Beulah Holiness Baptist Church celebrates 130th anniversary

By Editor | June 3, 2025 |

By Charles Shiver

The congregation and guests of Beulah Holiness Baptist Church, 2303 Beulah Church Road, Adel, celebrated the church’s 130th anniversary with a Homecoming Sunday Service on May 18, 2025.

The event featured an Old-Fashioned Day with several members wearing the homespun-style clothes of years ago. The women had on long dresses with aprons and bonnets, while the men wore dungaree overalls. Even the kids wore garb that early 20th century children in this area might have had on.

The gathering started Sunday morning’s service by singing such hymns of deep heritage as “I’d Rather Be An Old-Time Christian (Than Anything I Know),” “In the Sweet Forever,” “When the Redeemed Are Gathering In,” and “Amazing Grace.”

Bro. Edsel Young talked about the long history of the church.

The Holiness Baptist Association was incorporated in 1894. Beulah Church was a split-off of Brushy Creek Baptist Church. Beulah Church joined the Holiness Baptist Association in 1895 and became Beulah Holiness Baptist Church. According to J.J. Parrish’s book The History of Cook County Georgia and Its Municipalities, Beulah Holiness Baptist Church was organized on Sept. 17, 1895, by J.A. Sellars, J.B. Arrington, J.S. Lindsey, J.J. Rowe, M.F. Lindsey, Larkin Joiner, J.W. Hayes, Mitchell Griffin, L.A. Hancock, T.B. McCranie, Winnie Rhodes, Lizzie Joiner, Dora Lindsey, Lindsey Griffin, Ada Lindsey, Zulu Lindsey, James Cady, and Daniel Sellars.

According to a plaque on display in the church, the pastors over the years have been: J.A. Sellars (1895 to unknown date); L.A. Hancock (unknown dates); M.R. Tarrant (unknown dates); Henry Sears (unknown dates); Joe Walker (unknown dates); Walter L. Vining (1941 to 1955); Lenny H. Grimes (1956 and 1957); Henry Walker (1958 and 1959); Mark D. Guthrie (1960); E.H. Grimes (1961 and 1962); Roy Gaskins (1963 and 1964); Kenneth Mathews (1965 to 1971); A.J. Giddens (1972); Charles Horne (1973 and 1974); Charlie Jones (1975); Weldon Alligood (1976 and 1977); E.C. Ray (1978 to 1982); J.C. Little (1983 to 1986, when he passed away in office); Farrell Harper (1987 to 1999); Donnie Sloan (1999 to 2002); Daniel Cassity (2002 to 2003); Kenneth Mathews (2003 to 2014); and Jonathan Walker (2014 to 2024).

Mr. Young noted the contributions of pastors like Joe Walker, who wore a patch over one eye and traveled by train to fulfill his ministerial obligations.

In the old Depression days, pastors could receive gifts of chickens, cows, and hogs instead of salaries.

The church’s ordained deacons through the years have been T.B. McCranie, J.E. Hancock, W.J. Tyson, T.J. Drawdey, J.H. Ogletree, Nedom Taylor, Johnie Cowart, G. Wheeless, J.B. Wheeless, George Roland, Albert Crosby, O.C. Simmons, Elias Pafford, Marvin Murphy, Julius Carter, Eris Moore, Joel Felts, Luther Gray, Herman Murphy, Cranford Lasseter, J.J. Newbern, Robert Roland, Roy Newbern, Vernon Giddens, Gary Graham, Len Joiner, Dan Taylor, Jesse Stone, Chad Pafford, Guy Mathis, Lester Stone, Jerry Pafford, Terry Sirmans, and Doyle Sumner.

A fine example of a church member was Brother Mack Carter, who was the oldest living ordained minister in the Holiness Baptist movement when he passed away. He had been a member of Beulah Holiness Baptist Church for over 50 years, and had been preaching for over 50 years. Some of the churches that he had pastored were: Mathis Chapel Holiness Baptist, New Hope Holiness Baptist, Oak Grove Holiness Baptist, and a church that is no longer in the movement, Lighthouse Fellowship Holiness Baptist Church in Florida.

Mack Carter was 88 years old, and he was born in Berrien County in 1920. He resided his whole life in Cook County. He was a World War II veteran. His wife Ethelee, also a member of Beulah, preceded him in death in the late 1980s.

Beulah’s current church edifice was built in the late 1960s on the same site as the old church building, about seven miles northeast of Adel. The modern church facility was dedicated in 1967. Very little has changed with the church building over the years: Upgraded carpet, pews, stained glass windows, and a new addition to the front. Most recently, the Social Hall has been updated. A cemetery is behind the church. Christians buried there over the years range from members who passed away from old age to young people who passed away as the result of terrible tragedies.

The church’s highest recorded membership was 156 in 1958.

Bro. Steve Willingham was another guest speaker for Beulah Holiness Baptist’s Homecoming. He delivered an old-time sermon with the message that “the church has survived because of the grace of God.” Willingham also preached the church’s revival services throughout the following week.

After the Homecoming service, guests joined the members for lunch in the social hall. Visitors could see special historical displays in an adjacent room.