OUr Story

  For several years the Yokefellow’s Band of the Young Men’s Christian Association [YMCA] of Wilmington held services on Sunday evenings in the schoolhouse near Wrightsboro Station, belonging to Mr. & Mrs. W. A. Lineker. From time to time certain officers and young men of the First Presbyterian Church conducted these services. Mr. Andrew J. Howell, then an Elder, had a regular appointment there monthly. Later, the Yokefellows expressed a willingness to withdraw and turn the work over to the Presbyterians, if they would assume the responsibility for it. The opportunity for establishing a church at this point appealed to Mr. James Sprunt, an honored Elder in the church. Mr. Sprunt generously donated funds sufficient to provide a suitable church building.

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    The Old School site was acquired and the building standing upon it removed to another lot. The erection of the new structure was placed in charge of a committee consisting of  Rev. A. J. Howell, chairman, and Messrs. J. A. Springer, J. L. Sprunt, D. R. Foster, and Dr. John Thomas. The committee turned the building over to the Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church on November 10, 1912. Dedication services were held on the afternoon of that date.

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          Dedication November 10th, 1912

 

      By action of the Session, the name of Bethany Chapel was given to the building. The work at the Chapel was conducted as a mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, and the members received there were enrolled on its register.

 

    The Sunday School held an important place in the mission's work. Dr. John Thames, a deacon of the First Church, had been in charge of it as Superientendent for a year or two and under his wise guidance, the school grew in numbers and community influence. The membership enrollment at that time numbered about fifty. This school succeeded the work done for many years in a Union Sunday School conducted by Mrs. W. A. Lineker, who was a devoted member and worker of the Bethany Mission.  Therefore, Bethany Church expanded with a new sanctuary, classrooms and bathrooms in 1944.               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

​​​​​​​​​   Unfortunately, Bethany Church was devastated by Hurricane Florence by its two-day record-breaking rainfall and its 90 mph sustained winds on September 14—16, 2018. Pearsall Memorial extended a cordial invitation to the members of Bethany Church while lengthy months-long repairs were made. Pastor Aaron Doll served as interim pastor at both churches. 

 

   Due to membership shrinkage, Pearsall was forced to dissolve its congregation with its last service being held on Sunday, June 30, 2019. Some of the remaining Pearsall members transferred membership to Bethany Presbyterian Church.

 

   After months of cleaning and restoration from Hurricane Florence, the first Sunday service at Bethany with the conjoined membership was held on July 7, 2019.