The Bethesda Story

It began with a small group of settlers living along the banks of White Lick Creek.  Realizing their need for spiritual guidance and growth, they established Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church in February of 1851.

A simple log structure served as the meeting place for the first five years.  Construction of the first framed building was completed in 1857 on the site of the present facilities.  This structure stood until the continued settling of its stone foundation required it to be replaced.  In 1882, a one-room brick structure heated by two wood stoves was erected.  According to the custom of the day, the men sat on the north side of the church, while the women and girls occupied the south side.  In those days, attendance averaged nearly 25 people per service.

After a succession of part-time pastors the church closed its doors in 1918.  In the summer of 1923, some teenage boys were riding their ponies and stopped at the church to peer in the windows.  Among other things, they saw an old plow behind the pulpit.  The church had become a storage building.  As they returned home, the boys related this to their parents, and interest in the church was rekindled in the community.  The last Sunday in August of 1923, members of the church, friends, and former residence had a homecoming.   The smoldering ashes of church life began to burn brightly again.

Over the next 36 years, thirteen different pastors preached the Word at Bethesda and began various ministries, such as: Sunday School classes, Youth Ministries, and a full schedule of weekly services.  In 1959, the members of Bethesda were looking for a pastor.  The Lord led them to Don Tyler, a young man, fresh out of Bible College. During Pastor Tyler’s forty years of ministry, the emphasis was on prayer, evangelism, and the teaching of God’s Word.  God blessed Bethesda tremendously during this time, as the congregation grew from under one hundred members to an average of over 1,600.

Currently, a pastoral search is underway to find our next Senior Pastor.  The mission of Bethesda Baptist Church continues to be magnifying Christ through worship and the Word, making Christ known to our neighbors and the nations, and moving believers toward Christ-Like maturity and ministry.