About Bethel

Bethel History.....

In the spring of 1951 Rev. Jack Day and Rev. Fred Atkins bought a tent for $100.00. They erected the tent on 6916 Washington Pike for a tent revival. They then moved the tent to Luttrell where the the post office now stands. They held there for a short while. In early fall, they moved the tent to Boruff Rd. The revival continued for a while longer. The preachers thought revival was over and they left the tent up but dismissed the services. The people kept coming every night. It was evident that a church was needed in this community.

The date was set for the organizational meeting to form a church for October 27, 1951. During this meeting Rev. Jack Day was elected pastor. The first charter members were Maude Brown, Hack Camper, Ida Camper, Herman Capps, Francis Capps, Jack Day, Betty Day, Clarence McCurry, Mary McCurry, Wilma Garrett, and Berlin Garrett. The council members for the organizational meeting were W.E. Ridenour, Cornelius Shaffer, J.C. Ridenour, Rev. Rex Eledge, Dennis Carrol, Rev. Henderson Hurst, Rev. C.A. Hensley, and Rev. J.W. Lovelace.

Rev. J.W. Lovelace gave the first dollar given to Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. The name "Bethel" was chosen because Bethel means "a place to worship."

The first election of church officers was held on November 3, 1951. Those elected for Sunday school teachers were Wilma Garrett, M.G. King, and Jack Day. Sunday school director was Berlin Garrett, Sunday school secretary was Betty Day, and Herman and Francis Capps were elected as church treasurers.

In December of 1951 the weather was too cold to continue services in the tent so services moved to Hack Camper's house on the corner of Boruff Rd. and Clapp's Chapel Rd.

Hack Camper donated a parcel of land on Clapp's Chapel Rd. across from Boruff Rd. to begin a church building. The first building committee consisted of Rev. Fred Atkins, Herman Capps, Berlin Garrett, M.G. King, Hack Camper, John Phillips, and Ralph King.

The first church building was completed enough to hold services sometime in late 1952. The building was one large room with a platform stage up front. The flooring hadn't been installed yet. There were four walls, a roof, and a sub-floor. Old benches were purchased from Bethany Baptist Church and Rev. Fred Atkins donated a stove.

A committee was formed in April 1954 to plan for Sunday school rooms. The committee consisted of Ernest Rush, Bob Spires, Herman Capps, Milas King, Jackson Boruff, Berlin Garrett, Emma Clapp, and Stella Clapp. Two rooms were added, one on each side of the platform stage.

In 1960 the construction began for two more rooms and a furnace room downstairs. In 1966 the church hired contractors to build a fellowship hall with three Sunday school rooms above it onto the back of the church building.

Until 1971 the church used outdoor bathrooms (outhouses). In 1971 two bathrooms were added, one on each side inside the front door.

The church grew through the years until it was decided to purchase land available on the southeast side and the backside of the church property. It was voted in September 2001 to build a new church facility. Bethel celebrated its 50th anniversary with a tent revival on the new property and a groundbreaking ceremony after a church wide dinner.

February 2002 the church obtained a loan from First State Bank to accept the plans for the new church building. The new sanctuary in the new building was dedicated in May 2003. Phase I of a three-phase construction job was complete.

Phase II began in early spring 2005. This consisted of the new Sunday school rooms. They were dedicated on July 10th, 2005, Homecoming Day of Bethel Baptist Church. They were used for Vacation Bible School on July 11th-15th, 2005. Phase III will consist of a new fellowship hall to be built behind the new church building sometime during 2006-2007.

Bethel Baptist Church has come a long way since two men with a tent followed the Will of God.

Updated: 01/10/06