New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church celebrates 150 years of worship in Sumter

New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church has withstood the turn of two centuries, displacement, a fire and, most recently, a global pandemic. Though the church has changed appearances, locations and pastors, it remains as alive as it was 150 years ago when it was founded.

"We are so proud that our church is still in its original community and doing well," lifelong church member Drefus Williams said.

The story of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1874, begins in a way that mirrors the stories of many other Southern, historically Black congregations that were founded after the Civil War. During this time, if enslaved people were allowed to go to a church, they were made to sit in a segregated section on the balcony and away from white congregants. New Bethel's congregants split from Bethel Baptist Church, which built a gallery for slaves to worship in 1840. This split was a result of rising tensions during and following the Civil War, making it unsafe for Black citizens to travel for fear of being captured or killed by roaming soldiers.

From 1874 to 1906, New Bethel was located on the Nettles Plantation, and in 1906, the church was rebuilt. However, in 1925, a fire burned the church to the ground, leading worshippers to spend a two-year period attending worship services at a schoolhouse. In 1927, the church was rebuilt, and in 1976, the church was rebuilt once more. The 1976 iteration of the church is the one still in use today, and it is at 3249 U.S. 15 South.

Throughout the 150 years the church has been around, attendance has gone up and down: down with hardships such as the fire and The Great Depression, and growing in the late '40s, early '50s as well as in 1927 after the church was rebuilt following the fire.

Williams said the key to the church's longevity is the strong Black women who have kept the church alive.

This November, New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church will officially turn 150 years old, and the congregation is prepared to celebrate. On Saturday, Nov. 16, and Sunday, Nov. 17, the church anniversary celebration will take place on church grounds. Saturday will feature a decades fashion show planned by the church youth, and it will showcase clothing beginning in the 1940s and going up. Attendees can also look forward to a historical presentation on Saturday that will teach the congregation how their community lived without the modern conveniences of today.

"This 150th anniversary is all about getting the family back together again; we want the families to come together and worship again and be happy because I'm looking forward to seeing a lot [of church members]," lifelong New Bethel member Lula Burns said.

Sunday will include a worship service as usual, and that afternoon there will be a homestyle dinner.

Current church members who come to church every week, those who can rarely make it anymore and those who are past members are all invited to partake in the church's fellowship.

"I'm excited about the 150th anniversary because it shows perseverance; that's what really pleases me," the Rev. Willie Wright Jr. said. "The biggest thing about us coming together for the anniversary, I want to see the tremendous fellowship, the people coming together."