Bethel is 200+ year-old congregation founded in 1812, faithfully working to serve Christ near and far through faith, hope, love and witness. We are located in the piedmont of North Carolina between Greensboro and Burlington. Our beautiful 25-acre wooded campus consists of 6 buildings, plus an outdoor amphitheater (Vesperdale), a prayer garden, playground and an expansive, historic cemetery. We are so blessed to have this incredible little piece of "heaven on earth" we call Bethel. You are cordially invited to join us for worship or just to stroll through the grounds on a nice warm day and commune with the Lord!
OUR STORY
Bethel is a 200+ year old congregation founded in 1812, faithfully
working to serve Christ and community through faith, hope, love and
witness.
We are located in the piedmont of North Carolina between
Greensboro and Burlington. Our beautiful 25-acre wooded campus
consists of 6 buildings, plus an outdoor amphitheater (Vesperdale),
a prayer garden, playground and an expansive, historic cemetery.
We are so blessed to have this incredible little piece of "heaven on
earth" we call Bethel.
You are cordially invited to join us for worship or just to stroll
through the grounds on a nice, warm day and commune with the
Lord!
"A Brief
History of Bethel Presbyterian Church"
Organization: The original name of the congregation was
Cedar Creek
Presbyterian Church, and was organized in Gibsonville, NC in
1812.
The Reverend Samuel Paisley was
installed and ordained as Cedar
Creek's first minister.
Since the
original church site (located in the current Gibsonville
Cemetery) was not
accessible for many members, the congregation
started looking for a new site -
further west - to the consternation of
Alamance and Buffalo Churches who
worried it might pull away some
of their members!
Beginnings: In 1815, the church was deeded 2.25 acres to
erect a
"meeting house". Cedar
Creek moved seven miles to the west and
changed the name to Bethel. A log sanctuary was built just in front of
the site of the present building. The congregation met there until they
could
build a simple frame church (near the Session House) in the
1820's.
Expansion: After the Civil War, Bethel needed a larger
sanctuary. The
building campaign began
in 1866 and the present sanctuary was
finished two years later in 1868. The
Session House was constructed in
1875.
Subsequently, four small classrooms were added behind the apse
in 1905,
and a Doric-style front porch was added in 1923.
For much of its
history, Bethel was a yoked-congregation - first with
Greensboro First
Presbyterian Church (1824-1845) then with Buffalo PC
(1847-1905), and finally
with Alamance PC and/or Springwood PC
(1905-1951). Bethel became self-supporting in 1951 and
soon built its
Education Building and manse.
In 1999, the new Fellowship Hall was
constructed and the Session House
was moved and restored; it is now a
museum and resource center.
Significance: Bethel is the third oldest congregation in
Guilford County,
and is on the Registry of American Presbyterian/Reformed
Historic
Sites. The frame sanctuary and
the Session House are the oldest
surviving examples in the county. In 1871, Bethel was the fourth largest
congregation in the Orange Presbytery and it hosted the Presbytery
convention
the following year. Through its history,
Bethel has had
fourteen members who became ministers and three Certified Lay
Pastors.