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Our History
Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church has a longstanding legacy of worship, discipleship, service, and community engagement on Milwaukee's North Side.
Our congregation is part of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, a historic African American denomination organized on December 16, 1870, in Jackson, Tennessee, by 41 formerly enslaved members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Since its beginning, the CME Church has proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ while developing leaders, strengthening families, and serving communities.
Bethel's presence at its North 26th Street location extends back several
decades. A 1980 Wisconsin Historical Society survey documented the former Bethel sanctuary as a traditional early-20th-century church building featuring elements of Gothic Revival architecture. In 1999, the congregation received approval from the City of Milwaukee to replace the older sanctuary with a new church building on the same property. This significant undertaking reflected the faith, sacrifice, and commitment of Bethel's members to maintain a lasting ministry presence in the community. Throughout its history, Bethel has been shaped by faithful pastors, lay leaders, families, and members who offered their gifts in service to God and the community.
Our History
Throughout its history, Bethel has been shaped by faithful pastors, lay leaders, families, and members who offered their gifts in service to God and the community. In May 2002, Rev. Willie F. Dockery Jr. was assigned as pastor. During his extended tenure, Bethel strengthened its outreach through ministries such as tutoring, community health fairs, healthy-living initiatives, children's ministry, the food pantry, Ministry to Men, Visions of Virtue, liturgical dance, women's fellowship, and Christian education. Bethel became known as "The Church on the Grow," reflecting its commitment to spiritual development and community service. In 2026, Bethel entered a new chapter of ministry under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Kalif G. Crutcher. Building upon the faithfulness of those who came before us, Bethel is moving forward with a renewed commitment to become a thriving, intergenerational community of faith where people grow deeply in God, families are strengthened, leaders are developed, and Milwaukee is transformed through worship, discipleship, service, and love.
As we honor our history, we remain focused on the work God is calling us to do today:
Grow in God. Serve Families. Strengthen Our Community.
Former Pastors
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