Bethany College of Missions - History

History

Bethany was originally founded by a core group of five families. Beginning in 1945 these young Christians sold their homes, pooled their resources, and started a Christian community known as Bethany Fellowship, with a focus on teaching the biblical message of salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ and the biblical mandate of taking that message to all the world. By 1946 Bethany outgrew its 30 room house in Minneapolis and moved to a 62 acres (250,000 m2) farm in the then-undeveloped area of south Bloomington, Minnesota, near the Minnesota River. With cross-cultural missions in mind, they began BCOM with a freshman class of 10 students in 1948. In the early days Bethany continued to function as a Christian community, funding its operations with a variety of manufacturing enterprises, including wooden toys, lefse plates, popup campers, a book publisher, Bethany House Publishers and a printing operation Bethany Press International. Today, Bethany College of Missions, together with a mission sending agency, Bethany International Ministries, and Bethany Press International comprise the organization Our mission is to take the Church to where it is not by recruiting, equipping, and fielding followers of Jesus who are transformed by the cross, empowered by the Holy Spirit, effectively prepared with intercultural educational experience, and who lead by serving with global partners to transform people and communities, delighting God’s heart and extending His Kingdom! International.