Brunswick County NcArchives History .....Bethel Primitive Baptist Church ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Danny Blanton cowboynmb@yahoo.com October 14, 2006, 11:28 pm Book Title: Bethel Primitive Baptist Church Located at Hickman's Crossroads in Brunswick County 1887-1987 Centennial Elder James McLamb, Pastor Elder W. C. Mintz Elder Newell Helms Deacons Bro. Mason H. Anderson Bro. Aaron D. McLamb Bro. Thurson H. Mintz BETHEL CHURCH 1887-1987 In preparing for the One Hundredth Anniversary of Bethel Church, it seemed expedient to prepare a short history of the Church. Upon beginning the task of compiling the history of the Church, the first thought was to simply chronicle the existence of Bethel Church. However, while exploring the old records of the Mill Branch Association and following the leads buried in those records, the task took on a different direction. The original Church records contained in the first Church Record Book were destroyed by fire in January, 1985; nevertheless those records had been read by myself and others. Also my father, M. D. Anderson, a former Clerk and Deacon, was reared by William M. Benton, one of the organizers of the Church, Prior to my father’s death, he made notes which we still have which were taken from the old records. In doing the research we have relied upon the notes compiled by Brother M. D. Anderson and by Sister Ruth Bell, the daughter of Bro. W. T. Bell, granddaughter of Bro. W. A. Bell and great-niece of Elder Tom Bell, as well as the Minutes of the Mill Branch Association, those of the Original Bear Creek Association and Hassell’s History. From those records the following story appears. Christ established His Church while here on earth. His doctrines were taught and preached in the area which is currently known as the Middle East or "The Holy Land". During the First Century, though trade and travel, the Church spread to France and Britain. The British Isles were invaded by the Anglo-Saxons (Germans) in the Fifth Century (about 449). Remnants of those Old British Christians fled into the mountainous region of Wales which is a part of the British Empire. During the Dark Ages, from the Fifth to the Fifteenth Centuries, when the rest of the World was being brought under Greek and Roman Catholicism and the Pope and Mohamedism, the people of Wales, Scotland and Ireland did not come under the influence of the Pope and steadfastly refused, in the face of persecution, to fall to Catholicism. In 1413, the influence of Catholicism and the Pope was so strong in England that the King enacted a low that "whoever read the Scriptures in the mother tongue should be condemned a traitor and heretic and should forfeit land, cattle, body, life and goods from his heirs forever". As a result, Many fled into exile into other European countries and into the wilds of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, taking the Scriptures with them. In 1701, a small band of Welsh people constituted a Church of 16 members and elected one of their members, Thomas Griffith, as Pastor. The entire Church membership sailed from England in 1701 and landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. page-2- They first settled about Pennypack, near there, where they remained about a year and a half and their membership increased to 37. They then obtained a tract of land in Northern Delaware from three gentlemen who had purchased it from William Penn and erected a Church called the "Welsh Tract Church". This Church is the only Church that was constituted in Europe and transplanted as a body to America. In 1737, a member of the Welsh Tract Church, James James came to the Pee Dee River Section of Horry County, South Carolina, and established a Church in 1738 named the "Welsh Neck Church". Between 1755-1760, the Little Pee Dee Church was formed from the Welsh Neck Church. Other Churches grew from the Little Pee Dee Church. Mill Branch and Pireway in Columbus County, North Carolina and Simpson’s Creek and Feathery Bay, in Horry County, South Carolina. In 1871, at the Mill Branch Meeting House, messengers from the Little Pee Dee, Simpson’s Creek and Mill Branch Churches sat in Council and organized the Mill Branch Association. One of the Elders participating in that organizational meeting was Elder Tom Bell of Little Pee Dee Church. In April 1887, through an extension of an arm of fellowship by Simpson Creek and Pireway Churches, at Hickman’s Crossroads, Brunswick County, North Carolina, a Council met for the purpose of constituting Bethel Church. Messengers to the Council were W. B. Carter, Simpson Creek; Elder page-3- Thomas Bell, Little Pee Dee; Samuel Smith, Pireway; W. H. Benton; Hosea Hewett, Mill Branch; Melvin Norris, Cypress Creek. W.B. Carter was chosen Clerk and Elder Tom Bell as Moderator of the Council. It was moved that W. A. Bell be Deacon and W. J. Stanley be Clerk of the newly organized church. The Articles of Faith, a Church Covenant, and the Rules of Decorum were read. It was moved that the Church be known as Bethel. Though we have been unable to determine all the original members constituting Bethel Church, we know that some of the original members were: W. A. Bell, the first Deacon; W. J. Stanley, the first Clerk; W. M.. Benton, who contributed the land on which the Church building was erected and where it still stands today; M. C. Benton, Jesse Gore, and Furnie Hardee, the Messengers to the Mill Branch Association in 1887. The first Pastor was Elder Tom Bell who was followed by Elder George Gore. Elder L. J. Gresham from Texas came amongst the Churches of the Mill Branch Association in the 1920’s. He was an able preacher and was well received by Bethel and the other Churches in the Association. Eventually because of jealousy conflict grew between him and Elder Burl Harrelson of Simpson Creek, the leading Elder in the Association of that day. The particular point of controversy surrounded the acceptance by Bethel of some of the members of Ocean View Church located at Shallotte Point, Brunswick County, North page-4- Carolina, a Sister Church of the Mill Branch Association which had ceased to be an active Church. Elder Harrelson took the position that these people could only be accepted by Bethel upon Confession of Faith and Baptism. As is usual, some of the Church members supported Elder Gresham; and some supported Elder Harrelson. I 1926, at at Conference Meeting in which this trouble was being dealt with, Furnie Hardee, the Church Clerk, took the Church Record Book and walked out of the Conference Meeting’ several of the members went with him. This group established a meeting house about one mile from the Bethel Church site on the North Carolina/South Carolina State Line. This group was recognized by the Mill Branch Association under the influence of Elder Harrelson as "Bethel Church-In Order". This Church continued to hold services and remained a part of the Mill Branch Association until 1950. Those members remaining in the original location and the original building withdrew from the Mill Branch Association, and the Mill Branch Association did not recognize the members who continued to meet at the Church. Bethel Church stood as an independent Church which was served by Elder Gresham and by Deacon W. E. Benton, a son of W. M. Benton, one of the Church Founders. At its Conference Meeting April 20, 1928, Bethel Church received an extended arm and an invitation from Watson Primitive Baptist Church in Union County, North Carolina, to request membership in the Original Bear Creek page-5- Association. At the Associational Meeting held at Watson Church on Friday before the fourth Sunday in August 1928 (August 24th), Brother W. E. Benton presented a letter from Bethel Church expressing the desire for membership in the Original Bear Creek Association’ Bethel was unanimously received. The pastor of Bethel Church at that time was Elder L. J. Gresham; the Church Clerk was Brother O. J. Bell. Messengers to the Association in 1928 were Brother W. E. Benton and Elder L. J. Gresham. At that time Bethel Church had 17 members, and they sent a contribution of $1.50 for the associational expenses. After the split in Bethel Church, the Mill Branch Association drifted into belief in the doctrine of "Absolute Predestination", which was then embraced by the former members of Bethel Church who were meeting at the State Line. Some of the members who originally left Bethel and went with the other group eventuall came back to Bethel, one of them being Sister Lessie Hardee, the wife of a son of Furnie Hardee, who is at present a member in good standing of Bethel Church. The other group did not prosper and eventually ceased to operate as an active Church in 1950. The Mill Branch Association has also decreased in membership to 4 Churches and 85 members. The Little Pee Dee Church from which all the Churches in that association, including our own Bethel Church, grew held its last meeting on April 20, 1986 though the meeting house still stands. Behtel Church, page-6- through the Grace of God, has continued to grow and prosper and currently has 82 members. The original Church building was moved from the site to the William M. Benton home place and converted to a kitchen in 1939. A new wood frame building was constructed on the site in that same year. That building was enlarged and remodeled in 1965. That is the Church building as it exists on theis our 100th Anniversary. The Lord has seen fit to shed His Grace upon Bethel Church during this first hundred years. We pray that we as a body can conduct ourselves and that future members will conduct themselves in a manner pleasing to our Lord and Savior so that this Church will be blessed to continue as an active Church as a member of the Lord’s Church Kingdom here on earth until he returns to call His children Home. Mason and Ann Anderson April, 1987 page-7- Following is a table setting out the Pastors and Deacons who have served Bethel Church since its Constitution: PASTORS Elder Tom Bell Elder W. M. Benton Elder George Gore Elder Rom Kerley Elder L. J. Gresham Elder Newell Helms Elder .c. M. Mills Elder W. C. Mintz Elder D. B. Willard Elder James McLamb Elder H. L. Poplin)(Elder E. H. Simpson)Co-Pastors DEACONS Bro. W. A. Bell Bro. A. D. McLamb Bro. William M Benton Bro. Roland Mintz Bro. W. E. (Billy) Benton Bro. R. J. Somersett Bro. Mike Benton Bro. Carl Stephens Bro. W. T. (Tom) Bell Bro T. H. Mintz Bro. R. O. Lewis Bro. Mason H. Anderson Bro. M. D. Anderson ARTICLES OF FAITH OF MILL BRANCH ASSOCIATION 1881 1ST: We believe in one only living god and that He has revealed Himself in His Word under Characters of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 2nd: We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the True Word of God and the rule of Faith and Practice for Believers to be Governed By. 3rd: We believe in the Doctrine of Particular, Eternal, and the Creatures past Unconditional Election and Predestination. 4th: We believe in the Doctrine of Original Sin. 5th:We believe in man’s impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature by his own free will and ability. 6th: We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the imputed righteousness of Christ. 7th: We believe that God’s elect shall be called or regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 8th: We believe that the Saints shall persevere in Grace and never finally fall away. 9th: We believe that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ and that true believers are the only subjects of these Ordinances and the only true mode of Baptism is immersion. 10th:We believe that the punishment of the wicked will be everlasting and the joys of the righteous will be everlasting. 11th:.We believe that no minister has the right to administer the Ordinances only such as are called of God to come under the imposition of hands of the Presbytery. 12th: We believe in the resurrection of the dead and general judgment. ARTICLES OF FAITH BETHEL PRIMITIVE BAPITST CHURCH 1987 Article 1. We believe in one living and true God, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. Article 2. We believe in the Man Jesus being the first of all God’s creation and the pattern of all God’s perfection in nature, grace and glory, and in relative union with the Divine Word, and thus united with the whole Trinity. Article 3. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, the King James Version, contains the only written, revealed word of God and the perfest rule of faith and practice for God’s Church in her militant state while here on earth. Article 4. We believe in the doctrine of election that God chose His Church in Christ Jesus before the world began. Article 5. We believe in mankind’s apostasy by transgression in Adam, the federal head. Article 6. We believe in the doctrine of original sin. Article 7. We believe in the impotency of man to recover himself from his fallen state by his own free will and ability. Article 8. We believe that sinners are justified freely by grace and before God by faith in Christ and His righteousness only. Article 9. We believe that God’s elect or Church shall be called converted, regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Spirit in due time. Article 10. We believe that the saints shall persevere in grace and never really fall away. Article 11. We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of Christ’s appointment, and that believers alone are the subjects of baptism and the only proper communicants of the Lord’s Supper; that the mode of baptism is immersion and that neither of the ordinances is to be altered or changed by the inventions or opinions of men. We believe in feet washing as taught by our Saviour in St. John 13:4-17. Article 12. We believe that no man as a minister has any right to the administration of any of the ordinances of the Gospel except such as are sound in the faith of the Gospel, regularly baptized, called of God and have come under the imposition of hands by a regular Presbytery. Article 13. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, both the just and unjust, and a general judgment. Article 14. We believe that he punishment of the wicked will be everlasting and the joys of the righteous eternal. BETHEL PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH MEMBERSHIP - APRIL, 1987 Ann B. Anderson April 1972 Mason H. Anderson May 1972 Danny Babson August 1980 Teresa Babson August 1980 Retha Bell June 1931 Ruth Bell November 1955 Ramona McLamb Blair February 1954 Ellis Benton June 1986 Lottie M. Benton July 1945 Laura Ward Benton April 1963 Mazelle Benton April 1963 W. Marsden Benton July 1962 Ella Best June 1944 Teresa V. Brown January 1980 Rae Sloane Cox March 1981 Edison Davis November 1984 Frankie Davis November 1984 Vallie Lewis Fortson November 1966 Christine Gibson March 1982 R. J. (Chick) Glaesner March 1966 Charles Gore October 1965 Hazel Ward Gore October 1965 Venna Bell Griffin 1940 Lessie McLamb Hardee 1917 White Heath September 1982 Minnie Mintz High November 1955 J. Dow Hinson May 1973 Vera McLamb Long Hinson June 1944 Bernice Jones August 1979 Rita Gore Lee December 1973 Charity Benton Lewis 1924 Dudley Lewis March 1967 Edna Lewis July 1966 Ethel Lee Lewis June 1932 Glenn E. Lewis November 1973 Louise Lewis February 1956 Norwood Lewis September 1967 Patricia Lewis May 1975 Mary Bell Lynn October 1968 Chellie Ward McDowell November 1983 Aaron D. McLamb April 1044 Carol McLamb May 1958 Carolyn Best Mc Lamb July 1964 Evolulu Anderson McLamb July 1982 James M. McLamb April 1944 Lena F. McLamb April 1944 Myrtle Gore Mclamb July 1954 Nellie Carter McLamb June 1946 Robert McLamb 1959 Scott McLamb November 1983 Emma Jane Milliken July 1966 Dorothy Carter Mintz September 1930 Jean Mintz July 1962 Winfred C. Mintz July 1962 Ruby Benton Mintz June 1944 Thurston H. Mintz June 1974 Virginia Hardee Mintz April 1944 Roe Muckenfuss July 1981 Thomas Muckenfuss July 1981 Sydneth Tompkins Permenter November 1957 Emma Neil Lewis Pierce September 1064 Maggie Carter Rowland June 1976 Annie Jane Ward Simmons October 1963 Ann Lewis Smith November 1955 Paula McLamb Smith June 1977 Steve Smith June 1974 Carrie Benton Smithwick 1964 Susan Smith Stevens November 1983 Shellie McLamb Somersett 1924 Edna Stephens April 1964 Ellen Suggs January 1964 Marilyn Lewis Suggs April 1962 Mary Lewis Todd June 1961 Eunice Lewis Voivedich January 1957 Midge Muckenfuss Voivedich September 1984 Thomas Anthony (Tony) Voivedich January 1980 Alfrieda McLamb Ward September 1964 Bruce (Butch) Ward, Jr. April 1967 Florence Ward January 1932 Judy Smith Ward April 1964 Transcribed in memory of my mother: Annie Jane Ward Blanton Ward Simmons from a report written by Mason and Ann Anderson. The church is located at Hickman's Crossroads in Brunswick County. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/brunswick/history/other/bethelpr31gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 17.6 Kb