History Of Bethesda General Baptist Church:

"Enjoying Blessing From God"
Reverend Lyle and Nina Costephens had moved from St. Louis to Arnold in the 1960's. there were no General Baptist Churches in the area, so they were looking and praying for a church. In the summer of 1966 sister Nina Costephens drove the roads of Arnold, Missouri, looking and praying for a site for a church. She saw an old store building (Beck Merchandise Store)--, it had been empty for a long time. She stopped under a tree and felt God say this is the place for a church. Without telling anyone she returned to the site three times. After speaking to her husband, they went to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Reinbold and asked to rent the building. The Reinbolds related the building would be empty (fireworks were being stored) in July. The rent was $50.00 a month and the building would need a lot of cleaning and repair.

The Costephens had no idea where they were going to get the money to rent the church. They put their mobile home up for sale. The first person that looked at the mobile home bought it. Once again God had answered prayer. They were going to live upstairs above the church.

Reverend Lyle and Nina told people they were starting a church and enlisted the help of others to clean and ready the church for service. Reverend Aubrey and Mrs. Johnson, Reverend and Mrs. Carl Trentham, the Costephens family and others answered the call to service.

The first service at the Beck Church, in Beck (now Arnold) was September 1966. On that first Sunday Service 128 people attended. The message by Reverend Carl Trentham was titled "Building a Temple without the sound of a hammer".

Until the church was organized, visiting ministers conducted services. The church elected Reverend Lyle Costephens first pastor and organized August 6, 1967, with thirteen charter members: Lyle Costephens, Nina Costephens, Gene Wilfong, Fay Wilfong, Wanda Johnson, Virgil Eagle, Leora Eagle, Mildred Channey, Jim Channey, Lena Freer, Betty Chism, Jane and Doyle Stogsdale.