For over 150 years, it has been our delight to serve the community of Washington Island, Wisconsin. Over those years we've seen many faces and the church has seen a number of renovations, but our mission has remained the same: to passionately pursue every life that steps onto this island for Christ. Check out the timeline below to see some of the ways God has blessed our church or come on a Saturday or Sunday to join in on the amazing things God still has for this house.
Serving Washington Island Since 1865
TImeline: 1864-1940
1864-1866: Rev Peter Kitwood came to the Island in 1864 and felt that a church should be built and he began getting donations toward the project. By 1865 people of the Island had given money, donated material and Bethel Church was built.
Hymn books were used as early as the 1800’s .
1921 – Ladies Aid started.
1931-1941 Gladys Christiansen and Pearl Gibson took over the Bible School for children and started Christmas Caroling tradition. The first Sunday School was under the ministry of John Malloch. Pastor Lundberg also led Sunday School.
1940 - Regular Sunday morning services
Timeline: 1944-1947
1944-1945- Parsonage was constructed.
1945 – Light fixtures added.
1946 – Pastor Lundberg and family moved into the parsonage. They had lived in 8 different homes up until the parsonage.
1946 - Jerry Boniface Memorial Library was started.
1947 - 1952 – First piano purchased and an organ fund started.
1947 - Rev. Clarence and Mrs. Lundberg began the Bethel Tidings.
1947 - Youth Rallies began in 1947.
TIMELINE: 1948-1961
1948 – Plumbing added to parsonage.
1950 - Tent meetings began in 1950.
1952 – First piano purchased.
1955 – First new piano purchased.
1957 – Hammond organ was purchased.
1960 – Bethel Builders organized.
1961 – First steps were taken to the addition of a church annex.
Timeline: 1962-19
1962 - The church annex was completed and the sanctuary was refurbished.
1965 – Bethel Builders Banquets begun
1966 - Memorial Hall was built and included a basketball court.
1970 - New parsonage built
1980 – Memorial Hall remodeled with an upper level and lower level.
1982 - Memorial Hall provided a pre-school, free of charge, called Barne-Hage.
1990 - Expansion of Memorial Hall.
TIMELINE: 2000-2016
2000 - 135th Anniversary celebrated.
2006 - New steeple added.
2009 - Saturday night services held in Memorial Hall.
2013 - Parsonage renovated.
2014 - Church ministry van purchased.
2016 - Renovation of church and annex
Pastors at Bethel
1865-1867 - Peter Kitwood
1867 – William Willard
1867-1869 – Martin Bristol
1869-1871 – Curtis Lathrop
1872-1875 – Dr. Michael Stolz
1875-1976 – Edward Trevor, C.B. Christianson
1880’s and 1905-1910 – Capt. Henry Bundy
Hulbert / Chapman / Adler
1890 and on – John Malloch
1930-1932 – Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Evans John
1934-1937 – Carl Ohlson
1937-1958 – Clarence Lundberg
1958-1959 - Robert Sandberg
1959-1961 – Clyde Blackmer
1961-1967 – Benjamin Pent
1967-1974- Myron Gaul
1974-1975 – Interim C.B. Nordland
1975-1979- Tim Wise
1979-1985 – Jim Warren
1986-1990 – Don Price
1991-2004 – Dale Van Deusen
2005-2012 – C. Phillip Green
2013- Peter McClanathan
2014- 2016 – Ryan Schmitz
2016 - Rick Smith