The history of Bethel Baptist Church actually begins in Virginia with Thomas Jefferson and two Revolutionary War veterans, Joseph Ogle and James Lemen, Sr., a life-long friend of Jefferson. In 1786, with emergency funds provided by Jefferson (a reported sum of $30), James Lemen, his wife Catherine (Joseph Ogle's daughter), and their two young sons joined Joseph and his son Benjamin who were already living in the settlement of New Design (near the present town of Waterloo in Monroe County). The Lemens and the Ogles were among the first settlers at New Design. At that time the population of the entire territory of Illinois was fewer than 20,000 Indians of various tribes and only a very few thousand Europeans, Africans and Americans. At Jefferson's urging, James Lemen's move west was for the express purpose of opposing the introduction of slavery there.

In 1802, the Ogles and the Lemens moved from New Design to Ridge Prairie, southwest of the present O'Fallon. Four years later, at the home of William Whiteside near Belleville, the Ogles, the Lemens, and Whiteside organized the first Baptist Church in St. Clair County, Richland Creek, as a branch of the New Design church.

James and Catherine Lemen had six sons, five of whom became ordained ministers. When James, Sr., was nearly age 50, he was also ordained as a minister by one of his sons. The family was active in local and territorial government and influential to the point that Aaron Burr solicited Lemen's support for his unsuccessful attempt to create a SouthWestern Empire from the Territories in 1806. Jefferson had written Lemen warning him of Burr's plan; Lemen thought the scheme was an act of treason and threatened Burr's agents with arrest and imprisonment if they did not leave Illinois immediately.

By 1808, slave holding by members of Richland Creek Church was discussed at great length. At least one member at Richland Creed was a slaveholder. In the July 1809 meeting, James Lemen, Sr., encouraged by a letter from Jefferson, challenged the church. The issue proved too difficult to resolve. Late in the same year, all parties agreed that the members would separate on friendly terms, with those against slavery withdrawing from Richland Creek to form a new church.

On Dec 9, 1809, the Baptist Church of Christ, Friends to Humanity, was formed by James Lemen, Sr., and his wife Catherine, Robert Lemen, and his wife Hetty, Joseph Lemen, and his wife Polly, and Benjamin Ogle. In 1810 "at Canteen Creek" was added to the church's name. They met at members' homes on a rotating basis and by the late 1830's, the church required larger quarters. A simple barn-like structure was finished in 1840 at a cost of $4,100. A trap door was cut in the floor at the southwest corner so that the cellar below could be used as a hiding place for slaves on their way north via the Underground Railroad. That building stood at the intersection of the current South Clinton and Bethel Meadows Roads but was dismantled in 1981. The current building, which adjoins the old Bethel School, was dedicated in 1977 and houses today's congregation.