NOTE: This photograph was numbered by someone so they could identify some of the persons in the picture, however, the whole list of people was not included with this picture.  The picture was made circa 1916.

Bethany United Methodist Church is located in North Carolina on Roanoke Island, Dare County, in the fishing village of Wanchese (at one time in Currituck Co.).  Bethany has its roots in the past beginning in 1848. Methodism was the oldest known church on the Outer Banks and the first to bring the Christian religion to this part of the North Carolina coast.

This section of North Carolina was a part of the Virginia Conference. It was from this conference that the first resident Methodist Minister, the Rev. Joseph G. Lennon, came. There were two Methodist churches on Roanoke Island at that time – Manteo and Wanchese. He served them for four years. The parsonage was located in Manteo. Bethany church remained a charge until 1924.

Wanchese has had two church buildings since its beginning. The first one was about 150 yards up the road (Old Church Rd.) from where the present one stands. The original one was torn down and the lumber that could be salvaged was used in the present building.

The present church sanctuary was finished in 1905.  The parsonage was built in 1928.  In 1958 an Educational Building and other modern facilities were added. Later new hymnals, carpet, pews, pulpit, furniture and stained glass windows have been installed in the sanctuary.