Charter members of Bethel Baptist Constituted October 25, 1886 are as follows
Matt Duck, Sr. and Mrs. Matt Duck Sr.
Henry Duck, Sr. and Mrs. Henry Duck Sr.
Walsh Neyland and Mrs.Walsh Neyland
Ira Bowlin, Sr. and Mrs. Ira Bowlin Sr.
Eli Callender and Mrs. Eli Callender
Mrs. Sallie Cox and Mrs. Ray Shaw
Ray Shaw and Martin Newman
Richard Bates and Mrs. Richard Bates
Wilburn Jones and Mrs. Wilburn Jones
Ray Callender Sr. and Mrs Ray Callender Sr.
Joe Smith and Mrs. Joe Smith
Albert Caston and Mrs. Albert Caston
Bob Morgan and Mrs. Bob Morgan
Harold Haygood and Mrs. Harold Haygood.
Being excluded from Ebenezer Baptist is what I believe motivated many of the original Bethel Baptist members to form their own church. In the early 1880's Bethel members held church service in the home and on the porch of Joseph Washington Neyland & Elizabeth Duck Neyland. A small school house built close to the present church was also used for meetings at this time. Matt Duck (David Madison) with his wife Ellen donated six acres of land for the new church building and cemetery. Robert Eli Callender, with his brother William Ray Callender, gave "one acre more or less" to Bethel with deed dated September 7, 1891.
Regretfully, early church notes for Bethel Baptist while in existence, are not available to be shared at this time. However, in a church history recorded in 1971, there are some quotes from these early records. Here is a partial quote from church notes dated March 5, 1911 mentioning that the church had been previously negligent in its discipline. "Resolve that here after will stamp out all dancing, profanity, and drunkiness. Any member engaged in any of these shally be subject to exclusion from the church." It is apparent that the original members of Bethel were looking for a more tolerant church than what they had found previously at Ebenezer; and at least initially inclined to look the other way regarding "sins" of their neighbors.
The church burned to the ground on January 10, 1978 under questionable circumstances and was rebuilt. In the late 1800's some of the Duck family left Bethel Baptist and became members of Unity Presbyterian when it moved to this area down by the creek. Bethel Baptist would hold baptisms in the creek next to Unity for many years and many Unity members are buried at Bethel. .
