Bethesda Temple Church Apostolic Faith, Inc. began on June 5, 1988 by its Founder and Pastor, the late District Elder Ernest D. Alexander.

With just 30 members, its first worship services were held at Howard Johnson Hotel and the Cockatoo Inn Ballroom. Bethesda then went to Dublin Avenue Elementary School auditorium and two years later purchased a church building at 1101 West Florence Avenue. In a short 5 years, the church was able to pay off the mortgage in full.

After 8 years, Bethesda purchased the current location, 4909 Crenshaw Blvd. Through the years, Bethesda has been exceedingly blessed to acquire a number of properties allowing the church to provide meaningful ministry to the Los Angeles area.

Over the years, Bethesda Temple’s programs have included prison ministries, tutoring programs, vacation bible school, summer camp, convalescent home ministries, Christian radio broadcasts, scholarship programs and currently includes an outreach ministry at the Los Angeles Rescue Mission, food bank distribution, and more.

A number of ministries have been birthed out of Bethesda Temple Church; Jesus is the Answer of Spokane, Washington, District Elder Shon Davis, Pastor; River of Life Ministries of East Texas, Pastor Harriet Hightower; and Faith Center Ministries, Orlando, Florida, led by Elder Linton and Dr. Elaine Morris, just to name a few.

Throughout Bethesda’s history, many have been blessed by God’s word and its membership has continue to increase.

Over 30 years ago our late Pastor, District Elder Ernest D. Alexander preached Bethesda’s first message from Genesis 26:22, “And he removed from thence, and digged another another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, ‘For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

On Friday, April 26, 2013, in the early hours of the morning, Bethesda went up in flames, with the witness of our late Pastor Alexander and the Bethesda Temple members. We could do nothing but thank God that no one was injured or lost. It never stopped us, for we had service that very Sunday morning thanking and praising God for his goodness, the Lord once again had made room for us.