History of Bethel Church, Bolton
The church was originally formed in 1933, one of 37 Bethel Churches in England and Wales. In the early days, meetings were held at the Baths Assembly Rooms in Lower Bridgeman Street (formerly a dance hall).
In 1938, Pastor Smith was approached by a member of Albert Place Methodist Church, which was due to close, and their building was acquired for the sum of £2,000. The opening service was held on 29th May 1938, with 300 people in attendance.
Following the demise of the Bethel Evangelistic Society, in 1974, Bethel Church became affiliated with the The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (F.I.E.C.).
The Rebuilding of Bethel Church (1990)
The old chapel building was demolished in the late 1980s when Bolton Council enacted plans to create Topp Way.
The church opened it’s new doors in Feb 1992 (see the video here).
Over the years, we have seen many changes, and we are grateful to God for his sustaining hand on us.
In 2020, just three weeks before the Covid Pandemic caused a national lockdown, Gordon Hall was inducted as the new Pastor.
Induction of Gordon Hall as Pastor, Bethel Church, Feb 29th, 2020
