by 84 percent between 2002 and 2005 - to almost 1,468. In addition, the Cornelia church received the "One of Us Award" in recognition of its support of the Hispanic ministry.