Bethany was blessed with good services throughput the year during 2016 with services each Sunday and fairly good attendance. We had especially good special meetings starting with our May Communion Meeting with Elder Ben Winslett from Huntsville, AL and culminated with communion and foot washing on Sunday. Elder Ricky Harcrow was with us for our September meeting and was blessed to preach some excellent messages.
Elder Ricky Harcrow
Ben Winslett
Sister Tammy Wise had many ups and downs during the year. She endured chemo and radiation treatments for cancer and the after effects which required a couple of hospitalizations and much pain. She then was pronounced cancer free and seemed to be getting better. Then she had some seizures and doctors said she had a brain tumor. Miraculously more tests showed that the brain tumor was no longer evident. She had kidney problems and had to have surgery to insert a kidney stent. She was blessed the last of the year to have the chemo port removed and the kidney stent removed. She will need to take a chemo shot once a month for probably the rest of her life. Continue to pray that that Lord will bless.
Sis. Shanna Wise’s father, David Hudson, had a broken femur bone and then in rehab. Then he was hospitalized a couple of times due to some bleeding ulcers and also the brain. He ultimately was put in the Nursing Home in New Albany, then Amory and finally is in Pontotoc Hospital Nursing Home. He hasn’t any use of his legs but hopes to get better.
Brother Boyce Grisham’s mother, Cladis Grisham, passed away January 17 as she had been in ill health for some time with cancer and other aged problems.
Brother Terry Wise lost his father-in-law, Gordon Rounsville, to death on January 16 in Leakesville, MS and he had also been in ill health for quite some time.
Sister Anna Lauren Parrish lost her grandmother, Annie Barnes, to death on February 21 and she lost her mother, Lisa, a little over two years ago.
One of our deceased members, Dot Wilhite, had her husband, Loyd Wilhite, die from complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
Sister Shanna and Brother Josh Wise’s son, Hudson, had his tonsils removed and everything went well.
Brother Boyce Grisham’s daughter, Cheryl Newsome, had successful surgery March 11 to correct a female problem and did well.
Sister Joyce Trentham had laser eye surgery to remove a filmy obstruction over the eye and did very well.
Brother Ronnie Huddleston had prostate cancer surgery at UAB in Birmingham, AL on June 17 and it was not in lymph nodes and subsequent tests have shown that he shows no signs of cancer. He did not need treatments.
Sister Anna Lauren Parrish had successful eye surgery in Memphis, TN on June 17 and had done very well.
Sister Brittany Houston had successful surgery to remove a small cyst on July 29 and hasn’t had any problems since.
Sister Dena Wise celebrated her 90th birthday at Bethany Fellowship Hall on July 3 and many family members, friends and neighbors came to honor her on this occasion.
Brother Boyce Grisham was hospitalized during the year with fluid around the heart and AFIB and had to have two separate heart procedures to stop and start his heart to restore it to the normal Rhythm. He seems to be doing fairly well at the moment.
Brother James and Sister Peggy Hall enjoyed an Alaskan cruise given to them by their children and also enjoyed a trip to Colorado to visit their grand daughter and see the Grand Canyon and many other sites in the western states.
Sister Dorothy June Clayton suffered a heart attack on April 7 with blockage in the main artery to the heart and a stent was able to be inserted. She had one other small blockage and stent was not able to be inserted.
We hosted the 5th Sunday night Fellowship meeting in July and were blessed with great singing and good preaching, fellowship and food. These are some of the scenes:
Sister Dena Wise was hospitalized in April with fluid around heart and reduced kidney function and a painful back. She was blessed to get better and able to get to church and around house on a walker.
Sister Sandra Harlow fell and broke her shoulder and had to have surgery to insert 3 pins and a plate. She had to have physical therapy and has recovered but still not able to raise her arm above her shoulder.
Brother Jeremy Wise started filling some appointments at Primitive Baptist churches that are without pastors and is being blessed although we miss him and his family.
We finished the year on a great note as Carol Anne Wise joined the church on Sunday December 18 and was baptized on Christmas Day along with her first cousin, Hudson Wise who joined on Christmas Day and baptized along with Carol Anne.
We pray the Lord will continue to bless during the year 2017 and the sicknesses will subside and more additions to the church and the Lord revive us afresh in His service as we press ahead looking to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith.