The Bible speaks of a man named Jacob, the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham, who had a dream one night of a stairway ascending into heaven where angels were ascending and descending. It was here that God made a promise to Jacob. God's Word tells us that, �Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, �Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.� He was afraid and said, �How awesome is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.� And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel..." (Genesis 28: 16-19).
In 1798, Scots-Irish Presbyterians traversed the unsettled territory of Western Pennsylvania to make better lives for themselves and to work for the glory of God. Within a short span of time, many of these men and women came together to form a congregation which would take the name of Jacob's altar, Bethel. As the name means "the house of the Lord," it has been in this place that for over 200 years, God's promise of salvation through Jesus Christ has been proclaimed from the Word of God. And it continues today!