Old Bethel's first congregation was made up of about 80 members.  A revival in 1850 boosted the membership to about 160 members.  Shortly following though, around the time of the Civil War, services were discontinued with the absence of the pastor and many young men.

In 1887, the church was restored and services began again.  For unknown reasons, services were again discontinued in 1873 for about 5 years.  The church was revitalized after a revival in 1878 led by a dynamic traveling evangelist named Mrs. L.O. Robinson who lived in Irvington. 

The ground for the present site was purchased in 1882 for $100.  A new frame church was erected in 1883 at a cost of $1,195 (a belfry would have cost an additional $30 so they did not have one). 

In 1916, the church added a Sunday School room, a basement with a kitchen and a heating plant (with the first new furnace) for about $2,700.  Upon completion, the addition had been entirely paid for.  The church envisioned that the addition was needed to minister to the spiritual as well as other needs in the community. 

The first parsonage (the small yellow house located just west of the present Wesley Hall area) was built in 1942 for $3,000 with most of the labor provided by men of the church. 

Due to the huge community growth, another expansion was completed in 1950.  Again, with much volunteer labor, a Gothic style sanctuary was built for approximately $100,000.  Membership at this time was about 300.  (This "old sanctuary" is now Wesley Hall). 

As the community continued to expand even more, 3 services were being held with an overflow into the basement, known as Fellowship Hall (now Activity Hall).  Yet another expansion was needed, so a new sanctuary and new classrooms were added in 1962 for a cost of $311,000.  Additional classrooms for Sunday School and Weekday School use were added in 1982. 

The newest addition was the Fellowship Hall, the new office wing and new upstairs classrooms in 1992. 

Church member RoZelma Brown has painted watercolors of the early churches and these paintings are on display in the "ramp hallway" that is located adjacent to the church offices. (She also has watercolors of the Holy Land in the hallway that leads to the North Building and she did the stained glass window in the Narthex doorway).



Visit our lobby area near Fellowship Hall to view more pictures and artifacts from our history of serving the Lord!