To build a Kingdom for God by Teaching, Learning and providing spiritual education of God's Word to all of God's people. To apply God's Word through witnessing and evangelism. To be a model Church spiritually, socially, educationally and economically.
To provide Leadership in nurturing our children and embracing them with opportunity to develop concepts relating to our Church, Community and Family
The
spiritual breath, that gave life to the regenerated baptized body of believer's
88 years ago, is alive and victorious…
The founder of Bethlehem Baptist Church was
the late Rev. Monroe Lewis Fifer. He and his wife Daisey were workers
in God's vineyard from 1920-1965. After Pastor Fifer's death, Rev. H.L.
Goode led God's flock for two years. During Rev. Goode's leadership the
church family split. The late Rev. Raphael Spiller pastored from 1967
to 1985. Rev. Spiller was of great wisdom and strong spiritual conviction.
He had a warm and loving spirit. He and his lovely wife Ruby, who survive
him in death and his five children, was a great inspiration to the Bethlehem
family. He taught the church to trust in the Lord and not lean to their
own understanding. He went home to be with the Lord in 1985. He pastored
18 years.
Rev. L.D. Spiller became the fourth pastor
to lead God's people in 1986. This pastor was gentle and had a calm loving
spirit. Pastor Spiller and his lovely wife Carol and their four children
worked diligently for the Lord. During the leadership of Pastor L. D.
Spiller the building was lost in a fire then located in the West End at
1601 Bonner at Spencer. In September of 1987, through great faith in the
Lord, the Pastor and the members relocated to the sanctuary site we are
now worshipping in. The church name also changed at that time to New Bethlehem
Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Spiller resigned in January of 1992.
April 22, 1992, Rev. David L. Smith was called
to pastor the New Bethlehem family. The Lord sent Pastor Smith, his wife
Linda and his three daughters Tamara, Crystal and Jessica to the New Bethlehem
family. This humble young, spirit filled pastor preached his first sermon
on April 26, 1992 Pastor David L. Smith came to New Bethlehem with a vision,
“Kingdom Building”. “Where there is no vision, the people perish”, (Proverbs
29:18).
Our greatest purpose as a living body of people
is to share the Good News and bring lost souls to Christ. Matthew 28:19-20.
Because of this vision the membership has grown. The years that Pastor
Smith and his family has been with us, we have “Walked by Faith and not
by Sight”, according to II Corinthians 5:7. The New Bethlehem family has
unity because of the love Christ has given for the pastor, his family
and for each other.
We rejoice to say that the church family had the great privilege of worshiping with one of its oldest members from the Pastor Fifer era, Sis. Elenora Peavy. She went to be with the Lord on December 31, 2008 at the age of 96 years old. The church continues to remember this pillar of great faith.