History :

The history of Bethel Baptist Church actually begins in Virginia with Thomas Jefferson and two Revolutionary War veterans, Joseph Ogle and James Lemen, Sr., a life-long friend of Jefferson. In 1786, with emergency funds provided by Jefferson (a reported sum of $30), James Lemen, his wife Catherine (Joseph Ogle's daughter), and their two young sons joined Joseph and his son Benjamin who were already living in the settlement of New Design (near the present town of Waterloo in Monroe County). The Lemens and the Ogles were among the first settlers at New Design. At that time the population of the entire territory of Illinois was fewer than 20,000 Indians of various tribes and only a very few thousand Europeans, Africans and Americans. At Jefferson's urging, James Lemen's move west was for the express purpose of opposing the introduction of slavery there.