Longtime Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church member Ilze Bye points to historic photos of pastors and building progress through the years. The church was founded and chartered in 1923.
(SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTO BY AL STILLEY)
(SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTO BY AL STILLEY)
| By Al Stilley Editor Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary of serving the many needs of the Southside. The anniversary open house is 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30 at the church located at the southwest corner of U.S. 31 (South East Street) and I-465. The celebration begins with a worship service at 1:30 p.m. and an ice cream social 2:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited. Fittingly, the theme for the celebration is “Commemorate the Past, Remember the Present, Inspire the Future.” The present location, 4702 S. East St., has a highly visible steeple and is only the third site in the church’s 100-year history. A canvas led by Rev. John B. Gardner, Missionary Supt. of the Indiana Synod, Indiana Lutheran Church, and the pastors of St. Mark’s and Christ Lutheran churches established a new Southside church. Its first service was held Sunday, Jan. 21, 1923 at the McClainsville Community Clubhouse at Troy and Carson avenues. Three years later, the growing congregation was able to build a combined white frame chapel-parsonage at the corner of Shelby Street and McKinley Avenue. A spacious new limestone chapel was added to the building and opened in May 3, 1936. The last service was held there in December 1960 when a building fund began for a church at its present location. The congregation met temporarily at Burkhart Grade School. Groundbreaking on Oct. 29, 1961 was conducted for the new building on its current grounds. The new chapel-education unit was opened June 24, 1962. Since then, the church has added a chapel-in-the-round, a multi-purpose community room, a mini-gymnasium with a small stage, offices, and entryway connecting with the education center. The congregation, smaller than it was six decades ago, remains active in the community with a different outreach to meet the spiritual and growing needs of the Southside. Today’s focus is on the children in the area, its childcare and early learning center, helping to dent the food shortages, and ministering to the needs of the congregation. The church served as the home of three different Chin congregations that have formed their own churches on the diverse Southside. The education center is the home of a much-needed Early Learning Center Level III, six weeks to pre-Kindergarten. The center consists of nine classrooms, nursery, restrooms, offices, and a kitchen/lunchroom. The active congregation also provides the children with a toy gift and clothing at Christmas. The church also is a site of the Colts distribution of Thanksgiving Day dinner. And the congregation collects food items year-round for Servants Heart of Indy and Hunger, Inc., and canned goods for Habitat for Humanity. Its most unique outreach is Bethany Community Gardens, where fruits and vegetables are grown to cut into the food shortage in the area. Bethany Community Gardens is an outgrowth of urging from two Purdue Extension agents who taught gardening classes. Over 50 volunteers tend to the gardens, including volunteers from the University of Indianapolis and Beech Grove High School. The outreach of the gardens is coordinated by Southsider Bruce Bye. The gardens earned a first-place national award as “Neighborhood of the Year” in multi-neighborhood partnership from Neighborhoods USA. Significantly last year, a ceremony was held to burn the $1.26 million mortgage taken out in 1994 to finance the current building. The church is anticipating many new neighbors as adjacent L-shaped property is being developed for affordable apartments. Once located next to open land while I-465 was under construction, Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church has helped in meeting the Southside’s spiritual and community needs down through the decades. And they are eager to celebrate 100 years Saturday afternoon and to “inspire the future.” |  Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church at US 31 and I-465 celebrates its 100th anniversary. Saturday afternoon with an open house, worship, and ice cream social. (SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTO BY AL STILLEY)  (BETHANY ELC FILE PHOTO) Choir members greet the congregation and visitors to official opening of church expansion Sept. 10, 1955.  (BETHANY ELC FILE PHOTO) Groundbreaking took place Sept. 11, 1954 for $1.26 million building expansion at present location of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Bethany Community Gardens began six years ago to help meet the food needs of the Southside and earned national recognition by Neighborhoods USA. Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church Milestones (1923 – 2023) Jan. 21, 1923 – First service and Sunday School held in a community clubhouse at Troy and Carson. Oct. 14, 1923 – Church chartered and officially named Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church. Nov. 21, 1926 – Parsonage-sanctuary dedicated at Shelby Street and McKinley Avenue. May 3, 1938 – Limestone chapel-sanctuary added to Shelby Street building. Dec. 4, 1960 – Last service held at Shelby Street; site at 4702 S. East St. bought for $45,000 with plans for chapel-education unit. January 1961 – Church held at Burkhart Grade School. June 24, 1962 – Open house held for new chapel-education unit. 1964 – Strong winds blow roof off chapel-education unit; worship temporarily returns to Burkhart. Dec. 10, 1972 – New sanctuary-in-the-round and narthex-office opens. Jan. 1, 1988 – Bethany becomes member of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America following nationwide merger. Sept. 10, 1995 – Dedication of Bethany’s new building, entrance, narthex, education wing, offices, classrooms, fellowship area. 1996 – Bethany Daycare established. 2012 – United Way Central Indiana’s Community Day of Caring constructs playscape for Bethany Daycare. February 2018 – Bethany Community Gardens established. March / May 2020 – Church closed due to Covid-19 pandemic. October 2022 – Bethany’s neighborhood, Southdale Neighborhood Association, registered with City of Indianapolis. Sept. 30, 2023 – 100th anniversary open house scheduled with open house, worship service and ice cream social. |
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