Bethany Church was begun by a group of Norwegian Christians. In 1934, the church was formally organized as “The Bethany Evangelical Free Church.” Property at 30 Ashwood Terrace, West Orange was purchased in 1940, and the church building completed a year later. Much of the construction was done by carpenters in the congregation. Since then, there have been two major additions to the building: Sunday School classrooms and office space were put in first; in 1987, the sanctuary was expanded, and a new kitchen, study and gym/fellowship hall added.
Those Norwegian immigrants looked to the future when Bethany was new, confident that God would continue His mighty work in their lives and the lives of their successors in this church. And He has. Over the years Bethany has seen many changes–in pastors, programs, cultures and music–but our message never changes: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Today, Bethany is a multi-cultural congregation praising the Lord for His faithfulness, and we continue to proclaim the Gospel to our community.