Bethel Brick Methodist (Screven County, Ga.)

In 1827, Reverend Payton Wade conveyed to seven trustees a deed to two and three-quarter acres of land to build a Methodist Episcopal Church to be known as "Brick Church." This beautiful church is both the oldest Methodist church and the oldest church building in Screven County. Continuous services have been held since 1827. The first known record of the church being called "Bethel" was at a conference in Savannah in 1866. Enslaved laborers from Lebanon Forest Plantation built the structure and the remarkable workmanship is a testament to their skills. The original building, now one hundred and eighty-nine years old, is still in great shape and continues to serve the congregation well. Most churches of this era were "meeting houses constructed of hewn logs" or perhaps clapboard wooden siding. The brick construction actually gave the church its original name and still remains a part of the name today. Bethel Brick was located near many large plantations and, prior to the Civil War, there were more black members than white. The 1859 Annual Conference minutes showed 150 white members and 418 black members. The white members held Sunday morning worship services and the black members worshipped on Sunday afternoon. The cemetery is replete with massive headstones and rusted wrought and cast iron burial lot fencing. These are evidence of the wealth of those families. Alongside are simple stones, many worn through years of weather. As with many old churches in the South, the cemetery is the final resting place for several Civil War soldiers. One interment is that of a local constable who was murdered in 1900 while serving an arrest warrant. Two historical markers stand side by side along the quiet country road next to this church, another sign that history resides in this brick monument to longevity, craftsmanship, and perseverance.