OUR HISTORY!

In 1870, only five years after the end of the Civil War, delegates gathered in Jackson, Tennessee to form what was then called the Colored Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church. Following the Civil War, Methodist who were ex-slaves believed continued membership in the same church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, of former slave-masters was impossible. The eleventh Bishop of the CME Church, Randall Albert Carter, referred to this newly formed church of mostly exslaves as a "tender plant of God" would sprout and nurture a lasting vine in Valdosta, Georgia. This lasting vine is Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church which has been a stay in the community for 122 years. At the 18th Session of the South Georgia Annual Conference in Macon, Georgia, December 1896, with the Rev. Mathew Walker as presiding Elder, Bishop R. S. Williams assigned Rev. Bayfield as pastor Rocky Hill and Valdosta Mission. Rev Bayfield gathered a few faithful men and women and organized the Bethel Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in 1897. From a poor simple beginning on Savannah Avenue in an old hall, the Church moved to its present site in 1900. In 1974 the old sanctuary with its proud bell tower was condemned by the city inspectors. Under the pastorate of Rev Homer Weeks, Bro R.C. Johnson led the way in building of a new sanctuary, which was dedicated by then Bishop Joseph C. Coles, Jr on November 24, 1974. Bro Johnson volunteered his carpentry and supervisory skills, which saved the church building expenses. The Valdosta Soup Kitchen had its beginning at Bethel, when members of the Valdosta Ministerial Association became concerned about a population of people in the community who did not have food to eat. A task force was formed, and the results were reported to the church. In March of 1983, under the guidance of David W. Boyd, chairman of Board of Christian Education. Bethel opened her doors to the first organized soup kitchen in Valdosta. The kitchen began serving meals to the needy until the church facility became too small to accommodate the people being served. In 2006, Rev. Ellis C. Jackson was assigned to serve Bethel as Pastor. It is under his leadership that the present membership and some that are no longer with us moved forward with several renovation projects to the Church Edifice. The projects include remodeling the pulpit area to create more space, a new communion chancel, pulpit furniture, new altar, installed new cabinetry in the kitchen. There were significant repairs made to the rental house and parsonage. Most recently, the congregation completed a technology refresh that included upgrades to the audio and video system giving an additional mode of communication to sharing the Gospel of Christ.