Church History
Bethia's Memorial Stained Glass Windows
In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the area of western Chesterfield County at the present intersection of Beach and Winterpock Roads was a thriving community of coal mining farming, sawmill and railroad activity. In 1885, a letter was sent to Rev. H.G. Cowan, a minister serving the Hallsborough Charge (located in the present vicinity of Midlothian Turnpike and Huguenot Road), requesting that he help several families form a Methodist Protestant Church in the Winterpock area. On November 16, 1886, Rev. Cowan and the Rev. S. C. Orhum formally organized the Bethia Methodist Protestant Church. In 1892, the church purchased the Bethia Baptist Church building and one-half acre of land for $75! The building had been used at various times as a school, sheep barn and shelter for travelers and their horses. Over the next fifty years the building would undergo several renovations. With the merger of the three Methodist denominations in 1939 that created The Methodist Church, Bethia became part of a seven-church Charge. In 1957, the Winterpock Charge was formed with Centenary and Bethia Churches. In addition to sharing a pastor, the two churches also shared Men’s, Women’s and Youth groups. In 1968, The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Bretheren Churches merged to form the present-day United Methodist Church. This coinsided with rapid growth in the Winterpock area. In 1976, the decision was made to purchase land for a new church home and a groundbreaking service for phase one of the building program was held on November 20, 1977. Bethia also became a station church in 1977. The first worship service was held in the new building on June 17, 1979. A residence adjacent to the new church property was purchased for use as a parsonage, and consecrated on August 19, 1979. The original Church building was sold to another denomination to become a house of worship, and it has been sold several times since, but remained a house of worship. The cornerstone and memorial windows were removed and moved to the new location. The cornerstone is on display in the Narthex and three of the memorial windows hang behind the chancel area of the sanctuary. In 1984, a note burning service was held for the phase-one building. On April 9, 1989, ground was broken for the phase two building (the current sanctuary and education rooms). The first service was held in the new sanctuary in June 1990 and was consecrated on October 14, 1990. A new asphalt driveway was paved in the summer of 1998 and dedicated on October 25, 1998 as the Robert F. Johnston Parkway in honor of the pastor who secured the funding for the project. On July 22, 2000, ground was broken for the Carmen P. Jolly Memorial Parsonage which was built in the northwest corner of the church property. Today, Bethia celebrates its rich history as it begins its third century of serving Jesus Christ in the Winterpock community. Come and grow with the Bethia Church family, where exciting things are happening for God.