Bethlehem Primitive Baptist church was established in 1834 as the Baptist Church at Christ Bethlehem, just two years after the Primitive sect was formed nationally from a split with the Missionary Baptists. They formally affiliated with the Primitive Baptists in 1840.
The present church, constructed circa 1861, is one of the few remaining antebellum structures surviving in Brooks County.
To those familiar with the Crawfordite Primitve Baptists of Southeast Georgia, it will look quite familiar, as it is plain, unpainted, and contains multiple entrances.
The congregation disbanded in 1964, had a brief revival between 1981-1984, and has been inactive ever since.
It’s a serene place that will hopefully be preserved far into the future.
National Register of Historic Places