The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-12-23

tist churches in the country. Hon
ABB. Woodruff, who was .telerk 20.
Bethel for more than 80 years, in hi,
historyaof the church published IN
1882, ssys, Thesarly history Of Beth,
el church sdenvelopedScin Clouds O,
uncertainty. Mo record is con hans
that gives anylintimation assto thu
organization of the church, scr tn,
time Is was constituted. Nora are VIZ
able to obtain from any living source
information giving any light on thi:
part Of the sobject. The first record
we find reads rs follows: September
.16, 1887, the, church of Christ or
Jamie's Greek, etc" If the historian
had had Edwards account of Fair.
forest, he'woNld have found that Beth.
ell had its origin as branch Of that
church, and the first meeting house
was built in 1771, and the next yea,
(1772) it was to be constituted an in
dependent church and William Wood
the licensed assistant, was to be or.
dained. What a mighty tree this
branch planted by Fairforest at En-.
oree (Betheh became. It was here
that the Bethel Association was or
ganized in 1889, and held, SO it is
said, % consecutive sessions there
The name Bethel was, no doubt, given
to the Association in honor of the
church where it was organized.
4th. The one on Thickety. = Thi.
point, says Mr.. Edwards, was 25
miles to the northeast. Doubles,
this is Goucher Creeks now in Cher
okee County. The distance as we
know it today is only about 20 miles
but it should be remembered that in
those early times but few, IF any
roads were accurately measured, and
that often; circuitous routes had ia
be taken in order to find l. suitable
fords' for the crossing Of. the streams.
If Mr. 'Mulkey crossed Pacolet at the
ancient Grindal ford, which is mos:
probable, the distance would be Sabout
right. Again, the original meeting
place, which was generally of the
friendly oaks, may have been some
distance from the present location.
If it should be objected that Gouche~
is not on Thickety, let it be borne in
mind that the original point may
have been quite near that stream.
The present meeting house, however.
g just one and half miles from
thickety's banks.
Previous to the Revolutionary war.
for protection against the Indians,
fort was built in less than two hun
dred yards from the banks Of Couch
er Creek (the small stream from
which the church was onaned) anil
quite near the church, yet It was
called Thickety Fort.
Logan, in his History Of the
Broad River Association" says:
"The historians of the Association
have heretofore failed to give us the
date of the constitution of this church
(Goucher), but according to infor-
nation kept end transmitted from
reliable. .seurces, ,itswAs. probably orig,
mated in the year ITO" This fts
precisely. Fairforest established an
armtin 177o t(or therssbouts), for 4,
was ready forlindependent organiza.
tion nj 1772 and Richard Kelly, til,
licensed assistant, was ready. for or.
dination to the full work. of the min.
istry.,
5th. The one at .Catawba. Ed
wards says that this point was one
hundred miles distant off to the
northwest. OF this place we know
nothing. Benedict mentions a Ca.
tawba church belonging to the
Bethel Association, organized in ITS
If Edwards was correct as to the idi.
rection,( it was far into North Caro-
lima and could hardly be the one tha,
belonged to the Bethel.
What a mighty master-builder wal
Philip Mulkey! What tremendou,
power plant, under God, he erectes
on Fairforest! Think of the, vas,
territory supplied. with "the power O.
God unto. salvation" by this heavenly
dynamo. The communities of Fair
forest, Friendship, Bethel, .Boilin5
Springs, Goucher Greek and Catawba
one hundred miles distant, was i,
1772. one great church and one man
Philip Mulkey,. pastor of all. 1t look
as though no human, could have per
formed such a herculean task unde
such tremendous difficulties, but Il
was done, and. the end Is not yet.
Some Other Daughters of Fairfores
The churches mentioned, , above ar
far from all that were planted and de
veloped by @Fairforest. This prolifi
church, with its intensely evangelic
al pastor, began in its infancy to e
everywhere preaching the Word.
At the time of Edwards visit (1772
he said: "He philip Mulkey) ha
met with surprising success; rrin 9
much that his church (Fairforest
is the smother Of sail the shnrches Il
this part Of thescSuntry gviz. of Con
Qaree. of Little River ~ T;ttlo R;yo