OUR FOUNDERS

William R. Palmer, Jr. was born in the hills of Bluefield, West Virginia on June 25, 1935. He was the eldest son of eleven children born to the late Evangelist William R. Palmer, Sr. and Mother Mildred Geneva Palmer. In 1948, at the age of 12 years old, William was baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ by Elder R. A. Fleshman, during a January revival. Two days later, along with nine other souls, he received the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with tongues as the Spirit of God gave him utterance according to Acts 2:38. Elder Robert Bell gave Brother Palmer the right hand of fellowship.

Unbeknownst to him, just a little more than four years later, about 30 minutes around the winding mountains between Bluefield West, Virginia, and Northfork, West Virginia God was preparing a most special gift for him. Lerah Smith was born the 10th child to the late Bishop Posey Diamond Smith and the late Mother Ersie Smith. Lerah was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as a child by her late father and received the gift of the Holy Ghost at age 12 with the evidence of speaking with tongues as the Spirit of God gave utterance according to Acts 2:38.

The Lord had already begun his work of brining together his children for His divine purpose. At the age of seventeen, the late Bishop Posey Diamond Smith, the presiding diocese Bishop overseeing Virginia and West Virginia in the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ asked Brother Palmer to serve as church musician and choir director. Aside from his responsibility as Minister of Music, Brother Palmer served Bishop Smith and the Little Rock Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ diligently in various capacities including chauffer and fundraiser. Brother Palmer gained spiritual wisdom and tenacity while under this great man of God’s direction and tutelage.

After his high school graduation and attending college for a year, Brother Palmer enlisted into the United States Air Force, and after completing basic training, returned to take his bride, Sister Lerah Smith, the youngest daughter of the late Bishop Posey and Mother Ersie Smith; and shortly thereafter, a young airman in the United States Air Force, Brother Palmer was called into the ministry soon after the birth of their first child. Minister Palmer preached his trial sermon at Bishop Herbert Spencer’s church in Columbus, Ohio where he was stationed. His subject was, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel….” Later, Minister Palmer was stationed abroad in England, where he seized the opportunity to do foreign mission work; preaching, teaching and baptizing candidates who were convicted by the Word of God during the many revivals and street services he conducted. One such convert was his first son in the gospel, the late Brother Robert Kenneth Byrd.

While in England, Elder Palmer ministered in Chelveston, Tootingbeck, Lewishon and Birmingham. He also served as a liaison minister reporting to Apostle Robert Clarence Lawson about the progress of the missions in that country. Five thousand miles across the Atlantic Ocean on the continent of Europe, away from his wife and two children, Pamala and Pamella, the Lord began to reveal His purpose in his ministry and for their lives.

After returning to the United States and seeing the devastation caused by the separation of the largest local church of the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Elder Palmer was stirred to inform Apostle Lawson of the urgent need for the re-establishment of another church in Washington, DC to accommodate the wandering flock. Elder Palmer felt that the appointment of one of the higher officials would have a better chance of offsetting the powerful reputation of the pastor who exited the organization. Apparently, Apostle Lawson was not led in that direction; and much to Elder Palmer’s surprise, Apostle Lawson appointed him with the words, “Thou Art the Man.”

After Apostle Lawson charged Elder Palmer to pastor in Washington, DC, he sent another telegram instructing Elder Palmer to meet him on the following Tuesday at Washington National Airport. Elder Palmer arrived in his green 1952 Chevrolet and later that day, Apostle Lawson and Elder Palmer drove together looking for a place to rent for service. Elder Palmer took Apostle Lawson to 3114 Georgia Avenue, NW, a vacated bakery shop. They agreed that the place was suitable for worship if properly cleaned and rearranged. Apostle Lawson suggested that Elder Palmer name the church Refuge after the mother church in New York, but Elder Palmer graciously declined explaining that God had already given him the name “Bethuel”. 

 Apostle Lawson was pleased and conceded stating that “Bethel” means house of God and “Bethuel means God is in her. Apostle Lawson and Elder Palmer closed the deal and Elder Palmer drove Apostle Lawson back to the airport for his departure.

On June 2, 1961, Apostle Lawson returned to Washington, DC with a busload of saints from New York City to dedicate the Bethuel Temple Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Shortly, thereafter, Apostle Lawson was called from labor to reward and because of changes in the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Elder Palmer was lead to separate and incorporate as the Bethuel Temple Church of Christ Apostolic, Inc.

Elder Palmer and Sister Palmer faced many struggles but together they prayed and fasted, recalling the struggles of the late Bishop Posey Smith, Mother Smith and others who were oppressed by men. Elder Palmer and Sister Palmer had glowing examples in Bishop and Mother Smith and were able to draw from what they had learned from their mentors. Elder and Sister Palmer were committed to the call. Many Saturdays, they took their children, and along with faith members, including the oldest members of Bethuel Temple, Brother Roosevelt and Sister Lois Lee, sold dinners to raise monies for the church and passed out tracks encouraging souls to come to the house of God. Sometimes, Elder Palmer was very discouraged, but he knew that God had called him and that his Apostle had charged him to pastor the church in Washington, DC. But more than anything, he was afraid not to obey God. Therefore, he continued. He was blessed to have a praying wife who was not only a gifted and loving mother to all of her children, but she displayed that same love and commitment to him and her spiritual children. Sister Palmer managed the her family and the business of the church with skill. There was nothing that her husband wanted that he did not get. Sister Palmer was a member of every auxiliary and choir with the exception of the brotherhood. Elder Palmer and his wife traveled together, when possible ,as Elder Palmer preached the unadulterated Word of God to the saints as he traveled from state to state. Early in their ministry, together they took their children with them as they took the message of God’s love and the plan of salvation to the sinner by way of Saturday afternoon street services at 10th and Q Streets, NW and the “Moments of Truth” television and radio broadcasts on Sunday afternoon.

Elder Palmer was elevated and accepted the call to the Bishopric in 1975 at a meeting attended by several Elders and Bishops. When their children had reached ages of responsibility and with the help of a faith member, Sister Louise McClary, Bishop Palmer and Mother Palmer began to travel across the seas and throughout the United States. She travelled with him to start new missions churches in the United States and Manchester, England. They travelled to Germany, the Netherland and France. Bishop and Mother Palmer and the church continued steadfastly in the faith. Standing on the Word of God and under his leadership, the church remained despite the test, trials and challenges, within and without. Bishop Palmer, with his faithful wife by his side, guided Bethuel through the highs and lows encountered by any family including the celebration of a mortgage burning and two major church renovations. In the late 1980’s the first renovation was completed and the last commenced in a dedication service following a parade to “The Little Cathedral” on March 13, 2002.

However, God had yet a greater work for his servant and called upon him in about 2005. After approximately three years of much praying and fasting, at the next beckoning call Bishop Palmer accepted the divine obligation; and made it known to his family and the church what God’s divine will was for him. On Saturday, December 6, 2008 during the pre-confirmation service, one of Bishop Palmer’s early adulthood fellow clergymen, Bishop Raymond Dunlap, flew in from Flint, Michigan and preached the message entitled, “God Still Has A Man”. It was a glorious fellowship AND God gave us an Apostle! 

Apostle Palmer embarked on several apostolic missions with Mother Palmer always at his side. For his final mission the Lord sent them to the continent of Africa assuring him that there was much work to accomplish. Apostle was accompanied by his wife and his son, Suffragette Bishop Winston Palmer. Despite knowing that he was sick, he obeyed the voice of the Lord; and Mother Palmer went with him, praying for the success of their journey. Once they arrived in Ghana, Africa, Apostle Palmer preached to thousands and baptized several, including baptizing one soul in the Mediterranean Sea. However, the most perfect gesture for nurturing a lifelong commitment to God was when the Lord allowed Apostle Palmer to bring into the organization seven churches under the banner of the United Churches of God.

On October 18, 2010, with his wife, his rib and children at his bedside, Apostle William R. Palmer, Jr. took his flight and is now resting and waiting for the Lord’s return. Before his passing, he kissed his wife, instructed each of his children and he left with us words of assurance and comfort, “It’s Still Victory,” and his history ended; but his legacy lives on!

Esteemed Mother Palmer has a rich history in Bethuel Temple, but she will tell you that her greatest years and times were spent with the late Apostle William R. Palmer, Jr., her husband of over 52 years. They worked in the church together, they traveled together and among many other things, they had 14 children together, all of whom are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. To honor her beloved husband and to favor us, she remains with the work they started together; and for this we are deeply grateful!