ONCE A CHURCH, NOW A MEMORIAL--Bethel Church, now without a congregation, is maintained as a memorial to the ancestors of those who first established a Baptist place of worship on the site in 1808. Many of these descendants will be on hand Sunday for the annual meeting.

     MILLWOOD--"A quiet, peaceful, hallowed spot--a memorial set aside for prayer and meditation."

     That's the way Beverley B. McCay describes God's Acre and the Old Bethel Church will be the scene of the annual meeting Sunday. Hundreds of visitors--many of them descendants of those who formerly worshipped at Old Bethel and lie in its adjoining burial ground--will be here for the all-day meeting.
(Webmaster's note: "McCay" should be spelled as "McKay". MLM)

     The meeting will begin at 11 a.m. with an address of welcome by Alexander MacKay-Smith and a talk by former United States Senator Gerald P. Nye of North Dakota.

     OLD BETHEL is steeped in history and tradition. It's location is first recorded in a deed for a tract of 53,000 acres of land lying on the Shenandoah River, made by Thomas, Lord Fairfax, to descendants of Robert (King) Carter. Included is a clause excepting "God's Acre on the Hill, known as Bethel Meeting House."

     This indicates that there was a building on what is now an isolated spot in the southeastern part of Clarke County in 1765. There is evidence, however, to show an earlier building was replaced by a log structure in 1790.

     This meeting house--one of 36 gathering places of the Society of Friends in this area--was destroyed by fire in 1827. It was replaced by the present building, which was consecrated as Bethel Baptist Church in 1830.

     BETHEL Meeting House became a Baptist church July 16, 1808, according to an entry in the church minute book:

     "At a meeting at Bethel Meeting House for the purpose of constituting a church, present were William Davis, James Sowers, John Graves, Elizabeth Sowers, Richard Mastin, James LeRue, Edward Turner, Joseph White, Benjamin Elliott, Robert Hendron, Hezekiah Leach, John Buck, William Buck and Elders Benjamin Dawson and Samuel D. Herndon."

     Those present "Do covent and agree to unite in a church to be called Bethel. . .Brother Dawson prayed for a blessing on the church."

     No longer a church, but a Memorial set up by court order after the congregation disolved and the church building fell into a sad state of disrepair, holding an annual meeting is now a legal obligation of the board of Trustees.

     A century and a half ago an annual meeting was a requirement of the church law.

     Bethel was a member of the Ketoctin Baptist Association and each year sent greetings--a sort of annual report--to the association. Excerpts from one such report, written by James Sowers (an ancestor of Mrs. McKay), was carried to the parent body's annual gathering in 1824 by "our brethren William Fristoe, Stephen Davis and George Green:"

     "We lament that it is a time of leaness among us at present. Though numbers attend on the Word preached, yet it appears to profit but few. . .Perhaps the seed sown now may spring up hereafter to purpose, and produce many births to fill the house of God, and we are sure from experience that the word is not in vain to the Lord's people.

     "SINCE our last association we have baptised none, received by letter three, removed by death two and excommunicated two, which leaves our present number 112."

     Following the annual meeting for 1964, next Sunday, the visitors--and Mr. McKay and the other trustees emphasized the public is invited to spend the day absorbing history and sharing with the descendants of Old Bethels the activities planned for the future--will adjourn to the church yard and the adjoining "hitching yard."

     In the early 1850s, when the congregation, white and black, numbered into the hundreds, W. B. Harris donated land adjoining the church property, for a hitching yard. Sometime later a 16-by-24 foot building was constructed on this land and it became one of the first public schools in Clarke County in 1870.

     Mr. and Mrs. McKay attended this school which they describe as a typical "red school house with one teacher in charge of all the grades."
(Webmaster's note: This school house, once called "Bethel School House", is now a private residence. MLM)

     But to get back to "after meeting" festivities. Tables laden with chicken, country ham and other foods will be set up in the church yard for those in attendance. D.W. Naff of Berryville will lead the group in singing.

     Rev. Winston McKay of Winchester and Rev. Paul E. Reiter of Charles Town, W. Va. will conduct afternoon devotional services.

     The self-perpetuating Board of Trustees of the memorial building--Chairman Mackay-Smith, Treasurer and Managing Trustee McKay, Recorder Phylis Cornwell Hawkins, Thomas B. Byrd and Haslup Revell--will be on hand to tell of the building's history and the steps which have been taken and are still to be accomplished to preserve it as a memorial shrine.

     AMONG THE interesting objects are huge chandaliers with kerosene lamps, a 1850 pewter communion set and two cantalope-design Franklin stoves dated 1865. It was these stoves, installed in the church for winter services and moved out by the pastor in the 1920s, which were one of the causes of the abandonment of the church.

     The congregation was shrunken by the abandonment of the road which formerly led to the now isolated church, and by the establishment of new Baptist churches in surrounding territory. The church was abandoned in the 1920s and fell into disrepair.

     When Mr. and Mrs. McKay, who live close nearby, finally enlisted the aid of others in preserving the old meeting house, the roof was gone, many of the bricks--originally manufactured on the premises--had crumpled and the floor and joists needed replacement.

     A search of the records showed title to the property was clouded and the first step was to invoke "squatters rights" to obtain a Circuit Court decree and set up a management board.

     The structure is now solid and substantial and all its old features have been preserved. To secure matching lumber for renovation the trustees bought an old building in High View, W. Va.

     "We have never made an appeal for financial help," Mr. McKay said. "All this expensive renovation has been done through donations from the public and by volunteer workers."

     The next remodeling job the trustees hope to accomplish is to remove a domed ceiling on the main floor, installed in the 1860s to conserve heat, and rebuild the old-time slave gallery as it was 135 years ago. They hope to start this project in the near future.

     Minute books dating back to July 16, 1808, when Bethel Baptist Church was founded, show that the congregation frequently was called upon to act as judge and jury for its members. At the infrequent meetings when there were no problems presented nor punishments to be meted out appears the entry: "No Complaints."

     November, 1808, "Brother Davis informs the church that Sister Bryarly, appears to have two husbands. Brother Davis is appointed to make inquiry into the case and have her appear at our next meeting of business."

     Sister Milley did appear, "came forward and related her exercise of mind for having two husbands and gave full satisfaction to the church."

     May 13, 1809, "Brother William Davis informed that Brother Peter, the property of Sister Helm, has by some means conducted himself to receive a whipping at the public whipping post. Brother S. Leake is to inform him to be at our next meeting." When Brother Peter gave the reason for the whipping "it appears the church can bear with him and hold him in Fellowship."

     "Brother Henry Fox confessed to drinking to excess "confesses his sorrow for doing so and is acquited."

     THE CASE of Daniel, belonging to Major Randolph, informed upon by Harry, also belonging to Major Randolph, "for beating and abusing him," was reported in several 1811 meetings. Both Daniel and his wife were cited to appear at the "next church meeting to give satisfaction." At a subsequent meeting Daniel "is excluded from our fellowship for beating Harry a member of Buckmarsh."

     September 1811 minutes record that "Armstead Gilbert, belonging to Old Widow Brownley (great, great, great grandmother of Mr. McKay) was excommunicated for disturbance and disobeying the call of the church."
(Webmaster's note: There should be only two "greats" in the above paragraph. MLM)

     Not all those brought before the Bethel tribunal were slaves. In 1811 "Henry Fox was excluded from fellowship with us for drinking repeatedly to intoxication." Another brother was cited for intoxication and playing cards all night. Another for adultery.

     One of the brothers of the church "wishing to resign the office of deacon from cause of his wife not being the exact character as stated by the Apostle Paul. The church considered him and he is acquitted."

     THE CONGREGATION turned down, in 1819, a request that white females should have the right to vote on church matters but added "we believe both the laws of nature and the Sacred Scriptures give a preference to the male members, but in all cases the females ought to be consulted."

     One sister loaded a pistol with intent to shoot another but was foiled. She told the church she wished she would "have the hottest corner in hell."

     Lucy, a colored woman belonging to William P. Nelson, was acquitted on a charge of throwing water in a colored man's face on the grounds it was justified.

     On April 16, 1861, the minutes reported there was "great excitement in the country." On May 16 a roll call disclosed "most of the young people absent. Gone to defend their country's rights." William B. Harris was appointed temporary clerk, "Brother J. F. Kerfoot gone to join the army at Harper's Ferry."

     One of the late entries in the Bethel Church minute book was June 8, 1922--a long report on the difficulties arising between the minister and the congregation. The pastor replied to criticism with a sermon on the topic "Refrain from Strife in the Church," "illustrating his sermon with abusive allusions to two members and winding up by saying 'their work was a device of the devil designed to break up the church.
(Webmaster's note: This is in relation to the removing of the stoves and other furniture in Bethel by the pastor. These items were returned by some of the members who objected to the move. MLM)