Our History
HISTORY OF BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
4261 Montgomery Rd.
Ellicott City, MD 21043
In the latter part of the year 1958, the Catonsville Baptist Church, under the leadership of the Rev. B. Finney Bragg, felt led of God to begin a Baptist work in Howard County. Jett’s Roller Rink, then located on Columbia Pike, was secured as a temporary meeting place and interested people were invited to a meeting on September 14th. Thus the beginning of a ministry which resulted in the establishment of Bethel Baptist Church.
Approximately thirty-three people attended this meeting, including Rev. Bragg and Rev. William I. Barkley, Sr., Superintendent of City Missions of the Baltimore Baptist Association. At this meeting it was decided that Catonsville Baptist Church would sponsor a work beginning the following Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and that the work would be known as a Chapel instead of a mission. At that time no name was given. Also, it was decided that the Missions Committee, consisting of five members, namely Robert Hart, J. D. Solley, Caroline Thumm, Hazel Jestes and Rev. Bragg, would determine the policies of the Chapel along with five people from the community. A budget for the financial program was to be prepared by the parent church, and all contributions from the Chapel would be held in a separate account.
By the 5th of October an organized Sunday School was established with Frank Funderburk serving as Superintendent and a full staff of teachers for all age classes. Rev. Bragg conducted the preaching services. The work continued to grow enough for a permanent church.
The Catonsville Baptist Church then very kindly purchased four and one-half acres of land on Montgomery Road in Howard County for $10,000.00 and gave it to the chapel for a building site. The group of worshippers then felt the need for a proper name. After many suggestions the name “Bethel Baptist Church” (which means House of God) was selected.
In April 1960 a Building Committee was established, and a loan of $10,000.00 was made for the construction of a building. The contract was awarded to the Circle Construction Company to erect a building with a seating capacity of one-hundred. On October 2, 1960 the building and furnishings were dedicated. Kenneth Schmidt was asked to serve as a lay pastor. The year of 1961 saw a full church program under way. A music program under the direction of Mrs. Dorothy Warren was established, which greatly added to the services.
The Lord continued to bless the work at Bethel, and a formal request was made to the mother church on October 8, 1961, for approval to be constituted as a church. Request was granted on October 22, 1961, and Bethel became the 51st church of the Baltimore Baptist Association, the first Southern Baptist Church in Howard County. Almost a year later on August 7, 1962 the church was incorporated as a “not for profit organization” under the state laws of Maryland with 36 charter members.
The church continued to grow, and in June 1963 the Rev. Jim Willey was called to serve as the full-time pastor and served until 1967. Under his leadership a new building program was begun in June 1964 with the Port City Construction Company for $75,000.00. The new building was dedicated December 13, 1964 with a seating capacity of 300. Through gifts of love and dedication the inside painting and decorating was done by the members of the church.
Following Rev. Wiley’s resignation, the Reverend’s Paul Tharpe, William Vaskis and Paul Hannah served as Interim Pastors. The Rev. Donald Strother was subsequently called to serve as Pastor during the years 1969-1971.
On June 18, 1972 the Rev. Stewart Deal, who had served as Executive Director of the Helping Up Mission in Baltimore City for fifteen years, was called to serve as Bethel’s Senior Pastor. The Lord continued to bless the ministry of the church, and once again a larger sanctuary, fellowship hall and additional Sunday School rooms were needed.
On September 1, 1976 Bethel purchased the land adjacent to the back parking lot from Mrs. Margaret Howard, increasing the land to 5.4 acres.
In the Fall of 1979, building plans were initiated by Pastor Deal, Jim Boyd and Dan Safriet. A contract was entered into for the building of a new 500 seating capacity sanctuary and educational building at a cost of $540,000.00 Mr. Gilbert South, an employee of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, worked with the church in establishing a Building “bond program” in the amount of $396,000.
The new facilities were dedicated on April 26, 1981. A challenging dedication message was delivered by Dr. Roy Gresham, Executive-Director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, and there were words of encouragement from Senator James Clark and County Executive Hugh Nichols.
Rev. Deal retired September 25, 1987, and was subsequently honored with the title of Pastor Emeritus.
Rev. Bruce Romoser and his wife Auburn, who formerly served as missionaries in Argentina, South America from 1968-1983, began his ministry at Bethel on April 11, 1990. Under his leadership the church purchased additional property next to the church and continued to expand its outreach and influence in the community. Due to health conditions, Dr. Romoser retired May, 2003.
Rev. Jimmy Jackson was called as Interim Pastor in August, 2003 and functioned in that position until early September, 2005. Under his leadership the church engaged in a full-scale renovation-redecoration of the church sanctuary which included an enlargement of the platform and an upgrading of the audio-visual systems.
Rev. Paul R. Viswasam was called as Senior Pastor in the summer of 2005, assumed this position on September 11, 2005, and continues as the church’s spiritual leader to present. Rev. Jackson remains on staff as an associate pastor now.
As recorded in an earlier written history of the church, “Bethel’s growth today is the result of the seed faith of a faithful few, who faithfully labored to accomplish what God had put into their hearts to do.”