Randolph County GaArchives Church Records.....New Bethel Baptist Church ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Donna Eldridge DonnaEldrid@aol.com June 25, 2004, 1:47 pm 1839 NEW BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH 1932 July 6, 1839 Olive Branch church, a member of he Chattahoochee United Baptist Association, met in conference and dismissed the arm of the church situated in the fifth district of Randolph County composed of the following members: Isaac Martin, John Martin, Mary Martin, Martha Martin, Hetty Martin and Easter Huston. These six members were dismissed for the purpose of constituting another church. On the 23rd day of March 1840 a warranty deed conveying a part of lot of land number ninety nine in the fifth district of Randolph County was signed by James Johnson deeding to Robert Martin and Isaac T. Hutson, deacons of a church to be constituted as New Bethel, the land being bought for the purpose of building the church thereon. The consideration was fifty dollars. A wooden frame building was erected on this land and the church was called New Bethel. A balcony was set apart in the building for the colored members. This church was first started as a Free Will Baptist Church. Later it was divided, part of the members being Free Will Belief and a part conforming to Missionary principles. The Free Will members left the church and went two or three miles and organized a Free Will Church. The Missionaries remained in the original church. "Uncle" John Martin, a Missionary Baptist, was very influential in New Bethel Church. His brother, "Uncle" Charley Martin was a pastor for the Free Will Baptists and left New Bethel with the other Free Will Baptists. Both of these stalwart characters helped in making this one of the most spiritual communities in the County and this section of the State. New Bethel Baptist Church joined the Bethel Association in 1848. The first messengers from this church to the Association were John Martin and Robert Martin. That session of the Association met with the Bethlehem Baptist Church. The mission spirit was strong in New Bethel Church as evidenced by a Resolution passed in Conference on February 16, 1849 as follows: Resolved that we earnestly recommend to the churches composing this body, (the Bethel Association), to appoint a committee of at least two to solicit from every member an annual contribution for foreign missions. Augustus Phelps and Martha Martin were appointed on the committee. There was also a rule passed to call pastors indefinitely as to time. Strict discipline was enforced in the New Bethel Church. At Conference charges were brought against the members who had been lax in their behavior and unless properly explained they were at once excluded from the membership of the church. This church also observed fasting and prayer during its early years. On June, 1852 the records show that a colored sister, the property of William Norwood, presented herself for membership by letter and was received, and on the same date the church renewed the license of Brother Larkin Culbreth to preach. Brother Larkin Culbreth was ordained at New Bethel as a preacher on October 16, 1853. The sermon was preached by Robert Cunningham, one of the Presbytery. Renewed the license to preach given to Brother J. Y. Norwood in September 1860. It was about 1862 that a new church building was erected. In 1866 the church in conference granted lief to a colored brother to preach on the Sabbath. Footwashing was practiced in this church. According to the Minutes of the March Conference in 1867 a Resolution was passed to draw on the Treasurer for funds to purchase pans and towels for foot washing. At the April Conference 1867 an arm of this church was extended to Red Bone, and arms were extended to what is now Mt. Hebron Church, Damascus Church, and Salem Church. On February 20, 1869 it was decided by the New Bethel Church in Conference that it was unchristian for a member of that church to take the benefit of the bankrupt law or to set off a homestead to avoid the payment of a just debt, an it was recorded in the Minute of June 19, 1869, that Salem Church had withdrawn correspondence from Bethel on account of the Homestead action of the church. The Bethel Church also withdrew correspondence from Salem Church until the matter was settled. The following pastors have served the New Bethel Church since its organization and the additions made by each pastor are given: 1848 to 1850, J. C. Bass, baptisms 15; 1850, R. Martin, baptisms 4; J. C. Bass, 1851, 3 baptisms; 1852, W. S. Leggett, 16 baptisms; 1853 and 1854, J. C. Bass, 23 baptisms; from 1855 to 1866 John Martin, 183 baptisms; J. O. Cumbie, 1866,No baptisms; J. C. Bass to 1871, baptisms 74; no report in 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874; 1875 to 1883 T. B. L. Binion, baptisms 75c; H. L. Crumbley to 1894, 1895 and 1896; 1897 and 1898, M. B. L. Binion, 16 baptisms; no minutes in 1899; 1900 and 1901, Z. T. Weaver, 10 baptisms; A. E. Keese, 1902, 9 baptisms; W. L. Culbertson to 1906, 39 baptisms; L. L. Lyon, 1906 and 1907, 6 baptisms; F. H. Poston, 1908; I baptism; no preacher in 1909; W. D. Hammock to 1913, 7 baptisms; 1913 to 1916 J. W. Sauls, 21 baptisms; 1916 to 1919 J. P. Sauls, 16 baptisms; H. L. Crumbley from 1919 to 1926, baptisms 24; R. E. Zachert, 1926 and 1927, 13 baptisms; W. E. Waterhouse, 1928 and 1929, 18 baptisms; W. T. Bodenhammer 1930 and 1931 and 1932, baptisms 18. The following have served as Clerks to the Church at New Bethel: U. Bass from 1848 to 1853; W. Ivey to 1858; Wm. C. Bass to 1862; S. Houston, 1862; U. C. Bass to 1870 C. Taylor to 1872; no report in 1872; J. H. Manry 1873; C. Taylor, 1874; J. A. D. Grubbs to 1888; S. W. Manry to 1899; no report in 1899; r. Ferguson to 1907; J. H. Manry, Jr. in 1907; Richmond Ferguson to 1911; B. F. Manry in 1911; R. W. Manry to 1915; Harvey Page, 1915 and 1916; B. J. Kinard to 1926; W. H. Ferguson in 1927; Burt Taylor in 1928; W. B. Taylor to 1932. The total membership of the church is now 150. The present Deacons serving the church are J. M. Taylor, P. H. Plowden and C. C. Greene. W. T. Bodenhammer is the pastor and W. B. Taylor, Clerk. The Bethel Baptist Association has been entertained by the New Bethel Baptist Church during the sessions of 1876, 1883, 1907, and 1920. This has been an outstanding church in the Bethel Association. For many years it has had a flourishing Sunday School, W.M.U. and B.Y.P.U. (pages 226-228) "History of Bethel Association - Including Centennial Meeting" Centennial meeting held with Baptist church at Edison, Georgia, October 25, 26, 27, 1932 A. L. Miller, Edison, Ga., Moderator. W. H. Joyner, Coleman, Ga., Clerk Compiled and Edited by Alexander Lee Miller Moderator of Association 1909 -- 1934 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/randolph/churches/nbb46newbethe.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 7.3 Kb