Brief History of Bethany Baptist Church

Bethany was the 20th Baptist Church to be started in Henry County. Bethany came about after a group of settlers began to have organized prayer services. Their attendance grew so much they felt the need to establish a church. On Oct 29, 1858, Brother W. G. McMichael preached an appropriate sermon on “The Constitution of a Church”. Brother D. L. Duffey was the first pastor and the first church building was erected on property donated by Rev. H. C. Lewis.

Bethany’s first known ordained minister was Rev. John T. Kimbell who served Bethany from November 1860 to December 1861 and again from December 1866 to 1877. The first minister ordained by Bethany was Rev. J. A. Jackson, ordained in 1880. He is buried at the spot on which the original pulpit stood (where he was ordained) and where the first church building stood (Section A of the Cemetery). He was also a soldier in the Confederate army and his grave is so marked in the Bethany Cemetery.

The original Bethany church building was constructed facing south toward Hwy 81. It burnt down in the late 1890’s. The second church building, “The Old Sanctuary” as many current members know it, was built in 1901 facing west on Bethany Road, which originally was just a driveway to the Church. Bethany, from the beginning, was a part of the organized Baptist Movement in Georgia and was in the Flint River Baptist Association until the establishment of the Henry Baptist Association (now transformed into the Southside Baptist Network.)

Bethany has had 28 Ministers, some serving more than once, and our current Pastor, Rev. Al O’Quinn has stood the test of time and holds the honor of being our longest serving minister since July 1989.

Bethany Baptist Church is a community church with family values. A community is only as strong and vibrant as the families that live, work and play in that community. Our goal is to equip families and individuals to thrive in our world today by teaching them biblical truths and principles that deal with real life issues.

God created each of us with a purpose. We believe that if we realize God’s purpose for our life and strive to live out that purpose everyday, it is possible to not just survive each day, but to thrive with confidence and peace.