With alterations and repairs, the stone structure which they erected in 1803, stood until 1923, when it was finally razed to make room for a larger church. The present church was built from 1923 – 1925 at a cost of $75,000 during the pastorate of the Reverend J.O. Schlenker. The two congregations dedicated the new church on May 31, 1925. It is interesting to note that the excavation of the basement was done with a pick and shovel. Horses and ground scoops were used to drag the ground out of the basement, where it was hand loaded and hauled away by wagon. Some of the stones of the old church were used to build the basement walls of the new church. The rest of the stones were hauled by wagons from a quarry. During the time that the new church was being built, the congregation worshipped in the one room school house across the street.
On Pentecost Sunday, 1924, the cornerstone was laid and on Pentecost Sunday in May 1925, the new “Stone Church” was considered consecrated. Reverend Schlenker died soon after the dedication and the Reverend Ira Klick served as pastor from 1927 – 1947.
In those early days, some happy memories were of the Sunday School picnics. These picnics were usually held in June by the New Bethel members. Before the outdoor stage was build, entertainment took place on wagon beds which farmers brought to the church for that purpose. They would place the wagons side by side and end to end. People sat on planks supported by cement block and the soda stand was a large wooden trough. The highlight of the picnic was a cake walk featuring a nut cake or other special type cake.
From October 1947 until his death on December 4, 1948, the Reverend Addison C. Planz served as our pastor. Reverend Craig J. Dorward was called to be pastor on July 10, 1949 and served until August 1957.
