The church was founded March 6, 1932. V. L. Bolton was the first pastor and was followed by
Horatius "H.H." Coleman (1932–1935), N. H. Armstrong (1935–1940) and William E. Ramsey (1940–1946).
C. L. Franklin years Growth of the congregation In May 1946,
C. L. Franklin became the pastor. In 1956, a 14-year-old Aretha Franklin made her first recordings for J-V-B Records at New Bethel. In 1961, the church lost its Hastings Street building to construction of the
Chrysler Freeway. The church, which had 4,000 members at the time, moved to the Gold Coast Theater (8210 Twelfth) for the next two years.
Move to Oriole Theater building On March 10, 1963, the church moved to the previously dilapidated Oriole Theater at the corner of Linwood and Philadelphia in Detroit. Detroit architect Nathan Johnson oversaw the remodeling which cost more than $500,000. The project was Detroit's "first major all-Negro building project", using an architect, contractors, and financing from the African-American community. The
Detroit Free Press described the new structure as follows: "The row of glass doors at the entrance and the vast expanse of whiteness inside gives one the feeling of entering a miniature Cobo Hall." The Detroit Walk to Freedom, planned by Franklin and members of New Bethel, took place on June 23, 1963. The protest had 125,000 persons, was the largest civil rights demonstration in the country's history to that point, and culminated in a speech by
Martin Luther King Jr. at
Cobo Hall. • In February 1965, a rally was held at New Bethel to raise funds for Dr. King's voter registration drive in
Selma, Alabama. • In November 1965,
Coretta Scott King delivered the key note address at the annual Women's Day services at New Bethel. • In October 1966,
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech at the annual men's day dinner at New Bethel. • In November 1966,
James Meredith, five months after being shot during his
March Against Fear in Mississippi, spoke at a rally at New Bethel. • In April 1969, a memorial for Dr. King was held at New Bethel on the first anniversary of his assassination.
Police shootout On March 29, 1969, the church was rented by the
Republic of New Africa as the site of a black separatist convention. A shootout between police and members of the movement resulted in the death of a police officer. Police raided the church and arrested 150 persons in attendance. A juvenile, Imari Obadele 2, aka Richard B. Henry Jr., was among the 150 persons in attendance son and nephew of Imari Obadele and Gaidi Obadele, was in fact the last person to be released some days later. A controversy followed after the attendees were held and questioned without counsel. During the incident, police fired into the church, causing extensive damage, and resulting in the need for financing to repair the "bullet-scarred" building. In May 1969, as the controversy over the police raid and shooting continued, Franklin was arrested by Detroit police who claimed that they found marijuana in his luggage; Franklin denied the charge, wondered if the incident was connected to the church shooting, and asserted, "Somebody wants to disgrace me." Police had held the luggage for 24 hours, and Franklin claimed he had never in his life smoked marijuana. The charge was dismissed one month later for insufficient evidence.
1970s and Franklin's shooting In January 1974, two gunshots were fired into the church during a service conducted by Franklin. Two attendees were injured. In June 1979, Franklin was shot twice by burglars at his home in Detroit. Franklin remained in a coma until his death from
heart failure on July 27, 1984. His funeral, held at New Bethel, was reported to be the largest in Detroit history, and featured
Jesse Jackson as a speaker. In June 2016, the portion of Linwood Street adjacent to the church was renamed Rev. Dr. C. L. Franklin Boulevard. ==Notable funerals and weddings==