2026-07-07T00:01:11-07:00 2025-12-31 990EZ 2025-01-01 752427554 BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH BETH 9036901360 PO BOX 356 DEBERRY TX 75639 Kelvin Williams Treasurer 9036901360 2026-07-06 2025 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z X X https://bethlehembcd.org/ X X CHURCH 43403 X 35634 0 0 6191 0 0 0 0 1578 480 1098 0 0 0 0 42923 2100 0 17550 7280 7788 206 0 34924 7999 105023 0 113022 105023 113022 0 0 0 0 105023 113022 0 0 105023 113022 WE ARE A CHURCH, A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. SINCE THE ENDING OF THE PANDEMIC, OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON REBUILDING OUR CHURCH BUILDING AND SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH REGULAR SERVICE EVERY SUNDAY AND THROUGH BIBLE STUDY ON WEDNESDAY'S. IN SEPTEMBER WE DO A COMMUNITY FISH FRY TO GET THE PEOPLE INVOLVED AND TO HELP SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. 0 480 The 'Blessed Bags' food drive program directly combated regional food insecurity by preparing and distributing comprehensive grocery care packages to over 60 families. Distributions included essential pantry staples, non-perishable canned goods, shelf-stable proteins, and dry goods, alongside fresh seasonal produce, dairy items, and bakery goods when available. To further support household well-being, the drive also provided critical personal hygiene products, household cleaning supplies, and baby essentials to low-income and crisis-impacted individuals. Operations were centered in DeBerry, Texas, successfully expanding vital relief coverage across Panola County, neighboring East Texas counties, and adjacent rural Louisiana parishes. 0 1387 1867 LOLA WILLIAMS SECRETARY/BOARD MEMBER 8 200 0 0 JOHN WILLIAMS DEACON/BOARD MEMBER 5 0 0 0 ELZIE HICKS PASTOR 9 17350 0 0 ST BURNS DEACON/BOARD MEMER 5 0 0 0 KELVIN WILLIAMS TREASURER 5 200 0 0 SHARON WILLIAMS PRESIDENT 3 0 0 0 DELILAH WILLIAMS VICE PRESIDENT 3 0 0 0 LINDA BURNS VICE PRESIDENT 3 0 0 0 STACIE BENEFIELD SECRETARY 3 0 0 0 CARLOS BECK SECRETARY 3 0 0 0 X 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TX LOLA WILLIAMS PO BOX 356 DEBERRY TX 75639 9037662377 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NONE NONE 1 X Form 990-EZ, Part I, Line 10 Grants and Similar Amounts Paid: Cash contributions given to multiple religious organizations to support community outreach, youth programs, and missionary work. All individual and combined grants were under the $5,000 reporting threshold. Form 990-EZ, Part V, Line 33 During the tax year, the organization initiated a new community relief program called the 'Blessed Bags' food pantry. This program was established to address local food insecurity and expand our charitable reach. Blessed Bags prepares and distributes comprehensive grocery care packages, including shelf-stable proteins, pantry staples, fresh seasonal produce, and personal hygiene essentials, to low-income and crisis-impacted families. Operations are based in DeBerry, Texas, and serve residents across Panola County, surrounding East Texas counties, and adjacent rural Louisiana parishes. This activity directly furthers our exempt purpose of providing charitable community relief and religious outreach. We respectfully request a one-time waiver of any late-filing penalties due to reasonable cause and an absence of willful neglect. We fully intended to file its annual information return on time. However, compliance was severely disrupted due to the sudden medical incapacitation of our primary bookkeeper, who handles our financial accounting and regulatory filings. The bookkeeper suffers from Lupus, and a severe flare-up rendered them entirely unable to perform their duties or finalize financial records as the deadline approached. Our organization exercised ordinary business care and prudence by attempting to secure a filing extension. Due to communication gaps resulting from the bookkeeper's health crisis, we mistakenly believed the extension form had been successfully executed and transmitted, which was unfortunately not the case. Upon discovering the omission and stabilizing our accounting oversight, we worked diligently to reconstruct our financial data and submit this complete and accurate return as quickly as possible. Given these extreme, unforeseen medical hardships, we request that the late-filing penalty be abated.