This is an attempt to put into words an account of my memories about people and events at new Bethany Assembly of God Church at the Hinson’s Crossroads. There may be other people that have different memories. I hope this does not offend anyone that may have a different point of view. My first memories are about the old slat benches and the old gas heaters and how cold it was during winter time. If you got to church before the heaters had time to warm the building up. And how hot it was during the summertime.

Mama told me that she took me to church when I was three (3) days old and put me under the slat benches to keep anyone from stepping on me when they began to shout. Although I do not remember, I was told that the church was finished in 1950, before I was born in September of that year. I believe that Brother Marty Mears was the pastor. I have heard over the years that people in the community pitched in and gave a helping hand. Some of the names I remember are Brother Vic Kolmetz and Brother Bert Raley, among others. I have always been told that Papa John Perkins help to get the property for the church from the turpentine barons, Mr. Bullard, McKenzie and Mr. R.O. Miles.

I have a lot of fun memories of old Saints that were going here when I was young. People like Sister Dolly Burke, Meana Raley, Brother and Sister Haney, Brother and Sister John Bodie, Papa and Granny Perkins, Aunt Claudia Perkins, Pleasy Cook, Wilson (Shine) Cook, Sister Carnley, Boss and Aunt Mary Jenkins, Sister Lizzy Hughes, Aunt Susie Yates, and many others. I also remember preacher calling every year and how all the preachers would sit together on the front row. They all sat with their arms around each other, like they loved one another. And whoever wound up with the church was congratulated, and there seem to be no animosity whatsoever. The preacher the pastored the year before was always called back to preach homecoming the following year.

I remember brother Herman Mitchell being the pastor. He came all the way from Southport to pastor this little church. I’ve heard stories of Brother Mitchell riding a bicycle back-and-forth to Southport, and that he would only get a dime in tithes most Sundays. The people were very poor and did not have any money, but gave him eggs and vegetables instead of money. Brother Roy Stephens, also from Southport, pastored this church when times were very hard. The church did not have the money to pay back the loan they had gotten from the district council in Marianna. Brother Stephens got the ladies to bake cakes each week and he would take them to Panama City and sell them. That was how this church was paid for.

I feel very fortunate to have been in this community and have had the people around me that helped shape and teach me about the Lord Jesus Christ.