The origins of Bethany Center are deeply rooted in San Francisco's history. In 1852, a band of devout Methodists arrived in the city, then nothing more than a raw and chaotic settlement. The group became the nucleus of a congregation that in 1886 had grown so large 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.

Beginning 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 to learn how best to utilize the soon-to-be-vacated church at 21st and Capp Streets. From the study results came a proposal to build a residence for low- and moderate-income older adults.

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 what’s now the fashionable Noe Valley neighborhood.

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. Two United Methodist leaders, the Rev. Dr. Cliff Crummey and the Rev. Dr. E. W. Schmitt, played prominent roles in the building of Bethany Center. With their leadership and support, work began in April of 1968 and the first residents moved in on October 16, 1969. By the end of November, all 133 apartments were occupied.

Since then, Bethany Center has grown in place. Its residents have become more diverse in The origins of Bethany Center are deeply rooted in San Francisco's history. In 1852, a band of devout Methodists arrived in the city, then nothing more than a raw and chaotic settlement. The group became the nucleus of a congregation that in 1886 had grown so large 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.