Bethany Baptist Church was established before 1879 near the King's Highway in the rural community of Milam, one of the oldest settled towns in Texas, originally called Red Mount. In 1901, the congregation voted to move the church to Milam, and in 1903 the old building was sold and the proceeds were used to furnish the new building there under pastor E. Dugan. The property adjoined the local school, and in 1949 the lots were officially purchased from the Hemphill Independent School District. In January 1952, plans for a new church building drawn by Brother H.R. Spence were presented and accepted, and lumber from the old church along with some new materials was used for the new structure while worship services were held in the old school until completion. The church has had more than forty pastors as well as several interim and temporary pastors. At first, it met once a month, with pastors traveling long distances to provide services. Baptisms were held in Joel Halbert's Pond or Boregas Creek until Red Hill Lake was built in 1937-39, three miles north of the church. Beginning in the 1950s, the church began holding weekly services with a full-time pastor, and as membership grew, so did the church building and grounds. A cemetery was established in 1981, and the church has contributed to the heritage of the Sabine County area through service and faith.