Bethany Center - History


	ABOUT BETHANY CENTER
	Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, 1886	The origins of Bethany Center are deeply rooted in San Francisco's history. In 1852, a band of devout Methodists arrived in the raw and chaotic settlement that was then San Francisco. The group became the nucleus of a congregation that in 1886 had grown so much that its members were able to finance the building of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church on the northeast corner of the intersection of Capp and 21st streets, in the heart of what is now the city’s Mission District.
	In 1965, the congregations of Grace Methodist Episcopal and Epworth United Methodist Churches, which had been working together since 1961, voted to merge and form the Bethany United Methodist Church. Thereafter, services and activities would take place in the Epworth Church site located at Sanchez and Clipper Streets in now fashionable Noe Valley. Starting in 1961, the Glide Memorial Foundation, under the leadership of the Rev. Cecil Williams, made an annual contribution to the combined operations of the two congregations. With the merger impending, Glide commissioned a study of how best to utilize the soon-to-be-vacated church at 21st and Capp Streets. Out of this study came a proposal to build a residence for older adults living on low- or medium-level incomes. The Bethany United Methodist Church became the sponsoring organization for the new nonprofit Bethany Center. The Center bought the church property and two additional lots to create space for the new building. Once the site had been cleared, the construction of Bethany Center was underway. Work began in April of 1968; the first residents moved in on October 16, 1969. All 132 apartments were occupied by November 30 of that same year. Two United Methodist benefactors, the Rev. Dr. Cliff Crummey and the Rev. Dr. E. W. Schmitt, played prominent roles in the building of Bethany Center.
	"Growth" Mosaic by Ruth Asawa	Since then, Bethany Center has grown in place. Its residents have become more diverse in ethnic backgrounds and the building itself has seen additions and alterations—the striking mural “Salud!” by Dan Fontes was painted on the exterior of the building’s south wall; a symbolic mosaic, entitled “Growth,” created by the renowned artist Ruth Asawa, took its place at the main entrance; and, most recently, a site-enhancement program was initiated which, when completed, will present to the world a completely renovated Bethany Center.
	In 1997, Bethany received from the California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (CAHSA) its annual Social Responsibility Award. The citation saluted Dan Fontes' "Salud!" as "a beautiful symbol of the dignity of older persons [and of] an organization that has embraced diversity and celebrated its potential to enrich the lives of everyone it touches." In the same year, Bethany was honored by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) with its Innovation of the Year Award, one that recognizes originality and creativity in organizations around the country that serve seniors. In 1998, Bethany Center sponsored the making of a video entitled Salud! A Living Wall: Portrait of a Community that dealt with the creation of the mural. The video was selected for special showing at the 1998 Silver Images Festival held at the Chicago Arts Institute. And the San Francisco Board of Supervisors also gave it a Certificate of Honor. In 2001, The American Association for Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) presented our Executive Director, Jerry Brown, with the Hobart Jackson Social Responsibility Award. He is cited as a champion of the cause of diversity on local, state, and national levels. At Bethany Center, he hired a staff that speaks seven languages and produces multicultural celebrations and a bilingual newsletter. He has spearheaded a campaign to educate AAHSA members about the needs of gay and lesbian seniors and has reached out to young persons, specifically those with AIDS. Jerry has indeed fostered commitment for social justice on the local, state, and national scenes.
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