History

Bethel​ ​Evangelical​ ​Baptist​ ​Church​ ​was​ ​established​ ​in​ ​1980​ ​in​ ​the​ ​city​ ​of​ ​Delray​ ​Beach. ​ ​The​ ​first meeting​ ​took​ ​place​ ​at​ ​the​ ​house​ ​of​ late ​Pastor​ ​Franck​ ​Francois, ​ ​on​ ​Sunday​ ​October​ ​26, ​ ​1980. ​ ​In ​that meeting, ​ ​fourteen​ ​people​ ​participated​ ​including​ ​nearly​ ​8​ ​non-believers. ​ ​By ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​service​, ​seven​ ​of them​ ​responded​ ​to​ ​the​ ​altar​ ​call​ ​and​ ​accepted​ ​Jesus-Christ​ ​as​ ​their​ ​Lord​ ​and​ ​Savior.

In​ ​less​ ​than​ ​a​ ​year, ​the​ ​church​ ​grew​ ​to​ ​eighty​ ​people​ ​and witnessed twenty ​baptisms. ​ ​In​ ​light​ ​of​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​the church, ​ ​in​ ​1981​ ​the​ ​leaders​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​rent​ ​the​ ​cafeteria​ ​of​ ​an​ ​Elementary​ ​School​ ​located​ ​in ​Delray Beach ​for​ ​their​ ​Sunday​ ​morning​ ​services. Meanwhile, ​Pastor Franck’s house​ was used ​for​ ​bible​ ​study. In​ ​1983,​ ​the​ ​church ​moved​ ​to​ ​SW​ ​8th​ ​Ave​ ​to​ ​share​ ​a​ ​building​ ​with​ ​an​ ​American​ ​congregation.​ ​Having observed​ ​the​ ​tremendous​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​Bethel,​ ​the​ leaders​ ​prayed ​that God​ ​​grant them​ ​their​ ​own​ ​building.​ ​In​ ​1984,​ ​the​ ​leaders​ ​of​ ​the​ ​American​ ​Church​ ​agreed​ ​to​ ​sell​ them ​the shared​ ​building​.​ Ten years later,​ ​the church​ ​built​ ​a​ ​new​ ​sanctuary​ ​as an attachment ​to​ ​the​ ​existing​ ​building​ ​to​ ​continue serving​ ​the​ ​Lord.

Through​ ​the​ ​years, ​ ​the​ ​congregation​ ​shared​ ​the​ ​wonderful​ ​leadership​ ​of​ ​Pastor​ ​Franck​ ​François, along​ ​with​ ​many​ ​other​ ​ministers​ ​working​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Lord​ ​Jesus. ​ ​When​ ​in​ ​2006, ​ ​the​ ​Lord​ ​called​ ​Pastor Frank​ ​Francois​ ​to​ ​be​ ​home​ ​with​ ​Him, ​He​ ​also​ ​provided​ ​guidance​ ​for​ ​the​ ​transition. After​ ​Pastor Frank François’​ ​departure​ ​to​ ​eternity, ​ ​Pastor​ ​Evens​ ​Jules​ ​who​ ​was​ ​serving​ ​as​ ​a​ ​co-pastor of​ ​the​ ​church​ ​since​ ​January​ ​2005, ​ ​became​ ​the​ ​senior​ ​Pastor. ​ ​Under​ ​his​ ​leadership, ​ ​the Lord continues to add new believers to His vine. ​ ​

In​ ​2007, ​after even more growth, the​ ​church​ ​started to worship in three ​services​: 2 in the morning and 1 at night.​ In November 2013, the church was seeking guidance from the Lord about finding a new location. Being sure about the will of God for them, the congregation voted to buy a new property. ​In​ ​November​ ​2014, ​with God’s help, ​ ​the church secured the purchasing of a former temple located ​in​ ​the​ ​west​ ​side​ ​of​ ​Delray​ ​Beach​. ​ ​Since​ ​then, ​ ​Bethel​ ​is​ ​serving​ ​the​ ​Lord​ ​and​ ​proclaiming​ ​the​ ​Good​ ​News​ ​of​ ​Jesus​ ​Christ​ ​at their​ ​new​ ​address: ​ ​5780​ ​W​ ​Atlantic​ ​Ave, ​ ​Delray​ ​Beach​ ​FL ​33484.