Bethany was blessed with a good year during 2017 with a good Spirit-filled meeting for our May Communion meeting with Elder Ronald Lawrence. Elder Lawrence was blessed to preach two great messages and we had excellent visitation from sister churches and the food and fellowship was outstanding. Elder Lawrence had to leave Saturday night and Pastor Larry preached on Sunday and officiated the Communion service. The communion service on Sunday was a blessing with many participating in the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saint’s feet. God be with us till we meet again next year, Lord willing.
The September annual meeting was also blessed with Elder Ricky Harcrow as the guest minister who preached four outstanding messages that everyone enjoyed. Once again we were blessed with excellent attendance and visitation from sister churches and friends. The food and fellowship was enjoyed by everyone and everyone seemed to go away from the meeting refreshed by the presence of the Lord.
New Members:Â Bethany was extremely blessed with a total of six new members added during the year of 2017. We received four members by way of letter and two by baptism. On Easter Sunday April 16 Brother Jerry Coleman came asking for a home in the church by way of letter from Laodicea PBC in Lafayette county and was graciously received. Sister Kaye Holley and her two daughters, Sister Lydia Holley and Sister Lindy Holley came asking for a home in the church by way of letter from Chewalla PBC in Potts Camp, MS during conference Sept. 17 and unanimously received.
Brother John Taylor Wise asked for a home in the church on April 30, 2017, graciously received, and was baptized that same morning amidst much rejoicing.
Brother Tony Langley asked for a home in the church at Christmas Eve service December 24 but was baptized first Sunday in 2018 on January 7.
DEATHS:Â Sister Shanna Wise’s father, David Hudson passed away on March 6 after a long battle with liver complications and various other health issues. He was a battler all the way until the end and survived several crisis before his death.
Sister Tammy Wise passed away on March 15 after a long and arduous five year battle with cancer. Her faith was strong during the entire illness. She had sung the song “It Is Well With My Soul” the 5th Sunday in January prior to passing into heaven on March 15.
Sister Ruby Jean Williams lost her brother, Thomas Milburne (Mib) Browning to death on April 10 at the age of 85 after several stays in the hospital and at last in the Nursing Home.
Sister Shirley Robbins’ husband, Darius, passed away Easter Sunday, April 16, after suffering a bleeding of the brain and she also lost her sister, Nadine Baker, on December 19, 2017.
Sister Sandra Wise’s mother, Modean Quarles, passed away April 19 at Sanctuary Hospice House due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease and Elder Larry Wise, Elder Jonathan Wise and Elder David Wise preached the funeral.
GRADUATIONS:Â Brother John Taylor Wise graduated from Mississippi State University And Sister Emma Kate Wise graduated from North Pontotoc High School.
MARRIED: Brother Barry Wise’s son, Sam, was married to his fiance’, Meagan, on May 6 and was given a shower at Bethany prior to the wedding.
SURGERY:Â Sister Sandra Wiesner had surgery to remove eye cataracts on June 27 and everything went well.
Brother Boyce Grisham had his heart defibrillator replaced and his heart stopped and shocked back to life to correct irregular rhythm cause by AFIB on May 18
Brother Jerry Coleman suffer a heart attack July 16 and spent some time in the hospital and ultimately had to have five stents placed in blocked arteries and had to have one more stent inserted toward the end of the year.
Sister Sandra Wise had surgery on August 24 in Birmingham, AL to remove a large tumor on her ovaries and to remove gall bladder and also to do a complete hysterectomy. She came through very well and the mass proved to be benign and she has recovered very well.
Sister Shanna Wise’s mother, Barbara Hudson, was diagnosed with lung cancer and had surgery to remove part of one lung on November 29. The surgery went well and she has made a remarkable recovery and so far no treatments have been needed.
Sister Brittany Houston’s son, Cason, had surgery on November 15 to remove his tonsils and adenoids and everything went well.
HOSPITALIZATIONS:Â Sister Urea Wise has to spend a night in the hospital with nausea and dizziness but it was proven not to be a stroke but probably due to a severe case of vertigo.
Sister Doirothy Clayton spent a couple of nights in the hospital the week of April 24 due to complications from having a toe nail removed and had to stay on hospital bed at home for a couple of weeks.
Brother Billy Carl Bailey was in the hospital about a week from December 18 because of COPD complications and a case of the Flu and extremely low oxygen levels. His wife, Ellen, also got the flu while he was in the hospital.
OTHER ILLNESSES OF NOTE: Sister Dena Mae Wise spent some time painfully recovering from a cracked bone due to a fall and had some trouble with fluid accumulating around her heart and now has to use a walker.
Sister Ruby Jean Williams suffered a broken shoulder due to a fall and had to be in a arm sling for several weeks and hasn’t been able to be at church since.
Sister Peggy Hall is still seeing a specialist in Virginia for her back problems and Sister Martha Wise saw a specialist for her continued back pain but was told there wasn’t much that could be done.
Sister Deanna Wise had continued back and neck pain and saw a specialist. Water therapy got some temporary relief but surgery has been finally scheduled on her neck to be done on February 27, 2018.
ORDINATION: Brother Jeremy Wise continued to fill appointments at various churches during 2017 and Bethany called for his ordination to the work of the ministry during conference in November and the ordination was scheduled for January 14, 2018.
 
80TH BIRTHDAY:Â Sister Joyce Trentham celebrated her 80th birthday on Sunday July 16 with a reception at Wise Family Farms in the old Bethany church building
CHRISTMAS SINGING 2017:Â Bethany enjoyed a good Christmas Singing 2nd Sunday night in December with a large congregation and great congregational singing and followed by great food and fellowship and we enjoyed a good pizza lunch at the fruit basket assembly session the first Sunday in December