The acceptance of Old Bethel Church, near Millwood, as a memorial took place Sunday at an all day service held with more than 200 attending the meeting.

     The memorial service was conducted Sunday afternoon by the Rev. E. T. Clark of Winchester, and the church was accepted by five trustees, the acceptance being made by A. Mackay-Smith.

     The morning service opened with a sermon by the Rev. Robert F. Caverlee, pastor of the Fredericksburg Baptist Church, whose theme was that we should continue to build on the shrines erected by our forefathers, not only for ourselves but for future generations.

     At noon a picnic luncheon was served on the grounds.

     Dr. Clark, during the afternoon service, spoke of the rural church. He urged the group to make every effort to reopen the church not only for an annual worship but for regular services. He called attention to a recent survey of southern states which showed that about 95 percent of all ministers serving in about a dozen southern states were born, reared and received their religious education in small rural churches. In another survey, he said, that for the past five years, rural churches are closing at the rate of seven a day, 200 a month and 2,400 a year.

     He pointed out that in the same period no less than seven Baptist Churches within a radius of 25 miles of Winchester had closed. Bethel was one.

     In accepting the charge on the part of the trustees, Mr. Mackay-Smith said their duties would be three-fold; its duty to the congregation, its duty to the church building, and its duty in providing a place of worship for the entire community.

     In addition to ratifying the formation of the board of trustees, the congregation went on record petitioning the court to sell their one-third interest in the parsonage property in Boyce to pay off a debt of about $150 to Rev. C. Van Der Linden incurred when he was pastor at Bethel. The sale on their property would more than pay off this debt and leave an amount for use by the trustees.

     Besides Mr. Mackay-Smith, other trustees are: B. B. McKay, C. T. Wiley, Mrs. Henry E. Hawkins and Alfred M. Kerfoot.

     Built in 1828, surviving members of Bethel now are: Mrs. Martha Morgan Lohr of Arlington, Mrs. Charles Shumate of Boyce, Mrs. Marshall Gore of Arlington, Luther Poston of Boyce, Mrs. Harry L. Estep of Front Royal, Mrs. Isabelle Dove Showalter of Winchester, Mrs. Philip Revell of Millwood, Mrs. Mary Revell Webb of Millwood, Mrs. James Pyne of Millwood, James Pyne of Millwood, Mrs. Henry E. Hawkins of Boyce, Miss Sarah Silman of Paris, William Silman of Paris, Miss Elizabeth Cornwell of Berryville, Henry E. Hawkins of Boyce, C. T. Wiley of Boyce, and B. B. McKay of Millwood.