Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

In 1839 a group of black Detroit citizens formed the Colored Methodist Society, which became the core of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The group held meetings in a hall which was donated by the Detroit Common Council. The society moved several times before a church was built on Lafayette in the 1840s. In 1841 the church assumed its present name and organization. From its inception, the church has served in a number of ways; it has provided a school for black children, an agency to assist southern migrants, and a bureau for labor and housing. Today the church remains a focal point for community social services.