History of Bethel Christian Church- Heard, County, Franklin, GA

(As written by Robert S. Dennis and Ralph Reed from interviews with Annie Moore and other sources.)

Oliver Adolphus Moore was born on 1858 in Conyers, GA.  When he was a young man, his older brother moved to Atlanta to work. One Sunday morning, while visiting his brother, he was standing on a street corner when the minister of the First Christian Church of Atlanta came by and invited him to church. He attended services and was soon converted to New Testament Christianity. A short time later he decided to visit his parents in Conyers. He ask his minister for more instructions on the stand of the Christian Church.

After being taught by his older brother, Oliver rode a mule to McDonough to attend a Christian Church. He was baptized into Christ that Sunday and rode his mule home in his wet clothes.

Oliver moved to Heard County, GA to work. He married Ida Allen. There was no Christian Church in the community at that time. He went by horseback to Lebanon  Christian Church, north of Roanoke, AL to attend revival. He talked with the minister about starting a Christian Church in Heard County, Franklin, GA. He was the prime worker in founding Bethel Christian Church. He invited the preacher from Lebanon to hold a few nights services in the Union Grove schoolhouse. When they arrived at the schoolhouse for the second night's service they found the door padlocked. Mr. Moore's father-in-law, Henry Clay Allen, was present and made the statement that he had as much vested in the school as anyone in the community and he broke the padlock and they entered  and services were held. On the third night they found the door padlocked again. Immediately thereafter, Mr. Allen deeded a plot of land for a church building. He said if his children wanted a place of worship, he wanted to see that they had it. The first church was built a short distance north of where  the present church building stands.

At first, they worshiped in a brush-arbor. In November of 1886, the first building for Bethel Christian Church was completed. There were 237 people who contributed to and built the original building.

The present church building was constructed in 1903, with 86 people contributing labor, materials and funds for the building.. Mr. Henry Clay Allen donated lumber from his own mill and furnished workmen to assist with construction of the building.

Mr. Oliver A. Moore served as minister for over 38 years.