With a flavor of the past meeting the present, Bethany Baptist Church in Tennille celebrated its 200th birthday Aug. 29.

Members dressed up in the same manner as the founders of the congregation. Hymns were sung accompanied by the pipe organ played by 38-year member Patricia Mathis. Afterwards, children played outside while adults washed down barbecue, potato salad, deviled eggs, creamed corn, sweet potatoes, fried chicken, a variety of desserts and the like with gallons of sweet tea.

It was, according to pastor Jarrett Burch, just typical of the South Georgia congregation.

"This is a church with a long and interesting history," he says. "These people love each other and that comes through in how they treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ."

Burch's book chronicling the history of the church, Bethany: A Story of an Old Southern Church, was presented for those attending the celebration.

 

Beginnings

In his book, Burch remarks on the congregation's beginnings in 1804 in the 89th Georgia Military District of Washington County. It was on the banks of the Ohoopie (pronounced OO Ð pee) River that sixteen men and women constituted a church and named it Bethany, borrowing the name of one of the places Jesus visited often in the New Testament.

Burch states that Bethany has meshed everyday activities with time-honored traditions, two of which are the use of homemade wine at communion and the office of junior deacons.

 

Supportive people

It's in the members of the church, though, where the story of the congregation is told.

Mark Deal, 84 years old and chairman of deacons, grew up at Bethany. A deacon for almost 50 years, Deal made the hour-and-a-half drive from Macon, where he lives, to Tennille each Sunday until two years ago, when a car accident put him in the hospital.

"The doctors said I should have been killed," Bethany's oldest male member says. "It was during my stay in the hospital that I could feel the prayers of the people at the church. All of them were highly supportive. They're outstanding and look out for others."

 

Changes

Deal, whose father was a deacon and grandfather a member at Bethany, can recall when the appearance of the church was much different.

"I remember when there was a dirt road in front of the church. A well in the front gave us water. There was no electricity and an outhouse was used. People even rode horses and in buggies. There was a hitchin' post out front for the horses."

Betty Wammock, also 84 and the oldest regularly-attending member, recounts the geniality of the people.

"It's an agreeable church," she says. "If there is anything to be discussed, it's done in front of everybody. People get along for the good of all."

Tina Knowles, 31, was born and raised at Bethany. After marrying her husband, John, the couple visited other churches, but she says they found their way back home to her childhood congregation.

"It didn't matter that we had been gone," she says. "We always felt loved and wanted by everyone."

"Bethany is not just a house of prayer; it's our home."

Scott Lindsey, 35, also grew up at Bethany. He attends with his wife, Monica, and stepson, Timothy Gill. "I think that it's the closeness that's kept the church together. It's centered on family."

The family aspect of the church came home for Lindsey when Gill, an eighth-grader at Johnson County High School, recently prayed to receive Christ.

"After a sermon one Sunday he came up to Monica and me. He was ready to accept Jesus."

Pastor emeritus R.J. "Bob" Lott, who served at Bethany for 36 years, was a teacher and principal in the Macon area for more than two decades while pastor.

"The people are very hard-working and represent a lot of different occupations," he said. "Pastoring there while teaching was a great experience.

"Going to church each weekend actually gave me a chance to relax."

 

Author and historian

Burch, who also pastors Mt. Moriah Church in Tennille in addition to teaching Georgia History at Perry Middle School in Houston County, took on the job of chronicling the church's past after accepting the pastorate at Bethany for the second time.

He had previously served the church starting in February of 1997. Burch resigned in July of 1998 in order to pursue his doctorate degree in philosophy at Southern Seminary. In May of 2000, he was called once again as pastor.

Burch is a published author who currently serves as chairman of the Georgia Baptist Historical Commission. He is also a contributor to the Georgia Historical Quarterly and associate editor of Viewpoints, a Georgia Baptist journal. For more information on his books call 1 (478) 374-3953.