Bethel Lutheran Church

Bethel Lutheran Church was organized in 1891 as a member of the Wartburg Synod of the General Synod. It was located at Carrol Ave., near N. 44th Ave. and later at 130 N. Keeler Ave., at West End Ave. in the West Garfield neighborhood of Chicago.

In 1965 the West Garfield neighborhood was torn by race riots, as the community changed from a white to a black neighborhhod. Bethel remained to serve the new residents.

In 1972 the congregation built the Bethel Christian School and Day Care Center. In 1979 the congregation began its first housing rehabilitation project, working to restore condemned and tax-delinquent properties for low-income families. This original project led to the Bethel New Life Center, located in a renovated YMCA and later industrial site.

An article by Joe Flower on the development of the Bethel New Life Center can be found at http://www.well.com/user/bbear/bethel.html.

Original records
The original record books should be located at Bethel Lutheran Church, 130 N. Keeler, Chicago, IL 60624. The ELCA Archives has congregational histories and other materials relating to Bethel.