On July 1st, 1968, Pastor Douglas Davis and his family moved to Long Island, New York. Pastor Davis, age 36, relinquished his position as a presbyter of the Texas District United Pentecostal Church International and resigned the pastorate of Calvary Pentecostal Church of Fort Worth, Texas, a thriving congregation that he had founded just ten years earlier. At the time of the Davis’ arrival in New York, there was no United Pentecostal Church on Long Island.

For six months, Pastor Davis held private family devotions in the family’s home. The first public service was held in a small storefront in Levittown in November of 1968. This service had a grand total of nine persons in attendance.

In 1971, property was purchased on Old Country Road in Plainview. This facility was remodeled several times to accommodate the growing congregation.

In 1988, Bethel purchased an historic church building on South Street in Oyster Bay. More than $200,000.00 was spent in the repair and remodeling of this property. However, once again, the facility was outgrown.

In 1999, a large tract of land was purchased in the village of Old Westbury. This new locale placed the church in a highly visible and accessible location directly between Interstate 495 (the Long Island Expressway) and Jericho Turnpike (Highway 25). Again, extensive repairs and remodeling were undertaken on the existing building.

Plans are now underway for Bethel's new facility to be built adjacent to the present structure in Old Westbury.

Throughout her entire history, Bethel has always extended her vision beyond her own doors, supporting missions efforts and ministries in the United States and overseas. For five years, a group was sent to Manhattan each Sunday afternoon to assist in an inner-city outreach. For four years Bethel provided a music ministry for another congregation in Queens. Members of Bethel have been commissioned to establish and pastor new congregations in areas such as Brooklyn, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Saratoga, Florida, Connecticut and North Carolina. Weekly, staff ministers from Bethel can be found ministering in various cities around the United States and overseas. This typifies the far-reaching ministry of Bethel, whose members travel from as far west as New Jersey, and as far as 125 miles east in Suffolk County to attend services.

Bethel currently provides financial support for more than 150 missionary families around the world, contributing more than $7,000.00 each month to overseas ministries. In the past ten years alone, Bethel has contributed well over a million dollars to worthy causes such as Foreign Missions, Youth Ministries (Sheaves For Christ), Home Missions Ministries (Christmas For Christ), Women’s Ministries (Mothers Memorial), Children’s Ministries (Save Our Children), and Compassion Services, a ministry that provides food, clothing and relief supplies to victims of natural disasters and military upheaval. The church has also donated and shipped thousands of pounds of relief supplies (food, clothing, medicines) to countries in Africa, South America and the Caribbean.

In August 1998, the church was awarded a special citation from Town Supervisor John Venditto and the Town Board of Oyster Bay for its outstanding contributions to the community over the previous ten years. During the church’s 30th anniversary celebration, Nassau County Executive Thomas Gullotta issued a special citation to the church for it’s 30 years of dedicated service to Nassau County and proclaimed September 20, 1998 as “Bethel United Pentecostal Church Day”.

In November of 1971, Bethel dedicated it’s first home in Plainview. In October of 1981, Bethel dedicated the new extension and renovated facilities at the same location. In October 1991, the church dedicated the restored building in Oyster Bay. In 2001 the church dedicated the new facility in Old Westbury. Every ten years a new dimension of growth and ministry has been celebrated.

Bethel's newest building is currently in the planning stages and should begin construction within the next year.

To God be the glory! Great things He has done – great things He will continue to do!

“This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:23)

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