Continued from page 2.

And ordering them to liberate their slaves, their souls were fired, as might have been predicted from their past history."

At its annual meeting in 1861, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church declared for the North and against the South. At this time, the Southern churches withdrew and formed the Presbyterian Church in the United States.

In 1882, Rev. R.A. Webb was called to co-pastor with Rev. Watson. Shortly after his call, Rev. Webb began to preach once a month at a school house called the South Point Academy. It was located in the eastern portion of the congregation about six miles from Bethel Church and between Crowder's Creek and the Catawba River. By August of 1883, enough money had been raised to build a church there. Mr. Robert Harper donated an acre of land which was exchanged for the one on which the chapel was built. The church was called Bethel Chapel and was under the government of Bethel Church. It remained under Bethel's jurisdiction until January 11, 1959, when it was organized as Scherer Memorial Presbyterian Church. Robert A. Webb resigned his pastorate at Bethel during the latter part of 1887 or early 1888.

The next pastor at Bethel was G.S. Robinson, who came to Bethel from Mecklenburg Presbytery. In August, 1890, the people who lived in the vicinity Bowling Green, a community northwest of Bethel Church asked for regular services to be held there on Sunday afternoons and also permission to erect a chapel. This request was granted; thus Bowling Green Presbyterian Church was organized in 1895 and twenty five members of Bethel were dismissed to join that church. Rev. Robinson offered his resignation in the fall of 1890. D.S. McAllister of Pee Dee Presbytery was the next pastor of the church serving from 1891 to 1899. From 1899 to 1909, W.B. Arrowood served the Bethel congregation as their pastor. The practice of "Cotton Picnics" was begun about this time. This practice continued until the early 1930's. When the missionary subscriptions dropped below $600.00, the session endorsed the "Missionary Cotton Culture". A quart of cotton seed was given to every child that would agree to plant and cultivate it for missions. About mid-November, an annual Cotton Picnic was held at both the church and the chapel on successive days. The cotton was brought to the church, weighed, put into wagons, and sent to the cotton gin. After the cotton was all brought in and weighed, the congregation assembled in the church for a short missionary service. A picnic on the grounds ended the exercises for the day.

From 1909 to August, 1910, Bethel was without a pastor. In August, 1910, Rev. Robert A. Adams was installed as pastor. In 1914, Rev. R.K. Timmons of Beal Heights Presbyterian Church, Lawton, Oklahoma, was called to pastor the Bethel congregation. In 1915, a Young Peoples Christian Endeavor Society was organized with about forty members. This was the first young people's organization at Bethel. It has continued to the present time, with changes in the name.

The church was again without a pastor from March, 1916 until October, 1917 when G.W. Nickell of Glade Springs, Virginia, accepted a call to Bethel. From 1920 to 1924 some changes were made to the church building. Four Sunday School rooms were added, two upstairs and two downstairs. An electric lighting plant was installed to provide lights and water for the church and manse. The pews were rearranged to form an aisle in the middle of the church and a narrow aisle on each side of the church. A piano replaced the reed organ. Two armchairs, an individual communion set, a Sunday School bulletin board and a hymn board were given by different members of the church. In April, 1924, Rev. Nickell resigned his pastorate at Bethel to go to Frankfort Presbyterian Church in West Virginia.