Bethlehem
Baptist Church 100 Years Old
Bethlehem
Baptist church southeast of Monroe City observed the 100th
anniversary of its founding November 4, 1956.
On
November 30, 1856 the minutes of the Saturday meeting
written by the Rev. Christy Lee Gentry state that Bethlehem
Baptist church in Ralls county was organized. A building
committee was appointed and a plot of ground secured from
Bill Hawkins, who was the grandfather of Eugene McGlasson,
the present mail carrier for the Bethlehem area.
The
Rev. Gentry lived where the Lee Jarman family now reside. As
he walked through the woods to church he carried his gun as
a protection from the wolves. The Rev. Gentry was followed
as pastor by his son, the Rev. Christy Lee Gentry jr. The
latter’s daughter, the late Miss Lee Gentry, was a teacher
in the Monroe City public schools for a number of years. Her
nephew, Gilbert Lee Gentry of Gainesville, Fla., is the
fourth in line to bear the name “Lee” and Floyd Lee,
eldest son of Dr. and Mrs. Dawson Gentry of Springfield,
Mo., is the fifth.
Bethlehem
was organized before the Monroe City Baptist church. Such
names as Mary and Melvin Nolen, Mr. and Mrs. James M.
Proctor, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Ely, Mr. and Mrs. I. T. Dawson
and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Elzea appear on the roll of early
members.
Before
this church was organized there had existed three other
Baptist churches, all of these contributed members in its
organization. These three churches were Salt River, Indian
Creek and Oakland.
The
Salt River church was organized in 1827. It became a member
of the Bethel Baptist Association in 1834. Messengers were
B. Riggs, Isaac Ely, William Foreman, C. Gentry, M. Hawkins
and J. Martin. This church was located one and onehalf
miles west of Spalding. It was dissolved in 1855. Christy
Gentry was the pastor.
The
Indian Creek Baptist church was organized in 1834.
Messengers were A. M. Leak, J. Carman, E. Peck and J.
Gentry. This church was located about two miles west of the
Bethlehem church in Monroe county. This church was dissolved
in 1853.
The
Oakland Baptist church was organized in 1847 by James T.
Smith, missionary, and Christy Gentry, pastor of Salt
River church. This church was located at New Port, about a
half mile south of the present Oakland church. This church
was dissolved in 1857.
C.
L. Elzea is the oldest living former member and P. G.
Hedberg, 94, is the oldest member in years and Mrs. H. L.
Jarman has the longest continuous membership, 65 years. The
church was filled with parishioners every Sunday and only
one man over 40 years was clean shaven. The rest had beards.
The
rise of the Bethlehem church was the result of a protracted
meeting held in the Woods school house by a Methodist
preacher. Charter members were, Christy Gentry, Lucy Gentry,
J. M. Hampton, Harriet Hampton, John C. Dawson and Christy
Gentry Jr.
Pastors
have been — Christy Gentry
1856-1865; D. V. Inlow 1866; James P. Smith 1867-71; none
reported in 1872; B. F. Hixon 1873-1883; W. B. Craig
1884-1893; Jerome Shaw 1894; E. S. Graham 1895-96; W. J.
Patrick 1897-1902; W. W. Brown 1903-1904; C. E. King
1905-1912; W. H. Johnson 1913-1917; P. H. Beckham 1918-1921;
C. K. Dean 1922; none reported in 1923; Lee Wolverton
1924-1925; G. C. Jurrens 1926; G. W. Humphrey 1927-1928; M.
C. Humphrey 1929; J. L. Foley 1930-1933; Glenn Atterbury
1934-1938; E. T. Mangum past 16 years.
The
present deacons are: John C. Little, George Hampton, Eskil
Hedberg, Gilbert Moss, Marvin Johnson and Lee Jarman.
Church clerks have been Christy Gentry jr. in 1856, J. J.
Norton, Joseph M. Hampton, Esther Hedberg, Mrs. Elgin
Robinson and the present clerk, Mrs. Lee Jarman in 1956.
T.
P. Ward and J. E. Hampton are the only persons from the
church memberships licensed to preach, according to records,
but there may have been others.
There
is no record of there ever having been a Woman’s
Missionary Society. In 1896 there was a Baptist Young
People’s Union with Mrs. Samantha Orr, president, and
again in 1923 with Homer Hickman, president. It was
organized by Adolph Vollmer, missionary, with 30 members.
In
1869 the first Sunday school is mentioned. In 1870 there was
an enrollment of 24. Sunday school superintendents have been
J. R. Dawson 1870; S. H. Wilson, J. L. Higbee, J. E.
Hampton, J. D. Fields, C. H. Elzea, I. T. Dawson, Cecil
Dawson, J. Elzea, George Hampton, Eskil Hedberg, Mrs. C. A.
Jones, Allen Young, H. L. Jarman, Lee Jarman and ot present
Elgin C. Robinson.
There
have been five weddings in Bethlehem church. Miss Mary
Elizabeth Elzea to John L. Evans, Miss Addie Underhill and
Louis Dodd; Miss Natalie Moyers and Duane Gibson; Miss Corel
Jarman and Eugene Krigbaum; Miss Elaine Johnson and Neal
Young.
Mrs.
Margaret Timmons of the Monroe City Rest Home holds the
oldest membership. Mrs. H. L. Jarmon joined the church one
year later, in 1892. Her grandchildren, Poorry Leo, Lloyd
and Gary Johnson, James Leo, Philip and Rouse Jarman, and
Kenneth, Wilma and Jennie Faye Sullivan, also G. L. Moss,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Mass, ore the latest additions
to the church.
During
the summer of 1956, church members made repairs and
improvements on the buildings and cemetery. Asbestos
shingles cover the exterior, a now chimney, the gift of Mrs.
E. E. King III of St. Louis, the former Harriett Anne Moyers,
was constructed on the west side and new screen doors added.
Now carpets and fresh wallpaper completed the interior
redecorating.
Dr.
Dawson Gentry of Springfield, Mo., great-grandson of the
Rev. Christy Gentry, founder, presented Bethlehem church
with 18 hymnals, Mrs. E. B. King, on behalf of herself and
Dr. King of St. Louis, gave 25 more.
|