| Atlanta is located in the north east lower peninsula of Michigan and is the county seat of Montmorency County. The town was founded in 1881 during the height of the lumbering era. Atalnta, along with most of the small lumbering towns, has been on a long slow population decline since the turn of the 21st century. The village of Atlanta declined from a population of 757 in 2010 to 629 in 2020. However, the area as a whole has been declining at a lower rate due to migration, primarily retirees, who are attracted to the area's lakes, forests, and recreation facilities. The county has well over 1,300 miles of off-road vehicle trails, many opportunities for camping, fishing, hunting, and other year-round outdoor recreation, and calls itself the "Elk Capital" of Michigan. Montmorency County had a population of 9,337 in 2020 and contains three villages: Hillman, Atlanta, and Lewiston. The county is over 98% Caucasian, the median age is 47 and 24% of the poplation is over age 65. Lewiston has a UCC church, also founded in the 1890's. Otherwise, the nearest UCC churches are in Alpena or Gaylord, each about 45 minutes away. Atlanta has nine Christian churches, all of them small congregations. Atlanta does have a local ministerial association that provides spiritual support for each other. The church ministry is looking for someone who understands and supports an elderly population. The church is financially stable and can support a part time clergy along with a part time administrative assistant and cleaning person. The ideal candidate would be a clergy person who is near or at retirement and who enjoys the beauty of Michigan's north woods. The church, despite its small size, has an active Diaconate, a dedicated organist and choir of 7-10 members, volunteeer groundskeepers, and the church participates in a number of community activities. |
