The West Flint society, located in the
Dye Community, was started 8h 1876 through the efforts of the Reverend
Edward Chapman, a local preacher from Locke Center in Ingham County and
former resident of Dye. Assisted by the Reverend Curtis Lum, also from
Locke, he began holding meetings at the Dye School. Many were converted and
at the close of the meetings a society was organized by the Reverend J.P.
Soule, pastor of the Forest society, which was located just a few mile from
Dye.
The society worshipped in the Dye School until 1881 when a
church was built on Dye Road during the pastorate of the Reverend G.H.
Joslin. It was dedicated by the Reverend Burton R. Jones, who later became
bishop.
In 1880 a small building had been purchased just north of
the property where the church would be built and this was used as a
parsonage. In 1895 it was remodeled and improved. In 1918 a new parsonage
was built in Linden, the other point on the circuit and the old parsonage
was sold.
During these early years, West Flint was considered on of
the foremost societies of the conference. It hosted the annual conference in
1885.
In 1904 the circuit became quit depleted due to deaths and
the moving away of members and the circuit was left without a pastor.
However, the conference requested A.E. Warren, newly appointed conference
evangelist, to begin his labors at West Flint. He held a three-month revival
which was very successful and which re-established the society on a firm
foundation. There were many converts, among whom was A.E. Potbury who was
called into ministry. His name appears often in this history as pastor,
conference secretary, district elder, etc.
Various other
societies were a part of the same circuit with West
Flint: Forest, Genesee, Lennon, Swartz Creek, Linden, Flint First Church,
Flushing. It finally achieved independence, so to speak, in 1927 when it was
finally listed in the appointments all by itself. Though known as West Flint
most of its early years, finally in 1929 it was listed in the appointments
as “Flint, Bethel Park.” This did not become official until March 14, 1951
when the church re-incorporated under the name of the bethel Park Free
Methodist Church.
In 1925 the conference purchased 20 acres facing on Corunna
Road to use as a campground. The conference sold a parcel of this property
located right on Corunna Road to the West Flint church, including a dwelling
which became the parsonage. In 1926 the church was moved on rollers from Dye
Road to the new property on Corunna Road. This was during the pastorate of
J.R. Sterling. In 1950 while Rev H.J. DeLong was pastor, the church was
remodeled, redecorated and rededicated.
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