Reverend Bill Barnes & Edgehill United Methodist Church

You are now looking at the Edgehill United Methodist Church. Note the historical marker near the church’s entrance. Let me tell you about a man named Bill Barnes. Reverend Barnes was a pastor, teacher, veteran, and Civil Rights activist. But in Edgehill, he is best remembered as a pillar of the community. Born in Nashville in 1931, Barnes attended public schools K-12 and was accepted to Vanderbilt University. After graduation in 1953, he joined the U.S. Army. After his service, he attended Yale Divinity School where he earned a master’s degree in 1959. 

In 1966, Bill Barnes founded Edgehill United Methodist Church, the first intentionally integrated church in Nashville. Barnes created the church as a direct response to racial segregation still prevalent in the city. For more than a half century, this church has ministered to a diverse population through worship services, children’s outreach, house groups, and service programs. Throughout its history, the multiracial congregation has been politically active and engaged with the community.

Led by the Reverend Barnes, Edgehill United Methodist has played a part in the establishment of the Edgehill Community Garden, W.O. Smith Music School, Nashville Organization for Action and Hope (called NOAH), and Organized Neighbors of Edgehill (called ONE). In 1979, Reverend Barnes and his longtime friend and colleague, Reverend Don Beisswenger, co-founded Project Return, a nonprofit that assists formerly incarcerated individuals as they reenter into the community and workforce. In 2013, Metro Nashville honored Bill Barnes with the creation of the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing. I, Sherleta Sanders, was fortunate to be one of the recipients of the Owen E. Barnes Scholarship.

From protesting the Vietnam War to supporting LGBTQ rights—Reverend Bill Barnes was often called the “conscience of the city.” Barnes passed away in 2017 at the age of 86, but he is remembered as a changemaker and inspirational figure—not only here in Edgehill but throughout Nashville. Edgehill United Methodist Church continues his legacy as an active congregation, which continues to seek equality and justice for all.

Before turning RIGHT onto Fifteenth Avenue South, look at the house on the corner of 15th and Edgehill. It was built by McKissack and McKissack architectural firm and is still owned by the McKissack family! Walk down Fifteenth Ave. South until you reach Horton Avenue. Turn LEFT and walk one block to Fourteenth Avenue South. The Edgehill Homes will be in front of you.