TIDINGS
									BETHEL CHURCH          BEGINNINGS The following article is an extract from the article read at the Washington Island 50th Jubilee by Mrs. A. A. Koyen.  It is taken from Centenniel Echoes booklet compiled for 100th anniversary of Bethel Church.
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				“Rev. Peter Kitwood came to Washington Island in July 1864 and was very highly impressed by the hospitality of the people. Most of the islanders were fishermen. He placed before them the project of building a church. At once a subscription towards that end was started and all responded generously. Rev. Kitwood interested others in the project. Mr. Bert Ranney gave an 80 acre tract of land on which to build the church; Mrs. B. Franklin donated the bell; others gave material to the amount of $250 and the rest was given by the people of the island. Rev. Kitwood came back to the island in 1865 in which year the church was built. He preached in the church the remainder of the year of 1865 and 1866. In 1867 he visited Rock Island, St. Martins Island and Sag Bay. Rev. William Willard preached in Bethel church in 1867; Rev. Martin Bristol came in the autumn of 1867 and left the same time of the year in 1869; Rev. Curtis G. Lathrop came in 1869 and left in 1871; Rev. Stolz and family came to visit in August 1872 and remained until the autumn of 1875; Rev. Edward Trevor came the same autumn and remained until 1876. The ministers were hired by the Bethel Seaman’s Friend Society. They received $800 per year, the people of the island paying what they could and the balance being paid by the society. Since then it has been left to the people to support their own church. The late V.S. Garett was chairman, Peter Hanson, Robert Severs, John Johnson and Alex Peterson. Three of that number have been called by death, the two remaining being Messrs. Peter Hanson and John Johnson. Of late years, the church has been in charge of Messrs. John Malloch and Jacob Young and Mrs. Koyen. The church stands as an ideal beauty spot, surrounded by five acres of land which could be made into a beautiful park. Tables and seats could be erected and families could gather there in the summer and hold their picnics; outsiders who come here on excursions would have a place to gather and enjoy themselves. It is an honor to any community to keep up its churches and church surroundings. Our church stands today in a far better condition than fifteen years ago, many thanks to the ones who have supported the Sunday school and built up the church. Let us work together in a good cause, the children of today will be our men and women of the future. The first shingles put on the church were hand made. I have one in my possession which is in good condition after fifty years. ” OTHER NOTABLE DATES AND EVENTS: The first 4th of July Picnic was held under Rev. Stolz’s pastorate, from 1872 to 1875. “It was a celebration to welcome newcomers from the Scandinavian countries – an invitation to “meet and break bread” with those who had lived through the earliest of pioneer days.” A statement of Principles and Practice was drawn up by some of the members in 1876 following the custom of many of the New England churches. The first Bethel parsonage was at Gasoline Town. A parsonage was built near the church in 1945-46. Materials from another island church were used. The new parsonage was built in 1972. The first caroling was done in 1931 by the Bethel Bible School members under the leadership of Gladys Christiansen and Pearl Gibson. “There were many shut-ins because of a scarlet fever epidemic here.” The Jerry Boniface Memorial Library was started in 1946 in memory of Ruth and Fred Boniface’s son who died from polio. The library offers books, videos, cassette tapes and periodicals today. Rev. Lundberg started the Bethel Tidings newsletter in 1947. Arbutus Greenfeldt took over as editor in 1958 after Rev. Lundberg and she continues in that capacity today. Meetings for youth began under the pastorate of Rev. Carl Olson, in the 1930s and continue today. Ladies Aid Society began in 1921. Islanders located off the Island established the Bethel Guild as an “arm” of the Ladies Aid, in 1962. Meetings were held once a month in Kenosha, Waukegan, and other locations, as members decided. Bethel Builders was begun in 1960 and continues to help  with specific needs of the church and parsonage building. Bethel Ladies Aid dissolved in 2000 and Bethel Guild ceased meetings about 1995. Bethel Church merged in 1941 with the Evangelical Free Church.  (Click on Statement of Faith link at the top of the page to see what Free Church believes.) The first addition to the original church was added in the 1960’s and included a large banquet area, kitchen, pastor’s study and bathrooms. After that was completed, the original portion was updated and restored where needed. A second addition which included a gym, was added in 1966. This portion was remodeled to include an upstairs floor and an addition out the back of the church. The kitchen was moved to this area, the old kitchen opened up for added worship service seating, a nursery and bathroom added, and upstairs there were rooms for classes, a church office, pastor’s study, and youth room.