Known as "The Church in the Sandhills" the congregation is believed to have been organized by the Rev. Godfrey Dreher of Zion congregation in Lexington. Three structures have existed on the original site: a "brush arbor", a wooden enclosed building built in 1831, and finally the present worship building, completed in 1912. Bethlehem was part of joint parishes with other churches until 1975, when it became a self-supporting congregation for the first time.

This church is a member of the South Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This synod was formed in 1824 and today numbers about 62,000 members in 165 congregations. Through our benevolence we are partners in supporting Conference and Retreat Centers  of South Carolina, Lutheran Homes of South Carolina, Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas, Lutheridge and Lutherock Retreat centers, Southern and Trinity Seminaries, and Newberry College as well as other Christian Outreach ministries.

A little closer to home, we have an active ministry, from children and youth programs, to the Annie Hallman Circle of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (WELCA), to "Saints Alive" for members and friends who are blessed in years.