Bethel United Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Bethel United Methodist Church in Harrison County. Now settle in, because this is a story that starts with a spring, runs through more than a century of August mornings, and survives fire not once, but twice. Near the little community of Arleston, sometime around the middle of the nineteenth century, families began gathering for something they called Bethel Camp Meeting.

Ten days, every year. Ten days of fellowship and worship, with three or four services a day and a rotating cast of guest preachers stepping up to lead. That is a lot of preaching, and somebody had to plan for all of it.

Provisions took real work to arrange. And water, well, there was a spring nearby that took care of that. That same spring, the marker will have you know, still provides water today, used now for baptisms.

Some things just keep on giving. For many years the camp meeting happened near Arleston, and that site served as Bethel Methodist Church's home. Then, in 1945, the church building was moved to Elysian Fields, and the community there became its new home ground.

But the campground, that August gathering, it never stopped. Subsequent generations kept right on showing up every August, same as their people before them. Now here is where the story gets a little rugged.

Services had been held under Brush Arbors until 1880, when the first tabernacle was constructed. A real building. A landmark.

Then 1919 came along, and that tabernacle burned. Could have been the end of it. It was not.

They rebuilt, and they rebuilt fast enough to hold the August revival that very same year. That kind of determination has a name, and around here they call it faith. Then came 1982.

Vandals destroyed and burned the tabernacle, which by then was sixty-three years old. Sixty-three years of Augusts, of hymns and heat and handshakes, gone in the flames. That same year, a metal-roofed structure was erected to take its place.

But here is the detail that stays with you. A cross constructed from the burned remnants of that old tabernacle now hangs above the pulpit. It hangs there as a reminder, the marker says, of the old and sacred traditions established at the Bethel Campground.

Destroyed twice, rebuilt twice, and still the youth of the church are being nurtured in the faith by the congregation, same as always. That cross above the pulpit is not just wood and char. It is the whole story, right there where everyone can see it.

What the marker says

Beginning near the middle of the nineteenth century, Bethel Camp Meeting provided an opportunity for families to gather for fellowship and worship. Much work went into planning provisions for the ten-day event. Water was provided by the nearby spring which still provides water today for baptisms. Three or four worship events would take place every day with a variety of guest preachers leading services. Subsequent generations have continued to hold services every August. For many years the site of camp meeting, near the little community of Arleston, was Bethel Methodist Church's home. The church building was moved to Elysian Fields in 1945. Throughout its history, Bethel has been led by devoted men and women, and it has been an important presence in the community of Elysian Fields. The youth of the church continue to be nurtured in the faith by members of the congregation. Services were held under Brush Arbors until 1880 when the first tabernacle was constructed. It burned in 1919 but was rebuilt in time for the August revival. In 1982, vandals destroyed and burned the 63-year-old tabernacle. That same year, a metal-roofed structure was erected. A cross constructed from burned remnants of the tabernacle hangs above the pulpit as a reminder of the old and sacred traditions established at the Bethel Campground. Bethel's long heritage of commitment and service is a testimony to those early settlers and their descendants who continue to pass on the faith and the legacy of the campground.