The Rev. William Woods
The Second Pastorate 1797 - 1831
From 1794 to 1796 was without a pastor. The Rev. William Woods supplied the congregation during part of that period as a licentiate under the care of the Presbytery of New Castle. He received a call from the congregation of Bethel and Lebanon October 4, 1796. He accepted the call April 18, 1797 and was ordained and installed pastor June 28, 1797 at 26 years of age. He was a quiet man, earnest in prayer, a forcible speaker, delivering his sermons
Awith such emphasis that there was little chance for >nodding= in the congregation.@ Of Scots-Irish descent he was a large, strong-looking man of dark complexion.Early in the second pastorate Bethel shared in the Great Revival that spread over newer western settlements around the opening of the nineteenth century. The gatherings took the form of camp-meetings, with people coming great distances, carrying food and bedding in their wagons. Whole days and nights were spent in preaching and prayer. The Rev. Mr. Woods was credited with increasing Bethel
=s membership substantially.The first scholarship of the Western Theological Seminary was established by a member of Bethel, Thomas Patterson, with a contribution of $2000. Two names were added to Bethel
=s Christian Service Honor Roll in the second pastorateB The Rev. James Rowland and the Rev. Samuel Wilson. Three of the descendants of the Rev. Woods are on that honor rollBthe Rev. John E. Woods, a grandson; the Rev. Kiddoo P. Simmons, a great-grandson, and the Rev. Harry E. Woods, a great-great grandson.Bethel never showed more vitality than in the pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Woods. It was at this time that four congregations launched out from Bethel: Bethany in 1814, Center in 1828, Mt. Pisgah in 1830 and Concord in 1831. Mr. Woods was pastor of the united congregations of Bethel and Lebanon until, at a meeting of Presbytery at Bethel, April 1, 1820, it was decided that each had grown strong enough to support a pastor. Mr. Woods continued as pastor of Bethel while the Rev. Samuel Baird, D.D. became pastor of Lebanon.
The Western Missionary Society was organized in 1802 by the Synod of Pittsburgh.
On October 6, 1815, Mr. Woods was appointed to spend a month as a missionary at Corn Planter Town and the destitute settlements between there and Franklin. In 1822 the Bethel Missionary Auxiliary Society was organized.
Mr. Woods was chosen Moderator of the Ohio Presbytery on October 15, 1816 and was a commissioner to the General Assembly at Philadelphia in 1801 and 1809. In June, 1828 he was appointed to a committee to examine all candidates for the ministry on experimental religion. Presbytery accepted his resignation as pastor of Bethel Presbyterian Church October 21, 1831.