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A 'tune-up' at First UMC
Church's beloved pipe organ undergoing a $250,000 full restoration and upgrade
Pipe Organ
Dr. Jackson Borges, Minister of Music at First United Methodist Church in Statesboro, plays the church's nearly restored organ Tuesday. - photo by SCOTT BRYANT/staff

By TIFFANY MORGAN

Herald Correspondent


Statesboro First United Methodist Church on South Main Street is one of the oldest churches in the area. It was established in 1886 with nine charter members.

The architecture of the sanctuary was designed in a traditional European cathedral style, using stone as the primary building material, which Pastor Mark Burgess described as creating a “divine soundbox.” So, the church’s pipe organ was built to take full advantage of First UMC’s specific design for superb acoustics.

“To be present in that sacred space when the pipe organ is used to glorify God in all its capability is truly majestic,” Burgess said.

The organ in First UMC was built in 1960 by Casavant Frères, a Canadian organ building company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, who has been building pipe organs since 1879. And, now, for the first time since its installation, the organ is undergoing a full restoration and updating process.

Originally, the organ had only 27 ranks, or rows of pipes, totaling 1,650 pipes, and with the additional digital stops, it equals more than 90 ranks. The Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders are in charge of the full restoration of the pipe organ. 

Organist and First UMC Minister of Music Jackson Borges, came to Statesboro in August 2021 through a job posting he found on The American Guild of Organists.

Borges said the organ has experienced a number of issues throughout the years that need to be addressed, and the church is using the restoration to iron out the wrinkles. One of the organ’s many new modern features will include installing more thumb pistons and toe studs. 

The organ has undergone multiple digital upgrades beginning in the early 2000s and it has always been regularly maintained, including cleaning the pipes and, in some cases, repaired, as have the digital mechanisms. The project marks the first full restoration of the entire organ.

The $250,000-restoration project includes upgrading the software that runs the instrument and makes the digital mechanisms and pipes “speak to each other,” Borges said.  

Pipe Organ
Will Burton-Edwards, with Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders, which is doing the restoration, is shown working on the inside of the organ chamber in this photo provided by First UMC.

Borges said the pipe organ has versatility, from medieval to modern, and each time he sits down to play, he said he’s impressed with its range of sound.

“It is the best instrument for miles around. It can play literature from all of the major time periods,” Borges said. “It also has a lot of options to play a really beautiful service – plus it just sounds so good. It truly is one of the best (pipe organs) around.”  

Pipe Organ
Shown above, is what is know as the "swell" division part of the organ, in which the pipes are enclosed in a "swell box" whose pipes' volume is controlled by opening and closing "swell shutters."

Also, Borges has made it an annual tradition to host silent film dates in the autumn months and has previously played the organ alongside “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Nosfuratu,” which is the original “Dracula” movie. This year, he is planning a series of Buster Keaton’s comedy films. 

Borges is also an adjunct music professor at Georgia Southern University and collaborates with students regularly who use the sanctuary for concerts and recitals. 

Services continue as the pipe organ restoration is underway, with a casual service led by the church’s praise team at 9 a.m. on Sundays and a traditional 11 a.m. service led by the Chancel Choir with organ and occasional piano accompaniment. 

Borges said the church adds guest musicians for special occasions, such as Advent Lessons and Carols, held on Sunday, Nov. 30, which will feature the Chancel Choir with organ, harp and flute, and Easter Sunday, which features organ, brass and choir.

The weekend of November 14, 15 and 16 will see special events celebrating the restoration of the organ, including an evening of Buster Keaton silent films (Nov. 14), a solo organ recital (Nov. 15), and culminating with a Service of Rededication of Statesboro First United Methodist Church on Nov. 16 at 11 a.m.

“We’re using this as a way to celebrate the renovation of the organ and a rededication of the church,” Borges said.

First United Methodist not only holds church services, but also serves as a pre-school and a weekend soup kitchen. They also support Habitat for Humanity and are partners with Sallie Z Elementary to provide breakfast, lunch and snacks for 30-60 students, who are food compromised.

The church additionally hosts three Scouting troops, a Women’s AA group, provide ministry support to multiple assisted living facilities and are ministry partners through the Wesley Foundation at Georgia Southern University.

“United Methodism always has a community centric focus outside the walls of the church,” Burgess said. “We always exist to support our community as we all grow in grace together.”

The importance of community is what continues to grow the church and the town of Statesboro, and he is proud to be a part of it, he said.

“I truly love Statesboro. I am grateful to all the past and present leaders here who have done such a great job of maintaining a “community feel” as we continue to grow,” Burgess said. “The southern charm of Statesboro seeps deep into your soul. I love the inherent energy that comes with being a college town. It is home.”