In 46 years, Jamie Council Garvey watched her beloved St. John United Methodist Church on Greene Street in downtown Augusta go through many changes.
Eleven senior pastors, generations of choir members raising their children in music programs, several significant physical upgrades to the church and surviving a major hurricane were part of her time on staff.
“When I arrived, the sanctuary was covered in green carpeting — you know, the institutional green. The kneelers were green. The organ’s pipes were painted,” said Garvey at a reception after the Sept. 6 worship service, marking her retirement as the church’s organist and director of music.
During her tenure at the church, she elevated the music program, trading the ugly painted instrument for a “BMW” model — a three-manual Dobson organ, Opus 78, which was installed in 2003.
“That’s a big ask and a big thing you did,” she said. “You also ripped up the carpet, so we had better acoustics. You also made sure that when our beautiful piano was destroyed by the hurricane that we got another Steinway and it was equally fine and equally beautiful. Those things are rare. I’m so grateful that you value music and worship and that you value beauty in worship,”
But it wasn’t the building or the organ, which she said, “wasn’t a good organ and they had made it uglier by painting it,” that sold her on the church in the beginning. It was the people and for 46 years, it’s always been the people.
She fell in love with the people who interviewed her – they were smart, funny, witty and told jokes during the interview, she said. And the choir was up for a challenge.
She jumped into ministry with not just an adult choir but with a youth choir for which she drove a bus to pick up children to come to rehearsal. She also held choir camps.
When an alto in the adult choir set her up on a blind date with a divorced, former Catholic seminarian, St. John gained another devoted church and choir member.
“You got two for the price of one because Jim Garvey has worked just as hard as I have to help this place thrive,” she said.
The retired Augusta University professor, Jim Garvey wrote plays for the Methodist church and wrote a history of St. John.
Jamie Garvey said the church has always been welcoming of others, and she was grateful for the kind conversations members had which led to keeping the “United Methodist” designation before the decision ever had to be made. Visitors often tell her they chose St. John because of the inclusiveness statement on the website.
“The young adult choir you heard today, several of them told me recently that when they were young, they did not feel welcome in their own churches, but they chose us because they feel welcome here,” she said.
Garvey got teary-eyed at times during her speech.
While many people retire to spend more time with family, she said her family is the congregation at St. John.
“I’m leaving because my health is not good, and I cannot do the job like I need to do it. That’s the reason. I don’t want you to think that I’m leaving because I want to leave. I do not want to leave,” she said.
The church is on a search for a new organist and director of music, but Garvey’s ministry to the church and the community will continue after she retires. The church has set up the Garvey Encore Fund to “strengthen the Saint John music program.”
Garvey’s last Sunday as organist and director of music will be Sept. 13, the same day as the first performance in the annual Concerts with a Cause series. The Raleigh Ringers will perform at 3 p.m.
Concerts with a Cause began in 2003 to celebrate that BMW of an organ, and each concert raises money for a different charity in the Augusta area.
“Since its beginning in 2003, Concerts with a Cause has donated $275,191 to 70 local organizations which are doing good work for the Kingdom of God in our community,” according to the church website.
There will be three Concerts with a Cause performances this season. The Astralis Chamber Ensemble will perform at 3 p.m. Oct. 18 and Cantus will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 21, 2027.
For more information on the fund or Concerts with a Cause, visit St. John’s website here.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named best local writer by readers of Augusta Magazine in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter
