On October 27, 2019, Bethany Baptist Church is hosting a homecoming celebration to commemorate 135 years since the founding members established a church in this community. One Hundred Thirty-Five years equals approximately 4.5 generations: Your child, you, your parent, your grandparent, your great grandparent. Your great grandparent could have been one of the charter members of Bethany Baptist Church in 1884, if they lived within walking or horse and buggy/wagon travel distance of the meeting place, because the automobile was not invented until the next year in Germany.
Perspectives on 135 years:
1884: Bethany Baptist Church was established.
1876: On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone.
1878: Thomas Alva Edison filed a patent for “improvements in Electric Lights”.
1885: Karl Benz invented the first “true” automobile, powered with gasoline and an internal combustion engine and received a patent for his invention in 1886.
1908: Ford Motor Company created the Ford Model T, which became the first automobile to be mass-produced on a moving assembly line five years later in 1913. Today, there are approximately 300 million cars on the US roads.
1903: In December, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully completed the first manned aircraft flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, which covered 852 feet and lasted 59 seconds. On July 20, 1969, less than 63 years later, Neil Armstrong became the very first man to walk on the moon, arriving there via US spacecraft Apollo 11.
Alexander Graham Bell revolutionized communication through his invention, Bethany Church has made communication of the gospel to the community possible through the establishment of a spiritual house of worship for 135 years.
Thomas Edison brought light to the world through his invention, Bethany has been a spiritual lighthouse in this community for 135 years.
Karl Benz and Henry Ford wrought wonderful changes in transportation methods with their inventions, Bethany has always espoused the ONLY way to get to heaven, through our Lord Jesus Christ, no improvements needed or possible.
Orville and Wilbur Wright, through their struggles to be successful at manned aviation, made possible the vision of flying man to the moon, Bethany gives the vision of going to and spending eternity in God's heaven an attainable vision for anyone who hears the gospel and believes.
What great things await us in the next 100 years?