Bethel Missionary Baptist Church History
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. |
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"There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth." |
“Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.”
(Jeremiah. 12:9-10)
The Trail of Blood Persecution in the Dark Ages
A Brief History of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church |
We believe as prophesied in the above scriptures that Jesus took the material that John the Baptist had prepared and as He states in His own words, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt .16:18) He fulfilled the prophecy of old, and established His church in the top of the mountain somewhere near Jerusalem. Furthermore, we believe He will be with His church all through the ages, "And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matt.28:20.) We furthermore believe that the church went through approximately 1200 years of heavy persecution, which are known as the dark ages, in which more than 50 million Christians gave their lives for what they believe the scriptures to teach. And, from that day to this, His church is still holding onto the doctrines of the bible. We believe that Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, located at 222 East Epler Avenue, Indianapolis Indiana, was organized with an extended arm from New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, located 12 miles North of Nashville Tennessee, on Old Dickerson Road, is a branch of the church that Christ established near Jerusalem . The following is from the book Starting as a mission work by Elder D.C. Russell, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church was organized with seven charter members on November 5, 1944. At first, the church met in the rental building located at West 10th Street and Olin Avenue, where the mission services were held. 1948: A building at the corner of Pleasant and Spruce Streets (1501 E. Pleasant St.). The first services in the new building were held in December 1948. 1961-1962: The church was remodeled inside and out. Brick was added to the exterior and the basement was enlarged for additional Sunday School rooms. 1971: A lot at 222 E. Epler Ave. was purchased with plans to build a new church there in the future. 1979:Groundbreaking for construction of the new building. March 30, 1980: First services held at the new church building. 1992-1993: Construction of a fellowship hall (first used on January 30, 1993). The Pastoral History of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church: |
