The earliest documented proof of the existence of Bethel A.M.E. Church is an obituary clipping of the late Mr. Leonard Weston Martin (the uncle of Mrs. Fannie Davis) taken from the Hartford Times newspaper dated July 29, 1940. The article states that Bethel Church was organized in Brother Martin’s home at 42 Liberty Street in 1916. Further, evidence of this date is in an article from the Hartford Courant newspaper dated May 22, 1945. The occasion was the mortgage burning of 210 Bellevue Street, presided over by Bishop Sims. It too gives the founding date as 1916.
It is believed that the Reverend J.S. Myric, a transferred minister from the Southwest Georgia Annual Conference, was present and assisted with the organization. This small group worshiped from house to house and finally secured their first meeting house; a storefront on North Main Street.
When the New England Annual Conference convened in May,1917 this small band was received into the Connection by the Rt. Reverend Evans Tyree, Presiding Bishop of the First Episcopal District. The Reverend Dr. William Byrd of Shorter College was the first appointed Pastor.
It was under the administration of Reverend Byrd that the property at 180 Clark Street was purchased at a cost of $4,100.00. This dwelling served as both a church and parsonage for the next four to five years. Reverend Byrd pastored Bethel from 1917 to 1919.
In May 1919 Bishop Tyree appointed the Reverend G.N. Gibbons to assume the pastoral duties of Bethel. He remained for one year leaving in May 1920 to take another assignment.
At the closing session of the New England Annual Conference held in May 1920 at Newport, RI, Bishop William H. Heard appointed the Reverend Dr. Edward Kingston Nichols pastor of Bethel.
Reverend Nichols had transferred from the North Georgia Annual Conference where he had pastored First A.M.E. Church in Athens. Reverend Nichols had received the A.B. Degree from Yale in 1914 and the D.D. from Morris Brown in 1918. It was during his administration in 1922 that the Jewish Temple at 22 Winthrop Street was purchased. The church continued to show growth and finally became a station church. Reverend Nichols was transferred to Bethel, New Bedford in 1923.
At the 71st Session of the New England Annual Conference in 1923, Bishop Heard appointed the Reverend C.B. Lawyer as pastor and administrator of Bethel Church. The conference minutes of 1924 state that Reverend Lawyer’s pastoral report reflected 250 full members, $220.00 raised in dollar money, 25 conversions, 88 new members, 50 probationers, 120 pupils in Sunday School with 12 officers and teachers and a total of $4,002.00 on hand in treasury.
In 1925, the Reverend Lawyer was assigned to another charge, and the Reverend Dr. M.F. Sydes was appointed by Bishop Heard as pastor of Bethel. While pastoring Bethel, Reverend Dr. Sydes was a candidate for Episcopal Honors. He pastored Bethel until 1928.
In 1928, Bishop Joshua H. Jones appointed the Reverend Dr. William K. Hopes to assume the pastorate of Bethel. Reverend Hopes was born in Louisiana and had matriculated at New Orleans University and had received the D.D. from Payne Theological Seminary at Wilberforce University. Reverend Hopes was a community leader and was appointed to the Hartford Housing Authority in 1938 becoming the first Black to hold such a position. He also served as Presiding Elder of the Newport District, which included Northeast Connecticut, part of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, while pastoring Bethel. It was in 1937 that the building at Winthrop Street was mysteriously destroyed by fire. The Arsenal School, Windsor Avenue Congregational Church Parish House, Union Baptist Parish House and the basement of Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church were all used as temporary worship sites. Reverend Hopes’ pastorate was terminated upon being elected Manager of the Book of Concern of the A.M.E. Church at the General Conference at Detroit in 1940.
After the General Conference, Bishop D. H. Sims appointed the Reverend D.D. Davis as pastor of Bethel in June 1940. Reverend Davis had received the S.T.B. and the A.M. from Boston University and the S.T.M. from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University. He was an author and noted lecturer. He led the congregation in purchasing the building at 210 Bellevue Street. The basement of the building was made ready and the first worship service was held in October of 1940. The congregation worshiped there undisturbed until sometime in 1946. It was at this point that most of the members discovered the importance of the resolution adopted in They had voted to place all the church’s property in the control of the Connectional Church, dissolving the corporation during Reverend Davis’ administration. At this time perhaps one of the most conflicting legal church encounters ever known in New England occurred. The Superior Court ruling allowed the Bethel A.M.E. Church to become an independent faction which included property on Clark Street, real estate on Winthrop Street and church funds totaling $12,900.00 (that independent faction became known as Independent Methodist Church.) Reverend Davis’ tenure ended in 1948 after being transferred to the New York Annual Conference. For a time, Bethel had no pastor.
In 1948, the Rt. Reverend D. Ward Nichols was appointed to the First Episcopal District. He held his first session of the New England Annual Conference in Springfield, MA. At that time, he made no appointment to Bethel-Hartford, but left words of encouragement.
On the third Sunday in July 1948, the Reverend Jethro Blanton Shields assumed the pastorate of Bethel. The two groups had been sharing 210 Bellevue Street worshiping alternate mornings and afternoons and evenings through an agreement worked out by the court. Realizing the battle was far from being settled, Reverend Shields asked for all supporters of Bethel A.M.E. Church to pledge their support so that the lower court decision could be appealed and the church’s name could be vindicated. Forty people pledged their financial support on the following Sunday. In appealing to the State Supreme court, the court announced its decision upholding all decisions of the lower court which was the final conclusion of the whole matter.
On Sunday, September 10, 1950, Bethel A.M.E. Church was successful in using 2003 Main Street for its first service, a Women’s Day Program. Two weeks later, Bishop D.W. Nichols presented the congregation with a check to help them with the struggle. On March 15, 1951, in the presence of Reverend W. C. Davis of Charles Street – Boston, Reverend John Lee of Bethel-New Bedford, Reverend G. T. Sims of Bethel-Springfield, Mrs. Helen Prather, Mrs. Anna Weston, the buildings and grounds of 2003 Main Street were conveyed to Bethel A.M.E. Church for 50,000.00. The sum of $10,000.00 which had been raised by the members of the congregation was paid down and a total of $40,000.00 was left owed to the Workman’s Circle Education Center, Inc. In 1957, a new front was added to the building and the interior redone. During Reverend Shields administration the choirs of Bethel under the direction of Mrs. Gussie Shields, achieved great distinction giving concerts throughout the eastern part of the United States. On January 18, 1970, after having pastored Bethel for 22 years, Reverend Shields died suddenly.
It was during the Reverend Melvin Campbell’s tenure that the heads of every Conference component was a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Mrs. Edith Campbell, President Conference Branch Missionary Society, Mrs. Mathalyn Shields, Conference Branch Director of YPD, Mrs. Barbara White, Director of Christian Education, Mrs. Rufus Jones, President –Conference Lay Organization. Mrs. Deborah Hatton was elected as youth delegate to the General Conference thus becoming the first youth from New England to sit on the General Board. Bethel also hosted the first ever District meeting during Reverend Campbell’s pastorate. Mrs. Campbell, wife of Reverend Campbell served as organist and choir director of Bethel for eight years.
The Reverend Dr. Alvan N. Johnson, Jr. was appointed to Bethel in November, 1978 by Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand. In his first two years as Pastor, the congregation started to increase, a van for transporting members and new hymnals were purchased and the building at 2003 Main Street was completely updated. The Multipurpose Social Hall was paneled and carpeted, a commercial refrigerator and freezer were received, the sanctuary was repainted and new communion covers were made for the communion rail and altar. The Men’s Club of Bethel was formed and has become one of the strongest organizations in the church. An extension of the Men’s Club is the Men’s Chorus that was invited to sing throughout New England. Our church has traveled to every state between Massachusetts and Virginia, to Bermuda and West Africa spreading the gospel.
On June 1, 1986 Reverend Johnson and the members of Bethel broke ground for a new $2.5 million edifice in Bloomfield, Connecticut. In April 1992, we moved into our new church building. The new church houses class rooms, a State of Connecticut certified kitchen, the pastor’s office and administrative offices, a beautiful sanctuary with a seating capacity of 1200, a large social hall, a computer lab, a Day Care, and the Bethel Center for Humane Services. Under Reverend Johnson’s tutelage 15 persons have accepted the call to the Christian ministry; Bethel has twice hosted the New England Annual Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, hosted the First District Young People’s Division Annual Meeting, and hosted several musical programs that featured Black colleges and the United Negro College Fund Choir.
The Reverend Ron McCune was appointed to Bethel in February, 2008 by Bishop Richard Franklin Norris. Since his appointment to Bethel, Rev. McCune along with members of Bethel have made extensive repairs to the parsonage and church. Within the first year, Bethel experienced an 33% overall increase in the amount raised from all sources. Additionally, within the same year they experienced a 54% increase in new members over the previous year. The church continues to grow both spiritually and in number under the able and capable leadership of our most acceptable pastor. Three new ministries were added within the first year, The Golden Age, the Sons of Allen Men’s Choir and the combined youth and young adult choir-The Children of Praise.
In January 2013, The Reverend Daylan K. Greer, Sr. was appointed to the Pastorate of Bethel A.M.E. Church. Under his leadership, two persons have answered the call to preach and the ministries of Bethel Church continue to grow.
Together, Bethel hosted not only the Boston/Hartford District Conference in 2013, but in 2016 we hosted the 165th Session of the New England Annual Conference.
To God Be the Glory!
