Reverend George Linder was the founder of the Strawberry Chapel AME and one of the Original 33, Georgia Black legislators who were forcibly removed from office in 1868.

Linder was a prominent citizen in Laurens County who ran a successful farming operation on land near Strawberry Chapel. He had two wives. His first one passed away right after the conclusion of the Civil War. They had six children. He and his second wife had another ten children.

Outside of Strawberry Chapel, Linder is credited with founding two other Black churches in the county, one was Mt. Pullen AME Church, and the other was New Bethel AME Church. A newspaper article stated that he gave over $100 to start a local church.