Bethel Colored Methodist Episcopal Church

Founded in 1876 by formerly enslaved African Americans, Bethel Colored Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest standing African American church structure in Oconee County, SC. The land was sold and released to the original builders and trustee members of the church. Once community members cleared the land, construction began on the building that remains on the property. The church served as a place of worship and fellowship for members of the local Black community until services ceased around 1950. Many Bethal C.M.E. members began attending services at John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church, located in Westminster, South Carolina.

Behind and to the left of the church building is the Bethel Methodist Church Cemetery. The cemetery is currently overgrown, but the over 30 documented headstones date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Bethel Colored Methodist Church is located off Dr. Johns Road in Westminster, South Carolina. New Harmony United Methodist Church in Seneca owns and maintains the site. Upstate Preservation Trust is working with trustees at New Harmony United Methodist Church to create and assist with a preservation plan that will detail the necessary steps to preserve the site for future generations.

Are you interested in helping to protect Bethal C.M.E. Church? Consider donating to Upstate Preservation Trust’s Stabilization Fund. When giving your donation, write a note that says “Bethel CME Church.”

Photos courtesy of Nick McKinney