Brief history by Victoria Proctor

Bethesda was organized about 1850 by Edmund Herring, the first pastor, in a brush arbor started by Christopher Dew II on Squire Kirby's land. Charter members were Bryant Lane, Christopher Dew, Frank Greenwood, Samuel J. Berry, Jr., B.F. Hayes, Sr., Willis Fore, Sr., William (Bill) Lundy, Sr., Stephen B. Lane, John H. Tart, Tom Tart, H. Tart, Ben Weatherford, and the Reverend Eben Hayes.

About 1855, Dr. Ben Fladger donated the use of his old store building and this served the congregation for ten years. After the Civil War, a frame building was constructed on Bryant Lane's land, which is the present [1978] site of the church.
--Source: Stokes, "The History of Dillon County, South Carolina"

The following newspaper extract was contributed by Helen Moody, 16 July 2001:

"Pastors and Church Members of Long Ago"

Bethesda  (Oak Grove) September 19, 1935  issue of The Dillon Herald, Dillon, 
SC

Male members    
Eben Hayes. L. P.
Stephen Hargrove
Jesse Barfield
William Perritt
William Greenwood
Shelly Dew
James C. Wise   
William Barton
George Graham
C. B. Dew
Bryant Lane
S. W. Johnson

Female members

Elizabeth McLellan
Jane R. Bass
Mahala Berry
Rachel Bethea
Maria Ellerbe
Mary Haselden
Martha A. Bethea
Clarissa Bethea
Martha Ann Bethea
Martha Blackman
Rhoda Godbold
Julia Ann Tart
Elizabeth Calder
Christian McLellan
Charlotte Blackman
Elizabeth Barfield
Adalaide Tart
Mary E. Tart
Margaret Finklea
M. J. Lyster

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See also Bethesda Cemetery Transcriptions

Last modified: 4 Dec 2005.

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