MOULTRIE, Ga. — On Thursday, Nov. 30, Colquitt Regional Medical Center opened the much-anticipated Cobb Community Chapel to the public. This event served as a formal recognition and dedication to Foundation donors Gayla and Bobby Cobb.

After the hospital’s opening in 1975, a chapel was established and dedicated to the Rev. Garnie Brand. As the hospital has expanded and renovated, the chapel has moved around over the years. however, it has remained an unwavering place of comfort to families, employees, and visitors, according to a press release from Colquitt Regional Medical Center.

In 2014, when Colquitt Regional was undergoing major renovations, Colquitt Countians Gayla and Bobby Cobb gifted the Colquitt Regional Medical Center Foundation with funds for a new chapel. Their desire was for a spacious, beautiful, and serene place for all to find sanctuary.

“The goals of the design were to create a spiritual environment within the hospital that is easily accessible to employees and families visiting loved ones in our facility,” said Richard Bass, chairman of the Colquitt Regional Board of Trustees.

The new chapel features a wooden cross as well as handcrafted pews by longtime Colquitt Regional employee Shane Gay, RN. A plaque will be installed in the chapel that reads, “We have faced the same emotions that you are experiencing. Our hope is that you will find comfort and solace here, too. – Gayla and Bobby.”

The Cobb Chapel was given in honor of the hospital chaplains that have served over the years.  This includes Brand as well as the Rev. J.E. Moak and the Rev. Hugh B. Ward. Ward, the current chaplain, presided over the ceremony, followed by a reception in the Visitor’s Lobby. After a welcome from hospital CEO Jim Matney, the Rev. Wayne Woods of First Baptist Church offered an invocation and the Cobb family formally placed the Bible in the new chapel. The Bible placing was especially significant because the same Bible has been in the hospital’s chapel since the original chapel was dedicated on Nov. 17, 1980.

The event boasted more than 100 attendees.  

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Cobb family. Gayla and Bobby have invested not only in the medical, but also the emotional needs of our patients and visitors,” said Matney.

The Cobb Community Chapel is open to the public  anytime. It is located by the visitor’s entrance of the hospital across from the cafeteria.