Few people visit New Ebenezer today, west of Savannah in Effingham County. Truth is, there’s not much there anymore except for one old church. But oh, what a church.

The Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church (2966 Ebenezer Rd., Rincon, 912/754-3915, www.effga.com/jerusalem) hosts the oldest continuous congregation in the United States. Built out of local clay brick in 1769, its walls are 21 inches thick. Some original panes of glass remain, and its European bells are still rung before each service, which begins each Sunday at 11 a.m. Several surrounding structures are also heirs to New Ebenezer’s Salzburg legacy.

Around the corner from the church is a much newer spiritually themed site, the New Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center (2887 Ebenezer Rd., 912/754-9242, www.newebenezer.org). Built in 1977, the Retreat provides acres of calm surroundings, lodging, and meals in an ecumenical Christian setting.

Scenic, blackwater Ebenezer Creek is best experienced by putting in at the private Ebenezer Landing ($5).

Getting to New Ebenezer

To get to New Ebenezer, take Exit 109 off I-95. Go north on GA 21 to Rincon, Georgia, then east on GA 275 (Ebenezer Road).

The above-mentioned New Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center offers a range of very reasonably priced lodgings, most including meals, in a beautiful setting. The extremely fast-growing town of Rincon, through which you will most likely drive on your way to New Ebenezer, offers an assortment of the usual chain food and lodging establishments.