Bethel Apostolic Church History

In 1967, God began to give Pastor Couts a vision of a church.  As she prayed to God concerning this church, the Lord began to show her the complete design and architecture.  She went to her pastor, Elder William E. Fykes, Sr., and talked to him about the vision that she had received from God, thinking that the Lord had intended for the Pastor and the congregation as it was to build the new church in her    vision.  Elder Fykes said, “No, we can’t build;” however, the vision stayed in her my mind because when God wants you to do something for Him, He has got the way for you to do it already planned.

One morning in 1969 as she went to work, God began to talk to her, “Step out on the water Peter, don’t be afraid.”  Those words kept ringing through her ears until God got her attention; She began to ask, “Lord, what are you trying to tell me?”, but all she could hear was “step out, step out on the water Peter, don’t be afraid.”  She said, “Lord, I know that you told me to build a new church, but I don’t have any money.  What way can I build a church?”  Jesus spoke to her in a loud voice, “I AM THE WAY.”  and she said, “yes Lord, I know that you can make the way.”  Two months later, all of the women ministers and missionaries were disbanded by the pastor without a cause; it had to be the will of God, the Lord had a way for them to get out.  On the third Sunday in October 1969, they started this church and held the first service at the First Seventh-day Adventist Church.  God met them there; and they shouted the Victory and proclaimed the will of God.

In 1975, God blessed us to build Bethel Apostolic Temple.  We entered on the 3rd Sunday in October.  Now we are in a larger edifice, after 30 years we were blessed to have our ribbon cutting ceremony and enter in on the 3rd Sunday in October 2005.  “GOD IS A WONDER.”

And now that Pastor Couts is no longer with us, on the 4th Sunday, August 27, 2017, the mantle was officially passed to her grandson, Elder Charles Cantrell.

God has been with Bethel Apostolic Temple all the way; we pray for His guidance and we will continue to do His will until He comes.