Bethel Baptist (Heard County, Ga.)

Bethel Primitive Baptist is one of the earliest congregations in Heard county and it may be the oldest. News articles provide what little information survives about the church. "Columbus Enquirer", Dec. 5, 1838: a bill was passed "To incorporate Bethel Baptist Church in Heard County." "Carroll Free Press", Aug. 20, 1886: "Tax collector, Rev. W. D. Jones spent last Sunday night with us. He was on his way from Bethel, Heard County where he had been to attend a general meeting." "Herald and Advertiser", July 8, 1898: "Miss Ona Herndon, who has been attending the Girls Normal and Industrial College at Milledgeville, has returned home. Miss Ona will teach a school at Bethel, Heard county, beginning next Monday." "Herald and Advertiser", May 17, 1895: "Prof. Wm. Wells of your city, worshipped with the church at Bethel, Heard County... and presided at the organ with his accustomed ease and ability... Bethel has instructed her building committee to have new pews built, and we expect to have them in place when the general meeting convenes in August." "Carroll Free Press", July 6, 1888: "Bro. Ripples of Coweta visited Roopville last Saturday night... they were attending a two days singing at Bethel, Heard County."" Of course the most important history of all is in the old cemetery, where the early settlers who created a life in this new land are buried. Several Confederate veterans who survived the war are resting there as well as a Revolutionary War veteran, Thomas Hilley, who died in 1838. The old church suffered a fire in 1925 but it looks like most of the interior survived, including the simple Georgia Heart Pine and handmade pews.