What began as a humble Sunday school outreach in 1910 has blossomed into the thriving Bethesda Church we see today. The earliest ministry of Bethesda Church sprang from a mission outreach. It was in a rural area on the outskirts of Minneapolis. Two tents were erected for Sunday School Classes as a ministry to children.
Those Sunday school classes eventually gave birth to Bethesda Evangelical Free Church. While the exact date of the Sunday school tent’s erection on East 38th Street and 26th Avenue South is unknown, we do know that in 1910, the two Sunday Schools merged under the ministry of Rev. Oscar Walstad. As the first pastor he not only taught the merged Sunday school classes. He also began preaching in the morning services the new congregation would have.
In 1913, the church began construction of a small chapel. This chapel was completed in 1914. God continued to bless the work of the church and they outgrew the chapel. In 1916 a small addition was built. From 1918 through 1930, the church was blessed with committed pastors. They were Alvin O Carlson, Paul Seashore, Alvin O. Carlson, and C. E. Cedar.
Bethesda Evangelical Free Church was formally organized and incorporated with the state of Minnesota in 1924. The old church building was razed. A basement was dug for a new church. Church services were held in the basement structure until the new building was completed. It was dedicated on April 18, 1926.
In 1930, Pastor Henry B. Prince began his ministry at Bethesda Church as its interim pastor. In August of 1933, Bethesda’s congregation asked Pastor Prince to serve as their permanent pastor. He challenged the congregation. He said he would serve as pastor if the congregation gave fifty percent of its offerings toward missions work. He had a passion for missions and evangelism. It was a great step of faith for the congregation to do this. They had over $40000 in debt at the time. The members voted in favor of this commitment at their business meeting in 1935. It was a tremendous step of faith. The Lord has truly blessed the church as a result.
Under the guidance of Pastor Prince who preached with great evangelistic fervor, God blessed Bethesda’s ministry. The Sunday school ministry mushroomed. With the increase in enrollment, the Sunday school outgrew its facility. In 1939, Bethesda began a new building effort. In 1940, the new church sanctuary was dedicated. For sixteen years, Bethesda successfully broadcast “The Morning Bible Hour.” It became one of the most popular religious broadcasts in the Twin Cities. In 1945, Bethesda started a church, Oxboro Evangelical Church, in Bloomington MN. In 1951, Bethesda gave Oxboro its release to become an independent Church.
It was during these years that “Bethesda Mission” was established. It was an independent missionary sending agency with missionaries in Brazil, Bolivia, and the island of Curacao. Because of Pastor Prince’s ill health he stepped down as Senior Pastor in 1968.
On August 11, 1969, Roger Anderson was installed as Bethesda’s Senior Pastor. During his tenure, Pastor Anderson was a man of vision with great organizational skills. He updated the office with new equipment. It would run more effectually. He was a firm believer in evangelism and a tract ministry. He was a student of the Bible and a gifted Bible Teacher. During his years he not only taught the congregation deep Bible truths. He also wrote an excellent series of booklets and studies for the congregation’s benefit. Pastor Anderson’s passion for teaching was a blessing. After seventeen years of faithful service he resigned. The church bid farewell to him on August 24, 1986.
Later the church entered into an association with the Grace Gospel Fellowship. They shared the same dispensational theological foundations as well as a normal, literal interpretation of God’s Word.
In l992, God called Pastor Hansen to a major shift in his ministry. He went to serve as a missionary with his wife Cathy in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. God blessed them. Their support was raised and they served with Grace Ministries Inc. which had recently merged with Bethesda Mission.
In a blessed step of faith the congregation voted to move their ministry from where it had been located for more than 85 years. Our whole congregation has a wonderful sense of truly moving into a “new mission field” to minister in the name of the Lord. So many challenges have been faced. In every case it has been evident that the Hand of the Lord has been upon this fellowship of believers. To God be the Glory.