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=Bethany Community= Bethany Community is an incorporated area in in Decatur County, Georgia, United States near Lake Seminole and Spring Creek. It is listed on several geographical maps of the area and served the local farming community since the mid 1800's providing mercantile stores, public education, civic activities and religious organizations.

Kendrick Courthouse & VFD
Citizens in Bethany Community originally were able to vote at Bethany Church in the little block building know as Kendrick Courthouse. In recent years the polling prescint has moved to the local VFD which serves Bethany Community and the entire Decatur County with its trained and exceptional volunteers

Location
Bethany Baptist Church is located in Decatur County, Georgia, United States near Lake Seminole and Spring Creek. This country church has a heart for Bethany Community and seeks to be the center of the community by helping people make God the focus of their life through its ministries and services.

Organization
The church was organized and established at 3:00 p.m. on June 3, 1871 by the Rev. James Parker as presbytery of the articles of faith as laid down by the Southwestern Baptist Association. There were seven charter members: James H. Ward (clerk), John M. Jones (deacon), Margaret Jones, Beatrice Jones, Nancy Ward, Elizabeth Faircloth, and Clarisa Stringfield.

Buildings & Growth
A small log schoolhouse (located near the present Griffin Cemetery plot) was the site of early services at Bethany. These services were held on the 4th Sunday of the month. Mr. George W. Kendrick donated two acres of land and a frame building was erected (located where the present Educational Building now stands). The Community grew around the church and the school. Bethany school was consolidated with other smaller school and served local families in the community for many years. As time and weather took their toll on the school and church, the members decided to erect a new building on the same site. Superintendent of construction was pastor, the Rev. Euzziah W. Rich. No services were ever held in the new building as it burned to the ground the same month it was completed around 1911 or 1912. Undeterred in their mission, the members voted to build a new one-room building (which was the main auditorium of the older building). The members did the work themselves with Mr. Seaborn Griffin serving as superintendent of construction. Donations were made by Mr. Bob Donalson (the sawed timber) and Mr. C.S. Hodges (the weather boarding). In 1918 with a focus on expanding the church purchased four acres from Mrs. Willie Vickers

Bethany joined the Bowen Baptist Association in 1920. Ms. Ruth Jinks, a mission worker for Bowen Association, organized the WMU in 1923. The first Baptist Young People’s Union was held in 1925. The first Sunday School was began in 1916, with rooms being added in 1946 and enlarged in 1947 and 1948. Sunday School attendance increase from 40 in 1946 to 260 in 1951. The present sanctuary was built in 1956 (it attached to the old wooden church which faced west). The pastorium was built in 1965. The Fellowship Hall was built in 1967. And the present Educational building was added in 1978 (replacing the old wooden structure). In June of 1971 the church celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Pastors:

 * 1) Euzziah W. Rich
 * 2) W.E. Cato
 * 3) B.F. Phillips
 * 4) J.L. Sullivan
 * 5) J.R. Bluett
 * 6) D.H. McAlphine
 * 7) A.C. Camp
 * 8) H.L. Roberts
 * 9) J.C. Moore
 * 10) John Stuart
 * 11) W.R. Williams
 * 12) Paul Henley
 * 13) C.H. Fort
 * 14) W.R. Osteen
 * 15) Lee Wilson
 * 16) Floyd Porter
 * 17) Grady Glaze
 * 18) Calvin Culverson
 * 19) Joe Beauchamp
 * 20) Ron Greeson
 * 21) Douglas Dean
 * 22) Jerry Arnold
 * 23) Gene Carlan
 * 24) Gans Earnest
 * 25) Paul Worsham
 * 26) Tommy Willis
 * 27) A. Roy Matthews