As I grew up in Bethlehem church, I never knew that my grandmother’s family, the Waynicks, were so deeply rooted in our church. I learned that I have third and fourth cousins in our church, such as Bruce Gerringer and his sisters (Pete Hamlett, Dazel Oakley and Ruby McAlister), Irene Lee, Jacky Lee, Mozelle Loy, and Alfred Smith. 'Maybe others!

Today we are focusing on the first twenty-five years of Bethlehem Christian Church: 1832-1857. My father Herbert Madren, was the son of Lena Waynick Madren, who was the daughter of Daniel Waynick, who was the son of Philip Waynick, who was the son of another Daniel Waynick (as you can see Daniel is a family name). This Daniel Waynick had a brother named Tobias Waynick, who was my great-great-great-great granduncle. I am standing here as a legacy to my ancestors and their witness about a time when God began a mighty work in the churches of Alamance County. Here at Bethlehem our beginnings were humble! When our church began in 1832 we had approximately thirty members. Eighteen years later we had not grown very much. We know this because in 1850 when we attended the annual business and conference meeting we reported only thirty-nine members. By the way this conference was held just down the road at Union Chapel, which is now Union Ridge Church.

Something began at that meeting―God was at work―and this became the first of several camp meetings to be held in Alamance County. Only two weeks later many Christian ministers came together to hold another camp meeting. This meeting took place in Graham at what is now Providence United Church of Christ. And then, praise God, two weeks after that Bethlehem Church hosted the third camp meeting.

Alfred Iseley described these events in a letter dated May 26, 1851:

Our third meeting was held at Bethlehem. The church at this place had been in rather a low state for a long time. They had almost the poorest excuse for a Meeting-house I ever met with. It was proposed to build a new house, and after considerable exertion on the part of the friends, we succeeded in erecting a respectable house on a handsome lot of ground. It was completed for our camp meeting last November. We had quite a revival at that time, and from then until now, we have received 28 members into the church. I baptized seven of them on yesterday, in presence of a vast assembly. Great seriousness seemed to prevail at the water. We repaired to the Meeting-house, and after preaching, we administered the Lord's Supper to perhaps 150 or 200 friends of our common Lord. It was a joyful waiting upon the Lord. May the great Head of the Church help us to live humbly and do our duty.”