BETTIS ACADEMY - “We’ve Come This Far by Faith” was the theme at the 142nd Anniversary Service at Mount Canaan Baptist Church Sunday. Around 250 people came out to rejoice over the occasion.

The Mount Canaan Praise Team and the Mount Canaan Mass Choir presented a lively song service, interspersed with the call to worship and congregational hymn and a responsive reading entitled “The Church,” led by the Rev. Sallie Cooks. A reading of “The History of Mount Canaan” was by Katherine Williams, followed by a “Tribute to Mount Canaan” by Barbara Peterson. Mattie Williams led a “Memorial to the Deceased.”

Mount Canaan was established in 1868 under the spiritual leadership of the Rev. Alexander Bettis, a former slave. It was the first church for blacks in this vicinity and was the first of 40 churches established by Rev. Bettis. It was organized under a brush arbor with Rev. Bettis, several white ministers and a black minister from Augusta, Ga., and 17 blacks who had withdrawn their membership from the First Baptist Church of Edgefield.

Rev. Bettis was its pastor for 27 years until his death. Under his leadership, the membership increased from 17 to 2,000 within a three-year period.
When first organized, the church was located across Highway 25 on approximately three acres of land donated/loaned to the church by the Turner family. In 1961, the congregation built a new church (the one now occupied) on land donated by the Mt. Canaan B&E Society. It was incorporated the same year and re-incorporated in 2006 as Mount Canaan Baptist Church. The mortgage was burned on Sunday, May 12, 1968.

It now owns approximately 34 acres of land in two separate tracts, both fronting Highway 25. In 2004, the church was designated as an Outstanding Historical Site by the S.C. Department of Archives and History. In the early 1970s, the Educational Annex was constructed; in the early 1990s, physical improvements of the church included renovations in the restrooms and vestibule; in 1998, ceiling lights and chandeliers were installed, pews were padded, new courtesy panels were placed around the choir stands, and the heating and air-conditioning systems were upgraded in the church and Educational Annex; and in 2001, a camera and television were installed to project services from the sanctuary to the auditorium in the
Educational Building. In 2009, a paved 100-spaces parking area was constructed, followed by the completion of the Youth Center that was dedicated this past May.

Mount Canaan has been led by 11 pastors and has licensed to preach the Gospel many others. Its auxiliaries, ministries and programs have steadily grown.

Robert Brighthop, who talked about the past, present and future of Mount Canaan,  reflected on his youth and growing up in the church.

“It has experienced a strong, spiritual growth,” he said. “There’s a sweet spirit at Mount Canaan. And there’s a strong future ahead.”

The pastor for nearly 32 years, Rev. George Brightharp, said many achievements have been afforded the Mount Canaan family and he can only say,
“To God Be the Glory for the Things He Has Done.”

Rev. Brightharp introduced the guest speaker, the Rev. Darrell Blocker of North Augusta.

“I knew him before he knew himself,” said Brightharp. “”I watched him grow. He does not mind studying and learning and is a child of God.”

Rev. Blocker is a Strom Thurmond High School and a Denmark Tech graduate. He studied at the School of Theology in Augusta, Ga. He is a certified real estate person, a barber and owns several businesses. He is a member of Beulah Grove Baptist Church.

He took his text from Mark 1:15, “The time has come. The kingdom is near.” His theme was, “It’s Your Time.”

“Though we’ve had to struggle in our lives, none of us is beyond repair,” he said. “All we have to do is recognize we need Christ, repent of our sins and believe in the Word of God and rejoice in it.”

Blocker said everything in our universe is centered around time. There is a time for everything and you can’t get time back.

“It’s your time,” he said. “You don’t know how much time you have left. You can act your way into right thinking, but you can’t think your way into right acting. And don’t let the past trip you up. Once you are saved, you are a brand new creature in Christ.”

He continued, “The devil has had his time with all of us. It’s your time to clean up what you messed up...It’s time to rejoice still in spite of the problems. Repent of your shortcomings and rejoice because He saved you, because He rose from death. Rejoice that you got your peace back, your character back, your self respect back, your joy back. It’s your time.”

Blocker told of his own experience in finding his way.

“I’m not ashamed,” he said. “I give God the glory.”

Rev. Brightharp added that when God changes a person’s life, his testimony does more than anything else.

“When you make more than a few mistakes, God doesn’t throw you away,” he said.

Willa Lanham, church secretary who helped organize the event, said she was well pleased with the turn-out and added, “I’m pleased that everybody carried out their promises to participate in the program. It was a success.”