About Bethel AME Church

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church is the oldest continuously operating black church in Portland, Oregon. It was founded by 20 people in 1889 in the home of Phillip Jenkins and organized under its current name. Its first pastor was Reverend S.S. Freeman who was appointed later that year. The original church site was a building at the corner of Southwest 6th Avenue and Stark in Portland. Bethelites worshiped there for nearly 24 years. In 1912 Bethel moved to a site on Larrabee Street in the Albina District of Northeast Portland. In 1958, the Larrabee site was purchased by the city of Portland to build the Memorial Coliseum. One year later in 1959, they moved to the present location, 5828 Northeast 8th Avenue.