Who we are
Bethlehem Baptist Church had its early beginnings in the 1920’s, established because of the need for a closer church. “The people in the community had to walk or ride in a wagon four miles to Maloney Baptist Church, so they got together and decided to do something about it.” These words attributed to one of the founding members of the church, Mrs. Annie McClain Richardson, became the inspiration in 1923 for the establishing of a fellowship of faith and worship known as the Bethlehem Baptist Church located in Woodford, SC of Orangeburg County. The church began in a school located on what would later become the original site where the church would be built (McClain Street). It was named by Mrs. Lillie Charley and at that time they only had what was known in those days as “church school.”
With the steadfast faith of charter members John and Lillie Charley, Acy and Mary Riley, Wesley Gissentaner, Preston and Mamie Pickette, Brother and Sister Fletcher Jeffcoat, Willie and Everlene Jones, Avery Fredrick, William Wannamaker, Ceclia Charley, and Annie McClain Richardson, this household of faith began with Rev. Bishop as its first pastor.
Since its inception, Bethlehem has been blessed with inspiring pastoral leadership over the course of its history. Following in the footsteps of Rev. Bishop have been the following pastors: Rev. J. W. Hook, Rev. Byrd, Rev. Eddie Mims, Rev. L. A. McNeal, Rev. Richard Ravenell, Rev. John Rickenbacker, Rev. Nathaniel McNeal, Rev. L. C. Outen, Rev. Albert Johnson, and Rev. B. G. Watkins. In June of 1999 Bethlehem elected our current pastor, Rev. Felix C. Anderson.
Under the leadership of these great pastors have been a dedicated and devoted Deacon’s Ministry consisting of the following deacons: John Wannamaker, William Wannamaker, Hollie Williams, Acy Riley, Joe Martin, Fletcher Jeffcoat, John Charley, Robert Clifton, Preston Pickette, Purcell Livingston, Jim J. Anthony, Eddie Mims, Adam “Sammie” Floyd, Benjamin Charley Sr., Chris Martin, Willie Jones, Earnest Charley, Aaron Floyd, L. K. Jenkins, Adam Rivers, Nathaniel Williams Sr., Benjamin Charley Jr., Sam J. Anthony, Eugene Walker, Jonathan Richardson, Wilbur Seckal, Larry Green, Taris Smith, Michael Culler, Daniel Green, and Melvin Benjamin.
Through the earlier years of the church the following auxiliaries were established to assist the church in carrying out its mission: Sunday School, Missionary Society, Pulpit Aid, Usher Board, Senior Choir, Adult Choir, Young Adult Choir, Sunshine Singers, Voices of Bethlehem, and Inspirational Choir. Various committees were established, and bible study was instituted. Over the years, the church acquired its original cemetery, a church bus, and more land. The church also made improvements and additions to the original structure to include a fellowship hall. The church joined and continues to be a part of the St. Matthews Baptist Association of North, South Carolina.
After June of 1999, Pastor Felix C. Anderson established our current vision and mission statements:
Vision – Equipping The Saints To Make An Impact For God’s Kingdom In The Family, Community, And The World, One Individual At A Time.
Mission – Through Christ, To Save The Lost, Equip The Saved, Send The Equipped.
Bethlehem was incorporated in June of 2000. Since that time various ministries have been added to facilitate our efforts to maximize our impact: The Brotherhood Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Senior’s Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, Mass Choir, Sanctuary Choir, Combined Youth Choirs, Male Choir, Sound & Video Ministry, Health & Information Ministry, Intercessory Prayer Team, and Children’s Worship – a special Sunday worship service tailored for children ages 2 to 15 years. We also added a New Members Orientation program, a Transportation Team, Church Anniversary Committee, Decorating Committee, Fundraising Committee, Food Service Committee, Trip Committee, Stewardship Committee, and SWIFT (Welcoming) Committee. A tutorial program was also implemented and currently operates on an as needed basis.
With Pastor Anderson as our under-shepherd, Bethlehem has licensed nine ministers of which four have gone forth and pastored other churches: Rev. Dr. Edward Prince, Rev. Patrick Stephens, Rev. Dr. Angela Williams, and Rev. Abraham Salley. Other licensees include Gwendolyn Charley Bryant, Merithus Anne Seckal, Linda Ijaja, Donna Glover Hernandez, and Floyd Bryant. Six ministers have been ordained: Rev. Dr. Edward Prince, Rev. Dr. Angela Williams, Rev. Gwendolyn Charley Bryant, Rev. Freddie Martin, Rev. Marian Fullard, and Rev. Patrick Stephens. Six deacons have been ordained: Larry Green, Wilbur Seckal, Taris Smith, Michael Culler, Melvin Benjamin, and Daniel Green. Ten trustees were added to the ministry: Ethel Clifton, Joe Smith, Wallace Johnson, Charles Anthony, Fannie McClain, Dianne Floyd, Linda Martin, James Sease Jr., and Michael Culler & Melvin Benjamin, who were later ordained as deacons. In addition, Curtis Sease Sr. was reinstated as a trustee, having previously served in that capacity. After many years of service to our church, Ms. Isabell Culler retired as a trustee of our church. Her commitment and faithfulness to the Lord and to her church led Pastor Anderson to establish the “Member of the Year Award” in 2010 for outstanding service, of which Ms. Isabell Culler was the first recipient.
The Lord BLESSED Bethlehem to afford two major cash purchases: Land was purchased in 2005 from the Town of Woodford, and a 29-passenger bus was purchased and dedicated for use in January of 2006. In February of 2014, as a part of our outreach, Bethlehem became a part of the World Wide Web. Our church’s philosophies, vision and mission statements, location, contact information and other aspects of our ministry can be attained by visiting us on the Web at www.bethlehemwoodford.org.
After much hard work and the commitment of our members, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sunday, July 27, 2014 for the erection of a new sanctuary. The new edifice was completed and dedicated for use “To the Glory of God” on Sunday, April 26, 2015. After just five years, Bethlehem was blessed with a “Paid in Full” mortgage! To God Be The Glory! Our complex now consists of three adjacent lots: the new sanctuary, the former sanctuary which now serves as our fellowship hall/outreach center, and a recreational/sporting area. Also, in 2015, additional cemetery property was acquired, and in 2016 a surveillance system was installed for added security. In January of 2018 “Children’s Worship” was established. In April 2019, we recognized 5 members as “Pillars of the Church” for longevity and outstanding service to Bethlehem. They were Deacon Sam Anthony, Annie Cooper, Brenda Culler Jenkins, Nathaniel Martin, & Vernetha Williams.
March of 2020 brought the Bethlehem church to a challenge not seen in its history, the Coronavirus pandemic (aka Covid-19). The world was faced with a health crisis that affected every aspect of society. Businesses, schools, and churches closed their doors in an effort to mitigate the spread of the often-deadly virus. With a strong desire to continue the spread of the gospel, Bethlehem established its Virtual Worship Service with weekly sermons from the pastor. In addition, bible lessons were taught each Wednesday night for all who were able to connect virtually, or by phone. Virtual Prayer Service was also implemented on Wednesdays at 12 noon and 6:30PM with the pastor and the prayer team interceding on behalf of mankind everywhere. In May of 2020 an online giving app was instituted as an alternative way to supplement the desire of the members to continue their financial support of the ministry. In 2021, nearly a year after being unable to gather, “Stay Connected Drive-Up Service” was implemented. This allowed the saints to gather for worship safely in their automobiles, listening via an FM Radio Transmitter, or by way of outdoor speakers. Pastor Anderson also started a segment called “Tuesday’s Take,” a brief weekly inspirational audio message, used as another instrument to stay connected with the membership.
After various mechanisms and safety protocols were put into place, by the grace of God we were able to reenter the sanctuary in February 2022 for weekly worship service! Also, monthly intercessory prayer is held in-person with a focus on prayer for our church family, Woodford, and the surrounding communities. A blue prayer cloth was dedicated and hung to visually signify our prayer commitment.
We proudly proclaim that it is the grace of God and the resilience of our church family that has brought us to this 100th year of celebration!