USA > Ohio > Clark County > New Carlisle > Bethel Baptist Church history, 1822-1972 > Part 2
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March 23 - Everybody come to Sabbath next Sunday. After school Rev. Green of Springfield will deliver on the "Perseverence" of the Saints." A few of the members look as tho they have been on a tare, to Tremont, I suppose.
May 11 -- Miss Dora is absent this morning. (I think he had an interest in Miss Dora).
June 8 - Our Sunday School looks kind of lonesome this morning in the absence of our Superintendent. Great number of our young people at home this morning - too much ice cream last night.
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June 29 - School in a very flourishing condition. (There were 50 present) Awful hot. C. M. Heistand has a new gold watch. Oh my, he looks like he thought he was some pumpkin.
Aug. 4 - Dora did not give a cent in the collection.
Aug. 11 - An amusing discussion was held at a busi- ness session when they discussed ways to get the congregation to sit toward the front of the church but nothing was decided (As you know we have the same problem today).
On Aug. 17 he listed a barn in this area having burned to the ground. Loss $25,000 fully insured. I thought it unusual to have a barn 90 years ago valued at $25,000 and be fully insured.
In 1861 a resolution was presented that all members of Bethel Church deem it their duty to abstain from all intoxicating liquor as a beverage.
The years 1863-1865 were taken up with concern over the Civil War. Many families had sons going off to fight and they still had relatives and friends living in Virginia. Now they were on opposite sides and at war with one another.
At one time Bethel was an integrated church. A Negro family by the name of Lowry lived in the neighborhood and attended Bethel. Their pictures are found in old school and Sunday School picnic groups. From what I could find out they were an asset to the church and loved by all.
In 1866 hitching racks were placed across the front of the church. I could not find out when buggy stall's were built across the back of the church but they were still there during the 1930's and used by some members even then.
Just to show how times have changed and inflation hadn't arrived yet a man was employed to build a fire twice a month for five months for one dollar. Another time someone was hired to clean the church twice a month for $18 a year. Earlier I read where a visiting pastor cleaned the church before each meeting. In 1882 a sexton was hired for $25 a year. They were expected to clean the church in the spring and again in the fall, have wood chopped and furnish materials to keep the church in order. The church really got a lot for their money.
In 1868 Trustees were appointed to the church. The Moderator was always the minister and if he would be absent or they would be without a minister someone would be appointed Moderator but it was usually a different person each time-it wasn't until 1914 that a layman was elected to serve as Moderator.
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In 1869 the Deacons and Clerk were appointed to look after the needy and to take measures to relieve their wants. Sometimes it was to give a widow wood, seed to another - one time a man helped who had suffered the loss of all of his cattle. Many times people were helped when they suffered loss by fire.
In 1874 the church decided to levy a tax of 10 cents per member. This was to be paid monthly to the Treasurer and to be used to defray expenses. New song books were also bought this year. It seems they bought song books often. It may be they were paperback and did not last long. At first they were Penicostal, then Psalmist and finally Baptist books. This is also the year they recorded 100 books in the library.
This seems to be a time of trouble in the church again. One member was told he must answer some serious charges against him either in person or in writing or his name would be dropped and he would not be given a letter of dismission. He claimed he was clear of the judgment so the accuser was called upon to establish the charge. The clerk had written "which in the judgement of the church he failed to do." The accused asked that minutes be corrected so the clerk with a pencil crossed out "which in the judgement of the church he failed to do" and he wrote across the top "which he did after considerable discussion". The charge was illigal return or listment of personal property, money and audits. He said there was no intention of fraud or unlawful doing. Here again we find two men of the church opposite sides and being very definite about it. The church made a motion that the men become reconciled before the church would take action. This they did later but these were two prominent leaders in the church. Five members asked for their letters of dismission at this time but I don't know weather their leaving had any connection to this problem.
In 1877 the church voted to send 20 cents per member to foreign missions.
I had read of one of the members making candle boxes but this year they voted to buy lamps and oil at a cost of $3.35.
In 1879 with about 100 members it was decided to build a new church. It was to be brick, 32 feet by 45 feet with a bell at a cost of $1297. This was in March and by April $923 had been subscribed and by May they had $1243. It was to be built just west of the original church and is part of our church now that we use for the sanctuary. The final cost was $1372.24 and was paid for when completed. It was heated by two stoves - one on each side of the church.
The bell was important to the people then. It called the members to worship and told the neighbors when the church was having services. It rang in case of emergencies to let people know they were needed to
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help. It has not been on the church for some time but we hope to bring it back since it was a symbol of long ago.
In 1880 a dedication was held for the new church.
Since the church had been involved in a building expense for the new church they had not been able to pay their pastor all his salary (they still owed him $94). It was decided not to call a pastor until this was paid. They must have been concerned about not having a pastor for they were able to get the money and the pastor was called for another year.
In 1881 they decided not to call that pastor back and they tried to get another pastor. The called pastor sent word that he couldn't come so they voted again on the former pastor and it was unanimous. I thought it interesting that in one month all the members had changed their minds and were in agreement. The next year they called another pastor and started half-time preaching.
In 1883 the Treasurer gave a report of having collected only $3.65 for the past three months. So it was decided to charge 10 cents per each male member and 5 cents per each female member - this was to be paid monthly to the Treasurer and that no member would be given a letter of good standing unless his obligations had been met with the church. But at the next meeting they voted not to add the last part about not being given a letter of good standing.
In 1885 I think Bethel must have had one of the most inspirational events a church could have when Miss Nettie Pursell went to be a missionary in India. There she met her husband a man by the name of Moore. He translated the new testament into the Garu language for these people. Later her sister Charlotte also went to the same field. She too married a man named Moore in India and they both had families while living there; mention was made of l'etters read from the missionary girls and from time to time money was sent to them but the church did not support them - this money that was sent was a gift.
This was the year that I first heard Sunday referred to as Lord's Day. They also decided to take up collections at each meeting. Reference was made to the basket offering so they inust have used basket plates. The church was having financial problems again. When choosing a new pastor they tried to contact several men. One former pastor said he would come for $200 a year or whatever they could raise but he lost the vote. They heard from four other ministers who offered to come for $250 to $400. Finally Rev. Beck was called for $350.
In 1887 Mrs. Leah Pursell, the mother of two missionaries, organized the first Missionary Society in the church. On the first lists of members I found men's names so they were included in the group. Several times I saw men's names as being president of the Society. Today it is a
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group of ladies that form the Mission Society. Mrs. Pursell must have had a great influence in the guiding of her daughters into Mission work for now since she has daughters as missionaries, she is seeing the need for enlisting the whole church in Mission work. The society met all day and spent most of their time making quilts. It would be interesting to know how many they made, once I read where the ladies were tired of making quilts but they continued on until 1940. The quilts were sold or given to the destitute - many people who had fires were supplied with these new quilts. They also sewed rags together and made rugs, they went into homes to sew for two dollars a day, they did Red Cross work and of course they had programs which were complete with vocal and instrumental music. They made a lot of contributions to the church. They bought carpet for the church several times, once they bought 130 yards at 86 cents a yard, they gave $100 to the addition to the church, paid $50 on a furnace, $150 toward a light plant, bought a Communion set, book racks and Communion holders. They met many of the needs for the Community Building such as wallpaper, paint, blinds, curtains and even brooms and mops. I wondered how they made their money other than quilts, rugs and sewing and I found they served the first Olive Branch Alumni Banquet in 1926 and they had many dinners at sales in the neighborhood. They sometimes sold such articles as cards, towels, and metal sponges. They also had box socials. Then in 1935 they decided to stop selling merchandise and depend on Love Gifts. I have always given Rev. Manning the credit for instilling this idea that we should not sell but give a gift of love. They had unique ways of bringing money into their Treasury. They had a penny fine for not repeating a verse at each meeting, a five cent fine for not attending the meeting, two cents for every foot tall and one cent for every inch over the last foot, all' Sunday eggs were saved and sold and the money given to the society, a five cent fine for each lady not wearing a calico dress and they also had a birthday offering of one cent for each year old. In 1924 I read they bought their first mission magazine and it was four cents. Plants for the sick cost 25 cents and 35 cents, today it cost ten times that to buy a plant for the ill. White Cross work was started in 1920 and has kept our ladies busy for over fifty years.
Mr. John Pursell was also a very active church member. He was a deacon and served on many committees so you can see the two Missionary daughters had very dedicated parents. He must have been a carpenter for I read where he fixed windows on the church, repaired doors, worked on the roof and made benches for the church. When he died in 1890 I'm sure the church really felt his loss. He lies buried in the cemetery beside the church along with many members listed on the membership roll.
In 1887 the church resolved to take up collections at each meeting. It was this year that I first read a Treasurers report. It said the church had collected $396.06 but had paid out a total of $566.53. They had bought
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an organ for 65.75 and a lamp had been purchased for the choir. The next year lamps were purchased for the yard.
I wondered how they had their singing for they appointed a committee to have some system of singing at regular meeting and the committee appointed seventeen people. This must have been a choir.
The church recieved requests from time to time from other churchs asking for help financially and a Nebraska church asked at this time and the church sent a dollar. Remember a dollar went much further in 1887.
In 1889 the church recieved a new pulpit Bible and the old one was sent to the Third Baptist church in Springfield (this was a Negro church).
This year Bethel entertained the Mad River Association again and mention was made of meeting people at Enon as well as New Carlisle and Springfield, it also mentioned arranging for preaching in the neighborhood and named Donnelville, Rockway and Union Chapel. They also bought two doxen chairs to handle the extra seating.
The church bought a clock and this was the first time I read of a clock being purchased.
In 1891 Scott Ebersole was licened to preach and he was used by the church whenever they were without a pastor. In 1970 the Ebersole family sent a donation to the church and the drapes, pulpit curtain and chair covers were purchased with that money.
In 1892 a motion was made that the Church Convenant be read at each regular meeting but at a later date it was changed to be read read quarterly and then finally discontinued altogether.
It was this year that they voted to use the envelope system for collection.
In 1893 was the date that I first read of sending the pastor to the State Convention and of having the church insured. To have the church insured it had to be incorperated and the church was incorperated at the cost of five dollars.
A motion was made to have an Advisory Committee composed of six members, and that no case would come before the church without the vote of this committee. This is interesting in that just a few years ago this Advisory Committee was voted in again when the Constitution was written.
In 1895 B.Y.F. was organized at Bethel and started the youth work. For many years the B.Y.F. included young married people- today it is just for the youth that form this group and each year they take over a worship service and give a very inspirational service. Our B.Y.F. also has an Easter breakfast every year. It was also urged this year that each family have devotions in their home.
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On checking this year on a member as to why he had not been to church stated his love and sympathy for the church. The clerk was appointed to write to him and ask him to show his love and sympathy in a practial way. In 1896 the hand of fellowship was withdrawn from this member but in 1897 he was restored into the church. I think he must have been practial and sent some money to the church.
Bethel was having some problems of her own. The pastor requested permission to call a council of three ordained ministers to settle some trouble between a member and the church. The member had said some unChrist like things about the church and some of its members. Since he was a licensed preacher they decided not to call a council but to recall his license. Something happened for at the next meeting he was reinstated to full fellowship but the next year he asked that his name be dropped along with five other members.
In 1900 the church borrowed money from the Women's Mission Society is to pay their pastor with the promise to pay it back. Today the Society is dependent upon the church for financial support to function.
They also decided to hold weekly prayer meetings. Sometimes prayer meetings were discontinued (lack of attendance). Sometimes it was voted to have them in the homes. This would be warmer in winter and the night of the meetings would be changed.
In 1902 a committee was appointed to find a way to fasten the church benches down. I can just imagine all the things that could happen if the benches were not secured to the floor.
A contagious disease caused the church to close during this year and it is thought it might have been smallpox.
The church discussed purchasing a furnace for $125.00 but instead they bought two new stoves - one for each side of the church. The financial condition of the church was probably the reason they decided on the stoves. In the minutes it would name people responsible for secing that the church had wood to burn and the cost was from 50c to $1.50 a cord
The young people were given permission to hold a social at a private home when they saw a suitable time for it. This was the first mention of any social life of the young people of the church - except in an older Sunday School record it mentioned the young people being absent from church because they had eaten too much ice cream at a social.
In 1904 William Peiffer was licensed to preach. Before this J. Scott Ebersole and Hezekiah Smith had been licensed - now Bethel could say three ministers and two missionaries had left the church to serve others in the service of the Lord.
This year they also decided to ask the young people of the church to help support the church financially.
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In 1906, in the Mad River Association minutes, a resolution was made that Miss Sadie Hardacre furnish her excellent paper on "Evan- gelism in the Sunday School" to the Journal and Messenger. This was a Baptist paper and every year at the Association meeting a resolution was made that the Journal and Messenger be in every home to read - other resolutions frequently made were on Intemperance, careful use of the Sabbath and once on the dangers of Romanism. Miss Sadie Hard- acre was a mother and grandmother of the Gordon's in our church. I particularly remember her poetry she would write.
In 1907 mention was made of Bethel sponsoring a Mission at Snyder- ville known as Bethel Mission. It mentioned a W. K. Gordon as superintendent and an attendance of 55. Then in 1915 when the church bought new song books they sent the used ones to the Mission. I could not find out how long it lasted but it has been discussed since at Bethel that we might help the people in that Community spiritually by starting a church but nothing developed.
In 1908 a memorial service was held for Nettie Pursell Mason and later one for her sister. How proud Bethel was of her Missionaries and rightly so, they are the only known foreign missionaries to go from Bethel.
In 1910 a new light plant was purchased for the church - no more lamps to take care of and clean.
In 1911 it was decided to have a committee chosen to look after incidentals of the church and all loose money in the offering basket was to be used by this committee.
The Missionary Society purchased a new carpet for the church and the Sunday School purchased an organ. Ethel Martin Heistand played this organ for many years.
Discussed in 1907, again in 1913 but not until 1915 did action on an addition to the church materialize. It was a 24 by 15 ft. room put on the west side of the church. A basement was put in and a furnace installed. This room is now the vestibule of the church. It was this room that the ladies helped to finance and later a dedication was held for the new room and the organ.
In 1917 Rev. E. N. Long was called to preach. His grandson and family are active members of our church - the Phil Long family.
In 1918 the church was closed during the month of January because of extremely cold weather and very deep snow. This same year the church lost its oldest member, the founder of the Mission work, the Mother of the Missionary girls - Mrs. Leah Pursell. Even though she had moved away and could not attend she never failed to send her love gift of money to the church.
In 1919 the church had to close again for illness (thought to be the flu epidemic) and when it opened again the attendance was very low.
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In 1921 the church purchased the school building for $685. Now the church could spread out, and have additional classrooms. The record shows attendance of 170 at Sunday School so this additional room must have been very welcome since before they had only the sanctuary and the small additional room to use for Sunday School classes.
In 1922 Bethel celebrated her centennial with special services.
The following year a very old member of the church (91 yrs.) asked to be accepted for baptism. He was Mr. A. C. Heistand and because of his age he was carried down to the water in a chair by Rev. McMillen and Rev. Peiffer and baptized in the chair.
In 1925 Rev. Samuel Furrow became pastor at Bethel. He was a young man with a wife and small son. The first year he was pastor his wife died very suddenly. This was such a shock for all the church but it gave them a chance to gather their pastor and his small son in their arms of love and help him. A relative came to care for the young son and help in the pastor's home.
It was this year that they purchased a Delco plant for $371 and the Women's society gave $150 toward the cost. I have heard stories of how the lights would get dim and someone would have to run out to an outside shed and start up the motor so that the service could be furnished with sufficient lighting.
A Harvest Festival was held at the schoolhouse this year. All kinds of produce that was raised by the members was brought. After a thanks to the Lord for the bountiful harvest, three boxes were packed to be sent to a ministers home in Cleveland and the rest was sold bringing in fifty dollars to the Treasury. In later years the ladies sent barrels of home canned fruit and vegetables to this home.
In 1927 Bethel helped organize a regular Baptist Church on Pleasant Street in Springfield. It became known as Calvary Church and has now moved into the rural area. Rev. Manning, a pastor at Bethel also served this church for a number of years.
In 1928 electricity was put into the church at a cost of $54 and the Delco plant was sold for $25. Now we have seen lighting go from candles to lamps, to a light plant, to Delco, to electricity.
A new Pastor, Rev. Harry Manning, was called at this time and he served both Calvary and Bethel churches.
In 1929 the church entertained the Mad River Association again. This meant a lot of planning and preparation since the church provided a dinner and supper meal. They charged 35 cents for the noon meal and 25 cents for the evening meal.
This was the first time I heard Bulletins or bulletin board mentioned. The bulletins called attention to the activities of the church. They must have been discontinued for they were started again in the late 1940's
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by Paul Harris and have continued since with Miriam Salyers as the editor. They also decided to take evening offerings this year. In 1930 the church entered into a Baptist Community Canvas. Letters were sent to every church family or member, if just one member belonged to the church. Those letters presented the problem of financing the word of the Kingdom of Christ, pledge cards were enclosed and the people were urged to use envelopes to give their offering to the church.
Many years before a long shed had been built across the back of the church lot for the use of those who came to church in horse and buggy. In 1931 the church wished to dispose of this shed and . contacted the owners.
In 1934 the church started full time preaching and we have seen this progress from once a month to twice a month to half time (sharing a pastor with another church) to full time preaching.
About this time a Rev. William Peiffer held special services at Bethel and on the last morning of his meetings he suffered a stroke while praying and died later in the year. He was a very inspirational minister and since he was in the Gordon home during his last illness I felt sure he helped Edwin Gordon to make his decision to heed the call to become a minister.
In 1935 a disagreement between the Sunday School Superintendent and the pastor caused much trouble and heartache in the church. The superintendent was dismissed from any connection with the church. This was a sad time for Bethel - sides were taken in the dispute and some members left the church never to return.
A new furnace was purchased for the church for $300 and I noticed it took a year to pay off the debt of the furnace.
In 1937 the practice of giving new Bibles to each new convert was started - they also were presented with a church manual.
In 1938 the church voted to send delegates to the Ohio Convention in Columbus and the Moderator of the church at thit time requested that those going should act as delegates. There was a time when the men had week-end meetings called Men's Conference when some tricks were played on others in fun but I thought it was later than this. So I don't know why this request was made at this time.
In 1940 a vestibule was added to the front of the church and new pews and furniture for the pulpit were purchased. It is this furniture we are now using.
Junior Church Chapter was organized by Alice Andrew. This service serves the children on their own level and they can participate in the service. Many loyal members have taken over the responsibility for this group.
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Rev. Edwin Gordon was ordained in 1944. This is the first ordination I had ever seen and it was a very impressive service. He had been used as a supply pastor at our church while he was preparing for the ministry. He is also a descendent of the Miller family.
This same year it was decided that deacons be voted on and serve for two years. Before when deacons were voted into office they served until they resigned or at their death. It was also voted to have six deacons instead of four.
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