About Us

Large church interior with congregation and choir, stained glass windows, and stage lighting.
Plain white background, no visible elements.
An older woman with long blonde hair and a patterned headband is standing with a handbag near a car, talking to an older man in a light gray suit.
A group of five young people sitting on bleachers in a gym, smiling at the camera.
Architecture of modern church with stained glass windows and cross at sunset

New To Bethany First Church?

Musician playing electric guitar on stage with microphone
Three people, including a child, standing near a decorated Christmas tree with holiday wreaths in the background. One person holds a soda can. They are all wearing lanyards and smiling.
Two adults in a baptismal pool with a child, performing a baptism ceremony. The man appears to be preparing to baptize the child while the woman provides support.

Who We Are

Bethany First Church began in 1909 with the founding of the City of Bethany. The people of Bethany gathered for worship each week and extended hospitality and care to those who needed it.

Over the years, Bethany First Church has grown, but our beliefs and values as a community remain the same. We exist to become more like Jesus and to help others come to know Him.

Today, Bethany First Church is home to nearly 2,500 weekly attenders and extends ministry to our local community and many world areas through outreach, partnerships, and giving.

Singers performing on stage in a church with a piano, facing a large audience.
Group of people having a conversation indoors in casual attire.
Interior view of a church with tall arched windows featuring colorful stained glass.
Two people embracing after a baptism, with one person partially submerged in water and a logo reading "BFC Baptism" on their shirt.
tulip flowers illustration outline
Person speaking into a microphone in front of an audience
Three performers on stage during a concert; a woman in a red sweater sings into a microphone in the foreground, with two other singers in the background. Purple stage lights and a digital screen with text "NO ONE" visible.

What We Value

An older woman standing next to an open car door, smiling at an older man in a suit.

These are the core practices that we value as a church community

Two women smiling at an event with people seated in the background.
Cartoon character running excitedly with open arms and a happy expression.
Person raising hand in worship at a church service, surrounded by people in dimly lit auditorium.

Being With God

Worshiping together and spending one-on-one time with Him.

Silhouette of tropical islands with palm trees, ocean waves, and birds flying.
Silhouette of two people sitting on a bench, one resting their head on the other's shoulder, with a sunset background and birds flying in the sky.
Two older men walking outdoors, one in a plaid shirt holding a tablet, smiling.

Being With One Another

Doing life together in groups.

Young woman in a yellow floral shirt, wearing a pink headband and sunglasses, holding a patterned yellow coffee cup, enjoying a lively outdoor setting with a bokeh background.
Minimalist mountain range illustration with black background
Two smiling men wearing matching tie-dye shirts, one with "SERVE" written on it and the other with "together we serve" and a logo, stand outside near parked cars.

Living Generously

Sharing our resources and serving
with abandon.

Group of people in casual attire having a conversation indoors.
Silhouette of three people raising their fists in a sign of empowerment and solidarity.
Alhambra Palace and fortress view in Granada, Spain, showcasing Moorish architecture with a mountainous backdrop and clear blue sky.

Being With People Who Don’t Know Jesus

Sharing our faith.

Vintage photograph of people walking past a large tent at an outdoor event, wearing late 19th or early 20th-century attire.
Historic photo of Bethany Church of the Nazarene with four women in 1950s attire standing in front of the brick building.

We Have A Rooted History In The Bethany Community.

In 1909, the town of Bethany was built by C.B. Jernigan, his wife Johnny, and other Nazarenes in the area.

Oklahoma Holiness College (now Southern Nazarene University) was established, and Bethany First Church of the Nazarene was organized during those first few months. A Nazarene orphanage for girls was built, grew, and became the Bethany Children’s Health Center in 1998.

How We Came To Be

On October 14th, 1909, Bethany Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene had its first meeting where a few families worshiped together in the parlor of a girl’s dormitory at Oklahoma Holiness College. The congregation grew and tabernacle was later built on Asbury and 36th Street a few months later. Bethany Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene eventually became Bethany First Church of the Nazarene, and built a permanent home in its current location on NW 39th Expressway.

Looking For More Historical Photos and Articles?

Church dedication service on September 21, 1969, showing a large congregation, choir, and pipe organ backdrop in a modern sanctuary.
Black and white yearbook page titled 'Church' featuring three people: A woman identified as Mrs. E.S. Phillips, N.F.M.S. President, standing by a plant; a young man identified as Eli Cypert, Youth Director, dressed in a light suit at a door; and a woman named Shirley Newman, Church Secretary, sitting at a desk with papers and a typewriter.
Vintage family portrait of five people, including a man with a mustache, a woman, and three children, one standing behind the adults holding an infant, and another child seated in front, all in formal attire, sepia-toned.
Aerial view of a mid-20th century urban neighborhood with a mix of residential houses and commercial buildings, intersected by roads and trees.
Portrait of a man with a mustache, wearing a suit and bow tie, labeled "Rev. C. B. Jernigan."