You could hear the excitement in William Cook's voice as he talked about the plans for the Bethel Pentecostal Church. They are celebrating their 30th anniversary on Sept. 17, 18, 19 and 20. Services will be held on Thursday and Friday at 7:45 p.m. and on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at noon.

They have reason to celebrate: because of the growth of their ministry in song, word and deed, they have outgrown their Oyster Bay home. "We are so sad we have to leave this community," Rev. Cook, Director of Promotions said. "It has been such a wonderful community - with all the support and love we got. We tried to find a bigger building here."

In the fall of 1971, Bethel dedicated their remodeled property in Plainview. Ten years later, in October, 1981, they dedicated their new extension and renovated facilities there. In October 1991, they dedicated their present home at 209 South Street. At the time of the Oyster Bay dedication the active membership was 230, today, close to 500 people claim Bethel as their home church.

They couldn't find a building big enough or a space large enough to accommodate their flock. Even the Hallock property on South Street wasn't big enough, he said. "We are building a 1200 seat auditorium in Old Westbury. We are in negotiations for 30 acres of land. That means we will have enough parking for our congregation."

Mr. Cook said they were aware of the need for parking in Oyster Bay. "We feel bad for our neighbors," he said understandingly. The larger site will allow them to take care of their own needs in that area.

The church received a citation from the Oyster Bay Town Board, thanking them for their annual Oyster Festival Gospel Concert which draws hundreds of people every year. The church invites festival visitors to the annual event. They were also thanked for the numerous performances of the Bethel Sanctuary Choir.

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and the board extended their "Warmest wishes for happiness and success to the congregation as they settle in the Village of Old Westbury."

The Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce were especially appreciative of the Bethel choir when they volunteered to entertain workers at the Oyster Festival in 1996, after a severe storm forced the cancellation of the event on Saturday. When the choir sang, the sun came out. The next day the weather was perfect for the annual street festival.

On July 1, 1968, Pastor D. Douglas Davis and his family moved to Long Island. Pastor Davis, 36, relinquished the pastorate of Calvary Pentecostal Church of Fort Worth, Texas, a flourishing congregation that he had founded just 10 years earlier. At the time, there was no United Pentecostal Church on Long Island. For six months, Pastor Davis held private family devotions in their rented Levittown home. After a diligent search for a church building, the first public service of what would become Bethel United Pentecostal Church was held in a small storefront at 20 Wolcott Road in Levittown in November of 1968. There were nine people attending: seven Davis family members and two visiting guests from out-of-state! Even in 1968, the cost of living on Long Island was more than twice that of Texas. The Home Missions Division of the United Pentecostal Church International bestowed a grant of $5000 to move the Davis' from Texas to New York. Pastor Davis, in addition to his pastoral duties, found it necessary to work as a school bus driver for several years to sustain the financial needs of his family as well as the operating costs of the fledgling congregation. Despite difficult circumstances, the church grew. In 1971, an old farmhouse was purchased at 1065 Old Country Road in Plainview. This humble facility was remodeled to accommodate the small, but growing congregation. With a congregation of 120, a three level extension was added to the building in 1981 which continued to serve as Bethel's home for seven more years. After the congregation had grown to over 200 in early 1988, Pastor Davis began negotiations to purchase St. Paul's United Methodist Church building at 209 South Street in Oyster Bay. This historic building enjoyed a colorful and fascinating past. A Methodist congregation purchased the land in 1890 from James Burtis for $1,000 and the charming building was constructed in 1894 at a cost of $14,000. In 1904 a pipe organ was installed in the building for $1,780, one-half of which was funded by Andrew Carnegie. In 1905, the existing privet hedge was planted around the property. In 1913 the building was raised and the basement and kitchen were constructed beneath it. In 1917, the "Open Bible" Tiffany stained glass window was installed in the south wall and in 1948 the detached garage was added. Although the top two portions of the steeple were blown off during a violent hurricane in the early 1900s, the original bell still remains. At the time Pastor Davis was negotiating to buy the building, a local developer was also attempting to convert the church into a mini-mall, with office space, a medical complex and a bank with a drive-through window. Today, however, after more than $200,000 in repairs and remodeling, and countless man-hours of volunteer work by the dedicated members of Bethel, the 100+ year old building stands as a testimony to the glory of God. Through the years the committed members of Bethel have labored ceaselessly to repair and maintain the building, augmenting its structural beauty. To the satisfaction of the former St. Paul's members and the local community, the church continues today as a house of worship. In 1991 Doug Davis Jr. joined his father as associate pastor of Bethel. Bethel has always extended her vision beyond her own doors, supporting mission efforts and ministries in the United States and overseas. For five years, a group was sent to Manhattan each Sunday afternoon to assist in an inner-city outreach there. For four years Bethel provided a music ministry for another congregation in Queens. Several former members of Bethel have been commissioned to establish new congregations in areas such as Brooklyn, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Saratoga and in the state of Connecticut. Weekly, staff ministers from Bethel can be found ministering in various cities around the United States and overseas. This typifies the far-reaching ministry of Bethel, whose members travel from as far west as New Jersey, and as far as 125 miles east in Greenport, Suffolk County, to attend service. Some of the ministries of the church include Bethel High Youth Ministries, Bethel Singles Ministry, Bethel Marrieds Ministry, Home Bible Studies Ministry, CARE Ministry, Discipleship Ministries, Christian Education Ministries. These ministries are operated by an outstanding office staff and a host of volunteer greeters, ushers, maintenance workers, custodial personnel, baptismal staff, altar workers, youth workers, etc. The church also maintains a music department which sponsors an award-winning 80-voice Concert Choir. Over the past five years, the choir ministry of Bethel has become renowned, performing in concerts at shopping malls, business plazas, parades, local community functions, the annual Oyster Bay Oyster Festival as well as numerous holiday drama and musical productions at the church. In September of 1990, the Concert Choir was the featured group at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1995, the choir was named a winner in the McDonald's Tri-State Gospelfest Competition in New York City. The Bethel Choir traveled to Israel at the invitation of the Mayor of Bethlehem to perform in Manger Square on Christmas Eve, 1997. The event was covered by all major local and international media. Oyster Bay was represented well by the 80 voice concert choir. The choir recently released their first compact disc called Our God Is One. To sum up the congregations feelings about the events they are experiencing, Mr. Cook quoted Psalm 118:23, "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes."