» HISTORY OF BETHEL CHURCH, INC. In 1950, the late Missionary Lula M. Davis, a member of the Temple Church Of God In Christ who was at that time pastored by the late Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, was led of the Lord to begin a non-denominational Bible Band. This Bible Band met under a tree at the home of Mose and Ida Sutton. It was through the Bible Band teachings of Missionary Davis that the Lord saved Mr. and Mrs. Sutton, the late Mother Cora Tillman and many others. As the Lord poured out His Spirit in the Bible Band, the membership began to grow. The Apostle Paul asked, “How then shall they believe of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” In 1951, Bishop McEwen sent Elder C. C. Carlock and the congregation was organized and relocated to 218 Tillman as Hebrew Church Of God In Christ. Because the Lord continued to tremendously bless this ministry through the saving of souls and the adding of souls to the congregation, it became necessary for the congregation to again relocate. The congregation moved to a storefront at 562 Scott Street where the power and anointing of the Lord continued to be manifested?the sick were healed, the lame walked, the eyes of the blind were opened and the dead raised. Those who received their healing donated walking canes, crutches, wheel chairs and other artifacts to the church as a testimony of the Lord’s miraculous healing powers. In 1958, having outgrown the storefront,
the congregation moved to a small church on Princeton Avenue and Scott
Street. The Lord was not finished blessing the ministry. More souls
were added and yet another move was necessary. On March 9, 1962, after
having purchased property on which to build, Elder C. C. Carlock and
the members of the congregation marched from Princeton Avenue and
Scott Street to their new church home located at 982 Meagher Street. At the time of his pastoral appointment, Elder Wells was also pastoring the Bethesda Church Of God In Christ. The Bethesda Church had its genesis on this wise. In 1987, the Spirit of God moved upon Elder Dickerson Wells to organize a church. After much prayer and consecration was given to this directive, in January of 1988, Elder Wells made public the Lord’s plan for him. Sunday, February 7, 1988 marked the first service for the Bethesda Church. On Wednesday, April 6, 1988, during the Workers’ Meeting of Headquarters Jurisdiction, Elder Wells received his Pastoral appointment to the Bethesda Church at the hand of the late Presiding Bishop of the Church Of God In Christ, Bishop J. O. Patterson, Sr. Services were held at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church before moving to their new home located at 729 Gilleas Road in January 1989. The Lord poured out His Spirit on and added souls to the Bethesda Church. After his pastoral appointment to the Hebrew Church, Pastor Wells immediately asked both congregations to join him in a Prayer Revival to ask God to give His direction for the congregations. At the close of the two-week revival, Elder Wells successfully merged both congregations into one church, Hebrew. Since 1992, the congregation has been shepherded by Elder Dickerson L. S. Wells under the auspices of the Holy Ghost. In 1998, Pastor Wells led the congregation in the purchase of their edifice located at 2216 Clifton (Whitney) Avenue, in the Frayser community of Memphis. The ten acres contained houses, a sanctuary with a seating capacity of 600+, chapel, fellowship hall, 20 classrooms, office complex, Day Care Center, baseball diamond, football field, and much more. The Lord has also broadened the ministries of the Bethel Church in an effort to fulfill the mission and vision of the congregation. In the year 2005, the Lord spoke to Pastor Wells and instructed him regarding giving the church a new name that would identify the congregation with the Christian community and which was more reflective of the beliefs and principles of the ministry. Through God’s Word, as found in Genesis 28:12-17, the Lord revealed unto Pastor Wells that this ministry is and shall be known as the House of God and so the new name for the congregation would be Bethel. After several years of prayer and consultation the Lord moved upon Pastor in 2011 to expand the Ministry of Bethel’s reach into South Tipton County, TN and with the words “Go to Munford” Bethel became one church ministering in two locations. Pastor Wells led the congregation to purchase a 300 seat sanctuary complete with classrooms, office space, youth room and fellowship hall in the heart of Downtown Munford, TN. The Lord has placed His hand of approval upon this expansion as well. The Munford Campus is the fastest growing Black Pentecostal church in Tipton County. |