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Main > Church Info > History > In the Beginning... In the beginning...In the early 1800's, the Rev. Isaac Reed, a Presbyterian minister working with the American Home Mission Society, founded a number of Presbyterian churches in southern Indiana. From his base in New Albany, Mr. Reed started churches as far north as Greencastle and Franklin. In 1819, he founded a church in the town of Palestine, located on the northern bank of the White River, county seat of the newly formed Lawrence County. The congregation met in homes and in the courthouse. In 1825, the county seat was moved north to Bedford, and several years later, the Presbyterian church followed. On May 7,1831 it was instituted as the Bedford Presbyterian Church, with eighteen members. Presbyterian pastors were in short supply in Indiana in the early 1800's, but the small missionary congregation was very fortunate. In 1836, the Rev. Solomon Kittridge, an energetic young minister from Massachusetts, was sent to Bedford by the American Board of Domestic Missions. Under his guidance, the congregation grew quickly. In 1839, when it numbered about 70 members, a state charter was granted, and the congregation decided to its first building. Previous 1 2 3 4 Next |