The Mt. Bethel Baptist Association was organized in 1875 at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Arlington, Virginia.  The first official meeting following the organizational meeting was held at First Baptist Church in Southwest Washington, DC. Rev. J. H. Brooks was elected as the first moderator by the integrated membership.
 

The following Baptist churches and pastors were charter members:
 

First Baptist, SW Washington, DC, Rev. Sam Scott 
Mt. Bethel, DC, Rev. K. W. Roy, & Rev. Peter Hayes
Zion Baptist, Prince Georges County, MD, Rev. N. Jackson
Mt. Vernon, Poolesville, MD, Rev. H. Jackson
Jerusalem, 26th & P, Washington, DC, Rev. George Harris
Second Baptist, Fairfax County, VA, Rev. William Smith
Enon, Baltimore, MD, Rev. Jones Watkins
Ennon, SE, DC
Mt. Calvary, Alexandria, VA, Rev. C. A. Lindsay
Grants Hill, Leedstown (Westmoreland County), VA, Rev. A. Owens
Little Zion, Oak Grove (Westmoreland County), VA, Rev. E. Watt
Olive Branch, Bull Run, Rev. William Smith
First Baptist, Falls Church, VA, Rev. A. C. Scott
Rock Creek, Washington, DC, Rev. Noah Williams
Mt. Calvary, Germantown, PA, Rev. James Brooks
Mt. Royal, NJ, Rev. R. H. Garnett
Temple, Chester, PA, Rev. E. B. Gordon
Mt. Olive, Towson, MD, Rev. S. E. A. Manning
Mt. Zion, MD, Rev. R. Parker
Israel, Baltimore, MD
Shiloh, Baltimore, MD, Rev. Noah Jackson

 

On January 26, 1898, the Trustees of the Mt. Bethel Baptist Association purchased a 75.12 parcel of land from W. W. Owens and his wife Mary in the county of King George, state of Virginia at a cost of six hundred dollars ($600.00).  It was recorded in the clerk’s office of King George County on June 25, 1898.  The property, known as “Old Folks Home” with its bathing quarters, recreational and boating grounds, timber and a facility structure for overnight sleeping quarters, was paid off in three (3) years after making a one hundred dollar ($100) down payment.  Reportedly, John Wilkes Booth crossed the Potomac River and came ashore on Mt. Bethel property when he fled Washington, DC after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln.   

 

 The following were the first Trustees of the Association:  Rev. W. H. Hickerson, King George County, Virginia; Brother R. B. Page, Oak Grove, (Westmoreland County), Virginia; Rev. Richard Johnson, Washington, D. C.; Rev. A. Hayes and Rev. P. H. Gibson.

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The Sunday School Auxiliary

Under the umbrella of the Mt. Bethel Baptist Association, auxiliaries were formed. In 1900, Rev. A. Wilbanks, pastor, 10th Street Baptist Church, Washington, DC, organized the Sunday School Convention.  He supervised the Convention until his death.  The Sunday School Auxiliary has had only nine (9) presidents in its 140-year history:  Mr. Emmett Preston, Mr. Ross, Mr. W. P. Watkins, Mrs. Ruby James, Deacon William S. Berkeley, Mr. James Hicks, and Mrs. Phyllis Ashton, Mr. Edmond Robbins, Jr and Deacon John Bradley.