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 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.