Beech Bottom MB Church, Newland, North Carolina, celebrated its 100th anniversary July 16-19 with revival services and a Sunday homecoming celebration.
The theme for the revival services, held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, was, “A century built on the Solid Rock” based on 1 Corinthians 3:11. Speakers included Venus Mathes, first lady at Boone MB Church; Amy Jackson, associate pastor at Boone MB Church; and Leslie Francisco III, oversight pastor at C3 Hampton Church.
For Sunday’s worship service, more than 60 people gathered at Boone MB Church for a homecoming celebration including history presentations for both churches—in addition to Beech Bottom MB’s centennial, Boone MB celebrated 108 years—praise and worship led by the Junaluska Gospel Choir and a message from Boone pastor Mike Mathes. They shared lunch together following the service.
Church history
Beech Bottom MB Church was birthed from Krimmer Mennonite Brethren missionary activity in North Carolina.
In 1925, a group began meeting for church services in a schoolhouse on a steep hill. After seeking God’s will in an all-night prayer meeting called by missionary Peter Siemens in November of that year, the congregation began work on a building the following spring. The church building was dedicated debt-free in the fall of 1926 thanks to donations from people across the conference.
Jose Astello Martinez has served the congregation as pastor since April 2026. Services are held in English and Spanish.
“The church is growing,” says Eastern District Minister James Moore. “I’d like to see them continue to grow and move forward in their bilingual ministry under the leadership of Pastor Martinez.”
Janae Rempel Shafer is the Christian Leader associate editor and joined the CL staff in 2017. Shafer is an award-winning writer, receiving multiple awards from the Kansas Press Association and Evangelical Press Association. A Tabor graduate with a degree in communications and religious studies, she and her husband, Austin, attend Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas.
