Beulahland Baptist Church History
CHURCH HISTORY
 

The first deed for the land for Beulahland (it was then two words-- Beulah Land) was apparently from
James W. Elder, dated March 19, 1896.  The original building was built with sawmill run 4x4's for studs
with vertical boards on the outside, which was later covered by weatherboarding.  Of course, the floors
were bare wood planks.  The benches were wood with no cushions.


The church was constituted September 28, 1895 with T. W. M. Brown as pastor. The charter members include:
(If anyone has any information on T. W. M. Brown, please contact me ([email protected]).

CHARTER MEMBERS

J. F. Campbell
J. O. Campbell
Malinda Campbell
T. P. Campbell
E. F. Elder
J. W. Elder
G. A. Elder
Lou Elder
Mollie Elder
S. E. Elder
E. C. Jones
Lue Jones
Lucy Mosley
Carrie Mosley
W. C. Mosley
George Partain


The church joined the Bethlehem Association October 12, 1895.  The clerk was James W. Elder and we had
the above mentioned members.  By 1900, the church had 46 members.  At that time the pastor was J. H.
Churchill and the clerk was John F. Campbell.


At the annual session of the Bethlehem Association in 1903, Beulahland and three other churches
withdrew from the association.


Beulahland then joined the Tallapoosa Association at their annual session held September 9, 10, and 11 in
1904.  The pastor at that time was E. J. Smith and clerk John F. Campbell.  We have been a part of the
Tallapoosa Association ever since.


In the beginning, services were held twice a month, on the first Saturday morning and the first Sunday
afternoon.


Needless to say, there was no electricity or running water in the beginning. Kerosene lamps were used for
light.  Bathroom facilities consisted of two outhouses -- one for men and one for women -- on the
backside of the property.


In the summer the doors and windows were opened to catch an occasional breeze.  If you were still to
warm, you could find a fan on the bench with a lovely picture on one side and an advertisement of
the local funeral homes that supplied the fan on the other side.


In the winter the church was heated with a wood stove.  Men took turns going early and starting a
fire in the stove.


Those who lived near enough walked to church while others came in wagons and buggies.  The roads at
that time were unpaved so, regardless of how spiffy you were when you left home in your Sunday best, you
were likely to have a spattering of "Georgia red dust" or mud when you arrived.


In the spring before crops needed attention and in the fall after most of the harvest was done,
revivals were held.  There were morning and evening services.  People of neighboring churches would
attend and we would repay the visits when they had their services.  Back then there was more testifying
and shouting than we are accustomed to today.  We probably received more new members during the
revivals than any other single time during the year.
Many came as candidates for baptism.


Of course we had no modern baptistery then.  A number of locations were used for baptizing; the
most memorable because of its icy cold water was Coppermine Creek located about three miles beyond
the church.  Also, there was a pool made up of tanked up rocks at a spring a few hundred feet
across the road from the church which was used several times.  The spring was dammed up a couple of
days prior to the service so the pool could fill up. Cliff Campbell's pond was also used several times
and Jimmy Kay's swimming pool was used on occasion.


People would park their buggies or cars alongside the  road and make their way on foot to the water's
edge.  A few songs such as "Shall We Gather At The River," "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand," or
"Amazing Grace" would be sung and the pastor would read some Scripture and say a few words before they
entered the water for the immersion ceremony.  There were always family members waiting at the water's
edge with a good supply of towels to wrap the dripping candidates in as they came out.  At the
evening service, back at the church, the candidates would receive the right hand of church fellowship
recognizing them as members of the church.


In 1973 we were able to convert two of the original Sunday School rooms in back of the church into a
baptistery.  One of our members, Linda Williams, painted a beautiful background for the baptistery.
With only a bored well supplying our water at that time, the men of the church were sometimes required
to haul water in to completely fill the pool.


Our Sunday School program began around 1940.  We had no Sunday School rooms at that time, so wires were
suspended from the ceiling from which curtains made from sheeting were hung.  When it came time for
Sunday School, the curtains were pulled, partitioning the church into separate areas for each
age group.  Classes were divided into adult men, adult women, young people, juniors and beginners.
The adults studied directly from the Bible while the two older groups of children had 3x4 cards with
Scripture on one side and questions on the other.  The beginners’ cards had colorful pictures with a
story on one side and a memory verse on the other. Children were expected to learn and be able to
recite memory verses.


Four Sunday School rooms were added to the back of the church in 1952. Later that same year, the church
was bricked.  According to Myrtle Potts, Lawrence Bell had just purchased a new truck and he used the
truck to haul gravel from Carroll’s Creek to go in the foundation.  At one time there was a framed
picture located high on the front of the church depicting Christ knocking at the door.


In 1967 an annex building was built with four Sunday School rooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen with a
breezeway connecting it to the main sanctuary.


Music has always been a big part of the church.  Singing school was of great importance in the early
days.  We still have an occasional week set aside for singing school.  Piano music was introduced into
churches after 1920 then the hymnal became a part of church.  The first hymnal most churches used was the
“Cokesbury Hymnal.”  The “Broadman Hymnal” was approved by most Southern Baptist churches into the
1940’s.  The red-wine book called “The Church Hymnal” was introduced in the 1950’s and is still
used at Beulahland today.  In 1995 a new sound system was installed and it has been enjoyed by
many.


For over twenty years the church held fourth Saturday night singing with guest groups from all
over the country.  People from far and wide came for these events which lasted until midnight many times.
Troy Carroll served as chairman for many years, followed by James Woodward, then Van Rice.  Later
the singing was held three or four times a year with Johnny Alford serving as Chairman.


Many of our improvements were financed by the industrious ladies of the church.  In the 1950’s
they gathered once a week in the Masonic Lodge next door and quilted quilts to sell.  They would each
bring a covered dish and stay all day.  Back then they sold their quilts for $10 each.  Some of the
same ladies now in their eighties recently embarked on a new quilting project raising over $20,000 for a
new church.  The quilts now bring about $1,000 each.

Today our church looks forward to our annual homecoming the first Sunday in June where families
and friends come together and reminisce about the days long ago.  We hold our older members in high
regards.  Most are still very active in our church.  They teach Sunday School, cook for the sick and
bereaved along with serving refreshment to our children during Vacation Bible School.  Mrs. Lois
Miller is our oldest member at this time.  She will be ninety-six on her birthday this year.  She is a
resident at the Paulding Nursing Unit after developing some back problems last year, but she
still delights us with her stories of the past.


We have a wonderful old church with one of the prettiest cemeteries in the county.  There are over
250 people on our active roster, not counting the members who have moved away and not moved their
memberships.


If you are currently looking for a church, we ask you come and visit ours and just maybe the love and
fellowship we have shared for so many years will touch your heart in a way that you will make
Beulahland Baptist Church your home.


Please visit our church’s greenhouse located to Scotts Store, Hwy 101 in the Beulah Community.



PAST PASTORS


Rev. T. W. M. Brown   1895-1898  * Please contact Brenda w/any info on T. W. M. Brown.
Rev. J. R. Coalson      1898-1900
Rev. J. R. Churchill    1900-1901
Rev. J. H. Ogle         1901-1903
Rev. F. J. Smith        1903-1911
Rev. J. W. Womack       1911-1913
Rev. B. B. Smith        1913-1914
Rev. R. G. Ogle         1914-1917
Rev. Y. B. Ragsdale     1917-1918
Rev. J. I. Oxford       1918-1919
Rev. C. M. Coalson      1919-1920
Rev. J. W. Womack       1920-1922
Rev. G. F. Wigley       1922-1926
Rev. W. O. Cook         1926-1927
Rev. M. F. Waddell      1927-1928
Rev. A. J. Garner       1928-1937
Rev. C. R. Campbell     1937-1952
Rev. Jessie Howell      1952-1956
Rev. Ralph Tapley       1956-1956
Rev. George Smith       1957-1959
Rev. Barney Byrum       1959-1961
Rev. Owen Calwell       1961-1963
Rev. Jessie Howell      1963-1965
Rev. Fred Eaves         1965-1966
Rev. Edwin Bradley      1967-1968
Rev. Lewis Jenkins      1968-1979
Rev. Lewis Woodward     1979-1989
Rev. Jimmy Post         1989-1993
Rev. J. T. Hollingshed  1994-2002

Notes:
Located Hwy 101, south of Yorkville and Hwy 278.
From new Hwy 278, turn left at Goldmine Road (old 278) toward Yorkville.  Go about 3 miles to just
past the microwave towers and look for Hwy 101.  Turn left in front of the double churches and go
about 3 miles to Pleasant Grove Road. Turn right and go a few hundred feet.  The church and cemetery will be at the intersection of Woodrow Kay Road.
Contact Info:
7365 Holly Springs Road, Rockmart, GA 30153
770-445-6402

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