Bethel United Methodist Church
Established 1813
837 Hwy. 212 NW, Milledeville, Ga.

     Samuel H. Hughes granted the land to the church. First served by ministers from the Milledgeville Methodist Church and the Putnam Circuit. According to WPA Church Records, Baldwin County, White Churches, 9/19/1939, Georgia Archives, the "church first held services in a frame building erected the year of the organization, this was used forty years, the present (1939) structure was erected in 1853" and dedicated the  same year.  "It was a frame building painted white, with no special features. First settled clergyman, Rev. J. V. M. Morris, 1867-1869."
     In 1867, the Baldwin Circuit was organized and the church had a regular pastor - J.V.M. Morris from 1868-1869. He served the four churchs of the circuit - Bethel, Pleasant Grove, Montpelier and Hopewell.
     Some of the families attending were Barksdale, Booker, Elam, Green, Harper, Humphries, Hughes, Myrick, Minor, Jones, Snead,  and Stiles.

According to WPA Church Records, Baldwin County, White Churches, 9/19/1939, Georgia Archives, the pastors who served from "1867 to 1939 were: James V. M. Morris, Nov. 1867-69; John W. Stipe, Nov. 1869-Dec. 1872; Walter R. Branham, Jr., Dec. 1872- Dec. 1873; George W. Hardaway, Dec. 1873 - Dec. 1874; Walter L. Yarbrough, Dec. 1874 - Dec. 1875; William R. Foote, Jr., Dec. 1875 - Dec. 1877; Ed. A. Gray, Dec. 1877 - Dec. 1879; John C. Davidson, Dec. 1879 - Dec. 1882; T. H. Gibson, Dec. 1882 - Dec. 1884; T. D. Cantrell, Dec. 1884 - Dec. 1885; T. H. Gibson 1885-Dec. 1886; F. P. Brown, Dec. 1886 - Dec. 1887; George W. Griner, Dec. 1887 - Dec. 1889; J. J. Ansley, Dec. 1889 - Dec. 1891; J. V. M. Morris, 1891 - Dec. 1895; George W. Griner, Dec. 1895 - Dec. 1896; J. M. Lowery, Dec. 1896 - Dec. 1898; Crawford Jackson, Dec. 1898 - 1899; W. T. Caldwell,  Dec. 1899 - Dec. 1900; T. P. Spencer, Dec. 1900 - Dec. 1901; J. A> Quillian, Dec. 1901 - Dec. 1904; E. H. Wood, Dec. 1804 - Dec. 1908;  P.B. Seary, Dec. 1908 - Dec. 1911; S. H. Dimon, Dec. 1911 - Nov. 1914; W. O. Butler, Nov. 1914 - Nov. 1915; A. A. Tilley, Nov. 1915 - Nov. 1919; L. W. Browder, Nov. 1919 - Nov. 1923; J. H. Farr, Nov. 1923 - Nov. 1929; T. L. Ruthland, Nov. 1929 - Nov. 1930; G. B. Henderson, Nov. 1930 - Nov. 1933; R. C. Shea, Nov. 1933 - Nov. 1936; G. T. Shell, Nov. 1936 --."

History of Baldwin County Georgia, Mrs. Anna Maria Green Cook 1925

Church History is available at United Methodist Church (U.S.) North Georgia Conference Local church histories, MSS 028, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University. Box/Folder 3/14