A Brief History of Benton, Arkansas
The Work Begins
In 1938, J. W. Bressie, his wife, and two daughters, came from California to locate in Benton, Arkansas, and engage in lay evangelism (Record, 1938). By the end of 1940, he had enough interests to buy a well-located lot that had a store building on it. The members began remodeling the store as a church (Record, 1940) that would seat one hundred people. Two adjoining rooms were added for Sabbath school or church school purposes (Record, 1941a). When it was completed in the spring of 1941, the conference president, Elder I. C. Pound, held a two-week series of meetings in the building. This was followed up with baptismal classes held by J. W. Bressie (Record, 1941b).
Benton Church Organized IN 1942
On Sabbath, August 29, 1942, the Benton Church was organized with twenty members by Elder I. C. Pound. They were meeting in their neat, attractive little church building they had erected in 1941 and it was dedicated the same day the church was organized (Record, 1942).
Elder Ira C. Pound ca. 1937
First Revelation Seminar
In 1983, Benton added twenty-seven new members from the Buddy Brass evangelistic crusade held in July and August. They decided to hold their first Revelation seminar for the new members along with the interests from the evangelistic meetings. Letters were sent to new members and brochures to all the interests of the evangelistic meetings. The resulting attendance was both exciting and challenging as local elders, Bus Pillsworth and Ted Romanski, led out three nights a week. About twenty-seven attended each night with many of the older members attending as well (Young, 1984).
A New Church
Citations
(1938, Aug. 10). Southwestern Union Record, p. 3.
(1940, Nov. 20). Ibid., p. 2.
(1941a, Apr. 7). Ibid., p. 4.
(1941b, Apr. 28). Ibid., p. 2.
(1942, Sep. 9). Ibid., p. 3.
Young, Kathy. (1984, Jan. 5). Ibid., p. 8.
How it all Began 