Bethany Baptist Church

Bethany Baptist Church. . Located in the rural community of Milam, one of the oldest settled towns in Texas originally called Red Mount, the Bethany Baptist Church was established before 1879 at a location near the King's Highway (El Camino Real de los Tejas). In 1901, the church voted to relocate the church to the town of Milam. In 1903, the old building was sold and the proceeds were used to furnish the new building in Milam under the direction of pastor E. Dugan. The property adjoined the local school and, in 1949, the lots were officially purchased from the Hemphill Independent School District., In January 1952, plans for a new church building were drawn by Brother H.R. Spence, presented to the church and accepted. Lumber from the old church and some new materials were used for the new structure. Worship services were held in the old school until the building was completed., The Bethany Baptist Church has been blessed with more than forty pastors along with several interim and temporary pastors. In the beginning, the church met once a month with pastors travelling long distances to provide the service. Baptisms were held in Joel Halbert's Pond or in Boregas Creek until Red Hill Lake was built in 1937-39, three miles north of the church. Beginning in the 1950s, Bethany Baptist Church began to hold services on a weekly basis with a full-time pastor. As membership grew, so did the church building and grounds. A cemetery was established in 1981. As a reminder of early Sabine County, Bethany Baptist Church has contributed to the heritage of the area through service and faith.