‘Love. Love. Listen. Serve.’ This slogan encapsulates the very essence of Bethesda United Methodist Church. It is a daily reminder of the Christian calling. The Bethesda United Methodist Church’s mission is clear. By God’s grace, the church aims to make disciples of Jesus Christ. This is achieved through a loving community. This community emphasizes faith and service. The slogan captures the great commandment. It also highlights the challenge of daily life in relationship with Christ.
The repetition of the word “Love” has a profound origin. It comes from Christ’s command. We should love God with all our being. This includes heart, soul, mind, and body. We should also love our neighbor as ourselves.
The word “Listen” serves as a constant reminder. We must seek God’s guidance each day in prayer. We must also be mindful of the world’s hurts and needs. Listening to those around us is key. As Romans 8:14 states, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
Service is very important. It is central to the Christian life. It is how we live out our baptismal and membership vows. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Following Jesus’ example, service is not based on outcome. Instead, it is based on faithfulness. It is an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love.
The history of Methodism in Ona began around 1803. Rev. William Steele was a traveling preacher. He was sent to explore this part of Virginia. Ten years later, a camp meeting occurred. It was held on the site where Bethesda United Methodist Church would later be built.
Bethesda United Methodist Church has continually moved. It did this to stay within the connection of Methodism. It has not shrunk from change. The most recent change occurred in 1968. The Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church united. This union gave us our present name.
It is interesting to see how the Bethesda United Methodist Church has changed. Yet, it has also stayed the same. Bethesda’s steeple has been seen atop a hill in Ona since 1839. The church’s history dates back to 1804. The first Methodists in the Howell’s Mill area met in homes. They were served by many circuit riders.
Maintaining a balance between continuity and change is a theme. This theme is not only in the church’s name but also in the actual building. The original building was a log structure. It was completed around 1840. It housed both Methodist and Presbyterian communions. The next church was a frame structure built in 1875. That building served both groups until the 1890s. The Presbyterians then moved to Milton. That structure served Bethesda United Methodist Church until 1982. That was when the current brick building was dedicated.
Change and continuity are themes of Bethesda United Methodist Church. The church still has picnics with fried chicken and chocolate cake. Members still work and play hard. They do this to serve God and the community. The most important constant about this little church atop a hill in Ona remains. For all who enter here, it is truly “A Place of Peace”.
Bethesda United Methodist Church’s origins are unique. In 1914, six young people met as a Sunday school. They met on the porch of the John S. Coombs residence on Fairmont Avenue. Not long after, they moved across the street to a tent. It was raised on a vacant lot for Sunday evening meetings. These meetings were a mission program of the Rockville Methodist Episcopal Church South. Rev. Frank Richardson led them. He was assisted by Gaither Warfield. Warfield was a rising sophomore at Dickinson College.
In the fall of 1914, some of the men of this “Woodmont Mission” built a one-room structure. It was built on “borrowed ground”. It was provided with a platform, pulpit desk, carpet, and about forty chairs. There were only thirteen members in December. But seventy-five people were attending.
Although an independent Bethesda United Methodist Church was not established until 1916, the origins in 1914 have been the starting point for celebrations of many years.