Bethany Christian Church

Contributor::

Transcription contributed by Arne H Trelvik 10 Aug 2003

Sources:

The History of Warren County Ohio
Part IV Township Histories
Turtle Creek Township
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)

Comments::

This church is now the Bethany United Church of Christ. Many of the members listed below are now buried in the adjacent Bethany Church Cemetery
See Bethany Christian Church Cemetery

Page
500

Bethany Christian Church. – This church, situated about three miles east of Lebanon, is one of the oldest churches of Turtle Creek Township. The following is a copy of a paper in the possession of the family of John Simonton, of Lebanon, which seems to be the original constitution of this church:

WARREN COUNTY, TURTLE CREEK TOWNSHIP, Dec. 15, 1821. We, whose names are hereunto annexed, being met together in the name and fear of God, do agree to constitute ourselves into a church for the purpose of enjoying the privileges and ordinances of the Lord’s House together taking the Word of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament for the man of counsel, the only rule of faith and practice, promising subjection to each other in the Lord. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and subscribed our names.
Richard Simonton, Mary Simonton, Daniel Banta, Mary Banta, Rachel Banta, Joseph Dunham, Cyrus Simonton, Elizabeth Simonton, Eleven Marrett, P. Banta,	Rachel Banta, Jane Banta, John Hatfield, Elizabeth Hatfield, Anna Hatfield, Albert Cossairt, Mary Banta, Mary Newport, T. Banta, Samuel Ware,	John Collins, Charity Collins, Paul Pence, Mary Pence, Jesse Newport, Phebe McCristy, Elizabeth Marresty, Thomas Stephenson, Mary Hudghel, Anna Lancaster

There seems to have been, however, some kind of a church organization at this place and known as Bethany at an earlier date than that given in the foregoing document. Richard Simonton, who became a minister of this congregation, was ordained to the ministry “in the Christian Church at Bethany, in Warren County, Ohio, on the 18th day of October, 1821.” According to the recollections of some of the older inhabitants, there was a church at this place as early as 1815. In recent years, the number of members has been about 200. A Christian Church was organized at Genntown about 1855 by Rev. William Beller, and is still in existence.

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