HISTORY of Bethel AME Church, Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska, Tuesday evening, March 7, 1922. The Northside A.M.E. Mission met at the home of Mr. & Mrs. E.G. Scott, 2513 N. 28th Avenue, for the purpose of being organized into a permanent A.M.E. Church. After recording all letters presented to Presiding Elder Fredrick Divers, he called the meeting to order with a prayer, hymn, and a scripture. That scripture was Philippians 2 with special attention given to the verse 5; "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." A recording secretary was appointed. There were 12 members eligible to vote in accordance with the laws of the AME Church. After discussions, the name Bethel was chosen, as it is the name of the Mother Church. Following three months of probation mandated by the AME church, thirteen more people were added to the roll. The church continued to meet in several locations until the purchase of the building at 2428 Franklin Street. Bethel continued to grow in membership, through the years, under various pastors.

In 1962, under the pastoral leadership of Rev. William A. Fowler, an educational wing was added to the church. In addition to our use, the wing housed "Project Chance", a federally funded program for children with disabilities.

Bethel has been blessed to be benefactors of gifts (property), from deceased members. The property includes the parking lot and the double lots on the west side of the church. The plan was to expand and renovate the church. However after a structural assessment and a review of city building codes, we didn't meet the criteria for expanding and renovating at the current location. As a result of the monetary gifts received, in June 2015, God blessed us with the ability to purchase a building at 3737 Lake Street. When renovations are completed, this will be our new edifice. It is approximately 3 miles from our current location. We will remain in the North Omaha Community.

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​Black History in Omaha – North Omaha History

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