Bethany Missionary Baptist Church

Our earliest records were stored in the home of the late Bro. S.T. Wilkinson which were destroyed in a fire of his home. He gave, in conversation, these facts.

The first church formed in October of 1892. The present building was not the first one. The first building set a little further back and was smaller. In 1896, A.H. McCraney, and his wife, deeded the land to the trustees of the church. In measuring off the property, they found the building was on the property line. That is when they built the present building.

The church joined The Association in 1900 with a total of nine members at the time.

In 1947, the church fell in the hands of another group who changed the name and withdrew from The Association.

In 1950, Bro. J.W. Wooten came from Loughman, Florida and started revivals in a tent. By 1951, Bethany Missionary Baptist Church was reformed and went back into The Association with services still being held in a tent. Later, the church built a shed and began having service in it. At this time the courts were being petitioned for the regain of the building.

In 1954, the courts awarded the building back to Bethany Missionary Baptist Church.

In 1955, the Sunday School rooms were added on. The church was beginning to grow.

The Bardin school was situated next to the church. In 1961, the school closed and the church purchased the land. This is where the church of today was built.

In 1978, the church began having services in the present building.

In 1985, the church purchased a doublewide mobile home and joined it on the back of the old church. This expansion was for Sunday School rooms to be added.

Bro. Cecil Hess, Pastor of twenty years, left in August of 1990.

At that time, the church called Bro. Kenneth Tanner as an interim pastor. He served as the interim pastor eight months, when we called Bro. Al Glance as a permanent pastor. Bro. Al Glance departed this life
May 4, 1999.

Brother Glenn Martin was called as pastor in August 1999, and remains with us to this day.