AL SJR97

Commends Bethlehem United Methodist Church on its 200th anniversary, recognizing it as one of the oldest churches in Jefferson County dating back to 1818.

Church was established through the work of Ebenezer Hearn in 1818, with land donated by James Rutledge and the original building constructed under Reverend James Tarrant, a Revolutionary War veteran.

Original one-room log building from 1818 was converted to a frame structure in the early 1890s while preserving the original logs and six-inch board flooring, which remain in use today.

Church was raised eight feet in 1954 due to a new four-lane highway construction, and in 1956 the downstairs area was dedicated as "James Rutledge Fellowship Hall" in memory of the land donor.

Church has expanded from a one-room log building to a facility containing two large auditoriums, a fully equipped kitchen, and 13 air-conditioned rooms with gas heating systems.