During the late 18th century, Methodist itinerants traveled throughout the peninsula, and their efforts were well received in rural areas such as this, known as the “heart of Methodism” in the 1780’s. The seeds sown by those early travelers continued to bear fruit as membership increased and congregations multiplied. On February 23, 1841, a group of local Methodists purchased land where camp meetings were being held at “a meeting house.” Bethel Church continues to be a center for worship, serving this rural community in the spirit of the founders of Methodism.