Bethesda United Methodist Church
 

Bethesda United Methodist Church is located in Ona, West Virginia. We welcome all to come and worship with us.

The History of Bethesda United Methodist Church

The history of Methodism in the Ona community, formerly known as Thorndike, began around 1803 when the Rev.William Steele, a traveling preacher, was sent by the Baltimore Conference to explore this part of Virginia. Ten years later, a camp meeting was held on the site where Bethesda Church would be built. The Rev. David Young led this meeting.

It is interesting to look at all the ways our church has changed and yet stayed the same. Bethesda's steeple has been seen perched atop a hill in Ona on the same site since 1839. The church's history dates as far back as 1804 when the Guyandotte Methodist Episcopal Church formed it as a missionary outreach. Correspondingly, the Methodist Christians in the Howell's Mill area first met in homes and were served by many circuit riders.

Like the state and community, the name of the church has changed since its founding. In 1844, the conflict over slavery swept into the Methodist Episcopal Church. At the meeting of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in New York in 1845, Bishop James O. Andrews of Georgia was ordered to give up his slaves or be removed from office. Consequently, the church broke into two separate churches.

Many conferences and local churches were divided. Bethesda became part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. This division remained until 1939 when the Methodist Episcopal Chruch, the Methodist Protestant Church, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South all merged into one Church.

With Bethesda's continual movement to stay within the connection of Methodism, it has not shrunk from change. The most recent change came in 1968 when the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church united giving us our present name: Bethesda United Methodist Church.

The notion of maintaining the balance between continuity and change has not been only in our name, but also in the actual church building. The original building, a log structure, was completed around 1840 and housed both Methodist and Presbyterian communions. The next incarnation of the Church was a frame structure built in 1875 (pictured below). That building served both groups until the 1890's when the Presbyterians moved to Milton. That structure served Bethesda until 1982 when our current brick building was dedicated.

Change and Continuity is a theme of Bethesda. Even when we have changes, the important things have remained the same. These notions include Love and Service for Christ, viewing the world as our parish*, and responding with faith and hope to a changing world. We still have picnics with fried chicken and chocolate cake, and we still work and play hard to serve God and community. Yet, the most important constant about our little church atop a hill in Ona is that for all who enter here, it is truly "A Place of Peace".**
*Wesley, John
**Nolan, Ken. History Article about Bethesda UMC, 1989.

Activities at Bethesda United Methodist Church:
Sunday School: Sundays 10:00am-10:45am
Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am
Choir practice: Sunday evening 6:00pm
Disciple Classes: Wednesdays 6:30pm
Boy Scouts: Meet Tuesdays 7:00pm
Cub Scouts: Meet Mondays 7:00pm

© 2002-2005, Bethesda United Methodist Church
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