Bethlehem Baptist Church 1887-1888

Samuel G. Medley, Baptist Pastor

These are from the Bethlehem Baptist Church near Grubville, Mo. There are many missing pages, but this time I didn't photograph them all. My camera battery was getting weak, so I didn't photograph pages that basically said, "We had no business and the meeting was adjourned." But there were some pages missing too.

Dec. 1886 ". . .who should constitute the presbytery. Bros. Steel, Cox, McKay and Frazier were named and clerk ordered to write to the brethern. . ."[George Steel and J.R.Cox---not sure which McKay nor Frazier]
Jan. 8, 1887 ". . .Deacon L. H. Lee offered his resignation as deacon of the church as he was getting old, could not hear [he was 74 years old]. The church requested him to remain as deacon which he consented to do. The church appointed a committee to visit Deacon Brown and ascertain the cause of his staying away from church and request him to come to church the next meeting. The committee Bros. S. Medley, Edsell, and Robert McKay. Bro. S.S. Bittick and his wife was granted letters of dismission from the church." [Jacob Edsell or James Edsell]
April 14, 1887 ". . .the committee made a report and brother Joseph Brown excluded from the fellowship of the church by request. . . Bro. Wm. Alwood was chosen deacon. . . Elder Wm. McKay and Bro. Short was chosen to assist in ordination. . ." Joseph Brown later became re-instated because he's mentioned in the minutes for Sept. 1888.
July 15, 1887 ". . .The church proceeded to ballot for delegates which resulted in choice of Bros. John T. Lee, Wm. Elvoid and Price McKay. Bro. David Perkins and Sister Connie [Kansas] Perkins applied for letter. There being a charge against Br. David, the church could not grant him a letter. On motion the church granted Sister Connie letter of dismissal."

Cintha Beeler, wife of Green Herrington

May 12, 1888 ". . .Preaching by Bro. Medley [Samuel G. Medley]. . . in the case of Bro. Lester Henry. . .the committee made their report. . . and he excluded from the fellowship of the church. A charge was preferred against Sister Henry for denying the faith. A committee appointed to visit her. . . the Church authorized the Clerk to mark out the name of Green Herrington. . .J.R. Cox moderator J. L. Perkins, clerk."

Bethlehem Baptist Meetings 1873-1874

George Steele is beginning to play a major role in the history of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Although born in England (according to the census), he married Mary Mildred Lee who was the daughter of Lewis Harrison Lee and Margaret Julia Graham. We believe he is the large, bearded man beside Abner Medley in a gray shirt with white suspenders. This photo was taken in 1913 at the 60th Anniversary of the Jefferson County Baptist Association. For more photos from that meeting, click here. To read the documents in their entirety, double click on the photos to enlarge them.

p. 63 February 1873 ". . .Church made an effort to hire a preacher during the remainder of the Associational year in which they procured the services of Elder W. Stephens for the sum of twenty-five dollars. . ."
p. 64 May 1873 ". . .that the church take up a collection for the purpose of fitting up the church house with comfortable seats which was done and the money or a part thereof put in the hands of Br. Steele as committy to superintend the job. . ."
p. 65 August 1873 ". . .church gives the moderator power to appoint delegates to the Jefferson County Association to be held with the Temperance Mission Church to commence on Fryday before the second Sabbath in Oct. 1873. Said delegates are as follows Br. Elder Wm. McKay, Silas Pounds and the church clerk [John P. Lollar]. . ."
Sept. 1873, the Moderator read a letter which will be read at the Association but there is no indication as to the nature of the petition.
p. 67 December 1873 ". . .Saturday before the fourth Sabbath in Dec. 1873. No one came to church. On Sabbath came two persons. They left without any time set to come back. J.P. Lollar Clerk. . .
January 1874 . . .Brother Steele presented an account with receipt on lumber, bills for seats to be put. . ."
p. 68 January 1874 cont.
. . . money and pay Mr. Graham on lumber bill by motion of Br. Robert Wilson. Brother Wm. McKay put in nomination for pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church during the Association year ending Oct. 1874 with a unanimous vote. It was with some degree of reluctance that Brother would accept the Pastorate. The church agreed to pay Br. McKay the sum of twenty dollars for his services.
May 1874
. . .Br. Robert Wilson was appointed a committee to confer with Brother Couch ans report at our next meeting. . .
p. 69 May 1874 cont.
Also the case of Joseph P. Bridgeman [in 1870 census, Joe Bridgeman worked on Oliver Lee's farm which was near Wm. McKay and George Frost] was taken up for reconsideration as his whereabouts is not known to the church. Bro. O.T. Bittick will try and find his whereabouts and report at our next meeting. . Also, the 8th article was reconsidered and amends as follows that the Practice of Dram drinking in or at public saloons or dram shops has an Evil and Pernicious influence and should be abstained from by all Christians. . .Also the case of Br. L. Couch was taken up. The committy made his report and was discharged. Case continued until next church meeting. . .
p. 70 July 1874
The case of Br. L. Couch (Leonard Couch) was reconsidered. Br. Couch failing to come to time according to promise was dismissed from church. . . Br. Bridgeman wishes to be dismissed from the church as he thinks he is not fit to be a church member. The church by request dismissed Br. Bridgeman from the church. Also Brother George Steel moved that the building committy examine all the papers and ascertain the indebtedness of the church to the committy.
P. 71 cont. . . .George Steel and Robert Wilson would report at next church meeting.
Aug. 1874 . . .Robert Wilson and George Steele are delegates to Jefferson County Association at Sandy Church. Sept. 1874 . . .Pastor is sick and not able to attend.

P. 72 Dec. 5, 1874
Bro. Wm. McMurtay commenced a ___________missionary meeting aided by the help of Br. J.M.Henseley and Wm. McKay the latter during meeting we had many gospel sermons with powerful appeals in behalf of sinners. Our meeting lasted about twelve days. There was 31 professions, 19 added to the church, 17 by experience and baptism, one by letter, one reclaimed. Click here for the church membership records from this meeting.

Membership Records 1880-1890 Cont.

I'm going to correct some of the spellings on this one: Jacob Edsell, Louis Powers, Victoria Wilson, Mary Ann ? Williams, Betty Riter (now Manion 1892) [Elizabeth Reiter], Melvina Graham, Annie Perkins (now Mc Kee), Louis Retcher, John F. Wade (departed 1891), Jane Wade, William Brown, Siner ?? McKee (now Manion), Mary F. Williams (excluded for dancing), Martha Whitworth, Emily Pilant, Annie J. Graham, William Pounds (restored), Silas Whitworth, Thomas R. Eoff, Samuel L. Medley, Elen E. Huskey, Rose Wideman, Susan E. Partney, Mary McCulloch, Willis Beavers, Winny M. Wilson, -inas Ogle, Louis Reiter [this is probably the son who moved to Montana], A-----------

Bethlehem Baptist Church Membership 1864-186?

Jackson J. Carrow d. 1889

These are the oldest of the Bethlehem Baptist Church records that Ada had. Bethlehem Baptist is still in a rural part of Jefferson County near Grubville, Mo. Double click to enlarge for more information: Mary Ann Manion, Margaret Wilson (now Lee), Nancy Ann McKeen, Margaret Pounds died Oct. 1877, Lucinda Pounds, Emily Baker, Margaret Ann Williams died March 24, 1878, Elizabeth Brinley, Nancy Wilson, Missouri Hamilton (now Eoff), Martha Ann Whitesett, Lucindy Herrington, Hariet Graham, Sarah M. Moggers, Henriett W. Maggers, Miley Ann Meledy, Olivia Mayfield died Oc. 5, 1877, Onliene Beeler, Letty Widman A. Blackmann died Aug. 1878, Caroline Widman, Margaret Lee now Frost, Margaret Carrow, Elizabeth McKee, Sarah Widemann, Malinda Wideman.