In the early 1800s, Bethel AME Church was founded through home-based worship, mirroring the missionary practices of the early Christian church. The first permanent worship site was established on the current location of the C. E. Kirkup Corporation. In 1865, the congregation moved to the building acquired from the First Congregational Church of Bay Shore. The church was relocated to its present site in 1895 and incorporated in 1897. Reverend Walter Grayson, appointed by Bishop Henry McNeal in 1888, was the first pastor of Bethel.

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Over the years, many pastors have contributed to Bethel's growth. A significant milestone was achieved in May 1949 under Reverend Richard Allen Hildebrand, now Bishop Hildebrand, with the burning of the church's mortgages and the dedication of a new Wurlitzer organ. Reverend Ulysses S. Brown, appointed in 1963, oversaw the church's 100th anniversary celebration on October 28, 1965, and led a $20,000 expansion project.

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In January 1981, Reverend James E. F. Lawrence became pastor, introducing a summer lunch program that fed 100 children daily. Following the passing of Reverend Dempsey, Associate Pastor Reverend Benjamin Hill, Sr. led the congregation until Reverend Christopher Gillins' appointment in February 1986. Under Reverend Gillins' leadership, the church purchased and paid for a 49-passenger bus, continuing its spiritual growth.

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