Bethel Assembly of God began in a little store building at the corner of Martinson and McCormick.
A burden had been given to Rev. Louis Roll that this community was to have a Pentecostal ministry. On the second Sunday in June 1945, Mr. and Mrs. Roll, with their family and two children from the area, met for the first Sunday school and morning worship. A piano had been procured from a friend — an upright Victrola — served as the pulpit, the song books were borrowed and the benches had been donated by First Assembly. It was in such humble surroundings that the new Pentecostal church was formed.By early 1946, the church had enlarged with at least twenty-two people meeting together each week. After being asked to vacate the store building, the church was able to purchase some land on McCormick Street at a delinquent tax auction for $440.00. Blueprints were drawn and the contractor was trying to secure materials when a restriction was passed that no new building could be started because of shortages resulting from the nation being at war. That very night, the congregation met on the property and held a ground-breaking service by lamplight in order to qualify for a building permit before the new restriction went into effect. The new facility was dedicated on July 1, 1946. On September 20, 1948, the church was in order and officially adopted the name Bethel Assembly of God.
Bethel has experienced much growth and many changes since its beginning. Facilities have been located at 1313 McCormick, 2801 S. Seneca and at our current location, 3777 S. Meridian. The name was changed to Bethel Life Center Assembly of God upon completion of the Meridian facility in 1982. Additional classrooms were constructed in the fall of 1988. A 1,200-seat sanctuary was completed in February 1997. A 20,000-square-foot addition of classrooms and office space was completed in May of 2000.
Bethel Life Center is affiliated with the Assemblies of God, a world-wide fellowship of Pentecostal churches. The Assemblies of God was born out of a "fresh move of the Holy Spirit" at Bethel Bible College, operated by Charles F. Parham in Topeka, Kan., on January 1, 1901. The Assemblies had their official beginning in 1914 in Hot Springs, Ark., as a result of a gathering of more than 300 ministers from 20 states. The current headquarters of the Assemblies of God is located in Springfield, Mo.
Bethel Life Center is one of more than 150 Assembly of God churches in the state of Kansas with more than 13,000 AG churches nationwide.
