Our History
Police Sergeant A.E. McGee in 1952 felt there had to a better place than incarceration
for the homeless men on his beat in Macon, Georgia. Those thoughts
became his vision for what is now known as the Macon Rescue
Mission. Back then the mystery of homelessness had its presence
in Macon and it was a struggle to be acknowledged by the community.
Officer McGee enlisted his friends to help the homeless only
to be thwarted by public inertia. To his credit, it only took
a couple of years for the idea to be revived by the Mission’s
first superintendent, Rev. J. Robert Moon and his fellow business
leaders. In January 1956, it was chartered in Bibb Superior
Court as a non-profit corporation for the primary purpose of
regenerating and rehabilitating Fallen persons. Throughout its
history, The Macon Rescue Mission has called three addresses
home: 656 Second Street, 500 Broadway and its present location
774 Hazel Street.
Our first assignment, as mentioned in our charter, is to preach
the Gospel and try to win people over to Jesus Christ and, further,
to rehabilitate them. We are non-denominational; we have no
membership; we are not a church. But, we assist
and work with churches in Middle Georgia in reaching lost persons
no other medium is equipped to handle. Wayfarers who have “hit
bottom” come to us from all walks of life… from
off the highways, out of disquieted homes, and often are referred
by businessmen, churches, law enforcement agencies, relatives,
and others.
In the late fifties, Charlie Rushin donated a 100 acre farm
located seventeen miles from downtown Macon off the Gordon Highway,
to be used in the rehabilitation of alcoholics. This property
was improved with the erection of a dormitory and related units.
The “farm” was quickly occupied by our residents.
Years later citing the distance and remoteness of the location
as problematic to our mission purpose, the land and building
were sold. The Mission moved to the four story building at 500
Broadway and the corner of Poplar Street. This historic location
with the sign “Jesus Cares” on the roof quickly
became a Macon Landmark. Our history of being dedicated to the
Homeless Man was adjusted in 1981 to include homeless females.
At Broadway location an entire floor was dedicated to caring
for the women. The Dove Center at the Macon Rescue Mission was
born. The Dove Center evolved into a more specific goal of providing
a safe and comforting place of residence for the female victims
of domestic violence and their children.
Under the guidance of Dr. Wayne Bevill, Executive Director
and the Board of Directors the Macon Rescue Mission acquired
land and built its current 20,000 square foot facility in 2001
at the corners of First and Hazel Streets, just south of Bibb
County Detention Center. The building was designed with 6 sleeping
rooms for men and 7 rooms for female domestic violence victims.
The Mission includes a full service kitchen and cafeteria as
well as a chapel. This configuration allows to annually provide
more than 14,000 residential nights for our clients.
In 2004, we acquired the land located at 3375 Napier Avenue,
which is the location of our Bargain Center.
Unlike other facilities, the Macon Rescue Mission is not affiliated
with any national organization. We are home grown and rely heavily
on the generosity of our kind neighbors.
Macon Rescue Mission Superintendents/Executive Directors
- Police Sergeant A.E. McGee, Founder
- Rev. J. Robert Moon, Superintendent (circa 1954 – 1960’s)
- Walter Bragg, Superintendent (circa 1960)
- Merrill Moore, Superintendent (circa 1960’s – 1970’s)
- Dr. Wayne Bevill, Executive Director Emeritus (1977 – 2001)
- Ed McGourn, Executive Director (2001 – 2003)
- Dave Wallace, Executive Director (2003 – 2006)
- Jeffrey J. Nicklas, Sr., Executive Director (2007 – present)
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