In 1964, hoping to start a Methodist church, the North Georgia Conference purchased
seven acres of land at 4095 Stonewall Tell Road. The District Superintendent, Rev.
Joseph Black formally organized Cliftondale Methodist Church in the Community
Center on August 30, 1964, with 15 chartered members. The first pastor, Rev. Richard
Cathy led the construction of the fellowship hall, where the first service was held on
June 5, 1966, with 77 members. The current sanctuary and classroom building was not
constructed until 1972.

In 2004, Cliftondale merged with the Red Oak United Methodist Church, and Rev. Karen
Lyons became the first African American appointed as pastor of the merged
congregations. Rev. Lyons was joined by Rev. Walter L. Kimbrough as Pastor in
Residence. Together, they oversaw tremendous growth and the revitalization of the
congregation and the buildings. Rev. Lyons served as pastor until 2013. She was
followed by Rev. Carol Helton, who served until 2015.

In 2015, Rev. Kevin Murriel was appointed pastor, and the Cliftondale sanctuary
and classroom building were completely renovated and modernized. Audiovisual and
Information Technology equipment was installed and updated just in time for the
pandemic. Rev. Muriel served until 2017, and he was followed by Rev GiGi Warren, who
served until 2018.

Rev. Walter Kimbrough returned as pastor in 2018 and initiated the virtual worship,
webinars and Zoom meetings that would become standard during the pandemic.

In 2020, Rev. Theophilus Stanford was appointed pastor, and live streaming, virtual
meetings, and posting to social media became the norm. In 2022, in-person worship and
meetings resumed; however, virtual activities remain. Refurbishing the church interior
and exterior was accomplished as the pandemic had ended.

In 2025, Cliftondale Church was blessed with the appointment of Rev. Genetha Rice-
Singleton as the pastor. She is diligently working to move the congregation to a higher
heights so that the work of making disciples for Christ becomes a reality through
congregational worship, feeding the hungry, beautifying the property, and connecting
Christ to the community by loving people to life.