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A group of students, staff, and parents holding balloons outside the Bethel Lutheran Church during the annual Rally Day celebrating the start of the Sunday School term. Pastor Nelson can be seen third from left.

Welcome to the Bethel Archives Exhibit Site. This website features an introduction to the Bethel Archives, finding aids, and a selection of the media holdings available at the archives.

Bethel Lutheran Church is a spirit-filled, gospel-anchored, community-based ministry located in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood. The history of the church, in many ways, is a reflection of the city of Chicago itself. The church was founded in the 1890s as a primarily German-language church for the many German immigrants and families who lived in Chicago's West Side. In the first half of the 20th century, English-language services become more prevalent at the church. As the Black population of West Garfield Park grew in the wake of the Great Migration, so did the Black membership of the church. Often called Bethel West by the congregation today, the church is firmly rooted in the principles of social justice, community engagement, and worship through music. 

The Bethel Archives is an ongoing project to document and display the rich history of the Bethel Lutheran Church and its community. Digitization efforts are under way to make the Church's vast number of photographs, newsletters, documents, and oral histories available online. While digitization efforts are ongoing, please explore the finding aids and a selection of media here.

Organization of the Bethel Archives

The organization of the Bethel Archives reflects the character of Bethel and its community. Each pastor has brought something new to the church in addition to their regular pastoral duties. The Bethel Pastoral Collection was created to highlight these unique contributions, with records related to these efforts housed in the Record Series dedicated to that pastor. The Bethel Ministries Collection houses operational and sacremental records based on the various ministries of Bethel West. The Bethel Oral Histories Collection houses oral history recordings, transcripts, and associated materials. The Bethel Early History Collection (1890-1929) houses records created during the first 39 years of Bethel's history, which may be more fragile than later records. The collections are further detailed below. 

The Bethel Pastoral Collection

Collection Summary: The Bethel Pastoral Collection houses correspondence, memorabilia, and records created by or related to the pastors of Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church throughout its history. In an effort to highlight the exemplary work each pastor did in addition to their ordinary church duties, certain notable programs, accomplishments, efforts, and events primarily associated with a given pastor can be found in the Record Series dedicated to that pastor. Record Series are arranged chronologically, so that new Series can continue to be added as Bethel’s history continues.

Record Series 1: Rev. Paul Biegar Era (1890–1892)

Record Series 2: Rev. Alfred Freyschmidt Era (1892–1893)

Record Series 3: Rev. Walter Eickmann Era (1893–1895)

Record Series 4: Rev. Alfred A. Kaitschuk Era (1895–1929)

Record Series 5: Rev. Oscar C. Kaitschuk Era (1929–1965)

Record Series 6: Rev. David T. Nelson Era (1965–2000)

Record Series 7: Rev. Dr. Maxine Washington Era (2000–2010)

Record Series 8: Rev. Albert Starr Era (2010–2022)

Record Series 9: Rev. Rodger Jones Era (2023–)

The Bethel Ministries Collection

Collections Summary: The Bethel Ministries Collection contains memos, correspondence, internal documents, and official documents that were created for or related to Bethel's various ministries as well as daily operational records and sacramental records. Records spanning multiple pastors, or records which have more to do with a particular topic or operation than the work of a given pastor, are housed here. 

Record types followed by an asterisk (*) may be restricted due to privacy concerns. See our policies for further details.

Record Series 1: Administrative/Governance Ministry

Record Series 2: Archive Ministry 

Record Series 3: Christian Education & Discipleship Ministry

Record Series 4: Fund Development Ministry

Record Series 5: Music Ministry

Record Series 6: Outreach Ministry

Record Series 7: Property Ministry

Record Series 8: Sacramental Records

Record Series 9: Worship Ministry

The Bethel Oral History Collection

Collection Summary: The Bethel Oral History Collection houses oral history recordings, transcripts, and deeds of gift. Each folder contains a physical copy of the recording if available or a note directing the user to the location of the digital recording, as well as a transcript of the interview if available and the deed of gift associated with the interview. A finding aid will be included with each folder giving information about the interview (date, event if notable, interviewer and interviewee), biographical information or context relevant to the interview, a summary of the interview, and a list of notable terms, topics, or subjects covered in the interview to aid users. 

Record Series 1: Individual Oral Histories

Record Series 2: Oral Histories by Event

The Bethel Early History Collection (1890-1929)

Collection Summary: The Bethel Early History Collection houses records created between 1890-1929, aside from those which the Church Records Committee sees fit to house within the Pastoral Collection. These records have special historical value, but their age may necessitate special considerations in terms of care to ensure their preservation.

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