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BETHEL AME CHURCH SEEKS A SPIRITUAL ENVIRONMENT THAT EMPOWERS ITS CONGREGATION TO USE THE TOTALITY OF THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AND GIFTS IN ORDER TO UNITE AND DEVELOP FOR THE BENEFIT OF ONESELF AND COMMUNITY FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

IN A WORLD THAT SEEKS TO SUFFOCATE YOU AND STUNT YOUR GROWTH, BETHEL IS THE PLACE YOU CAN BREATHE AND GROW.

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History Of Bethel AME

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The Begining

In 1864, a small group of people, who had been holding prayer meetings and other religious meetings in their homes, got together and raised funds in the amount of $600 and erected a small frame building on the property of Mr. Jake Taylor at 405 E. Park Avenue.13 years later, in 1877, the property at the southeast corner of Fourth and Park Streets was purchased and the frame building at 405 E. Park Avenue was moved to 401 E. Park Avenue, making both building and ground the property of Bethel A. M. E. Church. ​ Since neither Bethel Church records nor Quarterly Conference minutes before 1800 are available, the time of Bethel’s founding has been determined from the history of Champaign County which shows that the church was organized in 1863.  The Quarterly Conference Journal of 1891 stated that the Church was 28 years old.  Using this date, the time of origin would be 1863.

Bethel & Community

Segregation Period

During the early part of the century when segregation was a fact of life, Bethel maintained a park for the neighborhood children on Ellis Street equipped with volleyball, croquet and tennis.  The church also maintained a Reading Center located in the 100 block of East University Avenue in Champaign.  The church also established a library, had a church orchestra, and served as a meeting place for Black students attending the University of Illinois. 

In 1895 it was the site of a meeting to plan a permanent organization to celebrate Emancipation Day each September. Black citizens from throughout East Central Illinois gathered for a parade and picnic each year to commemorate the event.

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1910

1895

In 1910 the church established the National Baraca-Philathea Bible Study Group, the only congregation in the Champaign-Urbana area to do so. Bethel became a “home away from home” for many Black students enrolled at the university, providing a place to study, discuss and debate ideas, and fellowship with others. 

1915

 In April of 1915, Bethel was the site of the founding of the Twin Cities Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

1959

 In The “new” Bethel was designed by Laz-Edwards Architects of Champaign and  constructed under the pastorate of  Rev. C. M. Curry. It was dedicated on April 26, 1959. This structure underwent renovation in 2016.

1961

​In 1961, over 100 African Americans met at Bethel to organize protests against unfair unemployment practices in downtown Champaign.   

1968

In 1968, UIUC created the Special Educational Opportunities Program (SEOP), or Project 500, which enrolled 565 African American and Latinx students and tripled the number of Black students on campus. The university failed to provide adequate housing and support services for the students it had recruited. Amidst the unrest and systemic failures of the university, Bethel AME Church served as a crucial support system for the new cohort of Black students. The church provided a safe and stable environment for the students who felt alienated or neglected by the university. The church's long-standing role as a center for Black community, education, and social justice made it a natural home for the students, who were at the heart of the Black Power movement on campus.

2023

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church joins Champaign County African American Heritage Trail as a significant stop on its route. Bethel A.M.E. Church in Champaign, organized in 1863, is the oldest African American-led church in the county and a crucial landmark in celebrating local Black history and culture.

Active groups

  • Steward Board

  • Trustee Board

  • Stewardess Board

  • Sunday School

  • Lay Organization

  • Helping Hand Club

  • Fleur de Lis Club

  • Luana Riley Women’s Missionary Society

  • Usher Board

  • Willing Workers Club Men’s Club

  • Men’s Bible Study​

  • Allen Christian Fellowship

  • Scholarship Committee

  • Biblical Arts Players

  • Benevolent Committee

  • YPD (Young People’s Division)

  • Adult, Youth, & Young Adult Choirs

  • Women’s Ministry

  • Temple Shapers

  • Fitness Club

  • Calendar Club

  • S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S. (Step Team)

  • Imani Liturgical Dancers

  • Stewardship & Finance Committee

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