The aftermath of the crash of 1929 began to be felt by the people as 1930 wore on. New factories and mills either curtailed their forces or shut down completely, throwing many out of work. At one time, in this decade, there were 30,000.000 people who were unemployed. There was no such thing as unemployment compensation and, coming as the depression did, on top of the greatest period of prosperity we had ever known, the shock was compounded.

In 1933 many makework programs began, among them the WPA, the PWA, the CCC and others, yet in 1938 there were still 10,000,000 men out of work. Farmers in the area from the Mississippi to the Rockies saw their farms blown away by high winds as the worst drought, ever to hit our country, continued to prevail. Produce was left to rot in the fields as the cost of harvest exceeded the price to be obtained at the market. President Hoover and Congress were helpless. From 1932 to 1940 F.D. Roosevelt was equally without solutions.

God was speaking to His people but alas, no Elijah arose (I Kings:18) and the task, of bringing the people to the knowledge of what God was telling them, devolved on those devoted servants of God, the Evangelists of whom, in those days, there were many. Many were to come to Bethany, Anthony Zeoli, Oswald Smith, and Chief White Feather, to name but a few. There were many more including our own Dr. Hager. Many, thru these campaigns, came to know God as Lord and Jesus as Savior, and the church grew by leaps and bounds as people, confused, desperate, uncertain of the future, turned to the only true source of prosperity, our Lord. God's message was being delivered and was being heard.

Meanwhile, in 1930, the people of our church were not idle as they sought to alleviate the physical distress of the community. Clothing was collected to be given to those in need, benevolences were carried out to the limit of capability and there was instituted a program of food distribution which is worthy of special mention.

Recognizing that the most essential physical need of man is food, a canning program was started. A special appeal was made to rural congregations asking their cooperation. Thousands of bushels of potatoes and tons of other produce were gathered up, right out of the fields, by our people and transported, by us to the church. There it was prepared and canned, again by our members, and distributed free to any, and all, members or not. Their total production, 22,000 quart cans in two years. This, plus solicited donations of bread and other edibles from local merchants, kept the pangs of hunger away from many people. By 1933 Federal and State machinery had been set up to perform these services and the program was dropped.

Insofar as the economy went, the deepest point of the depression was reached in 1933 but there was no real improvement until September 1939.

During these times, as we have noted, many evangelistic campaigns were held, in our church. Our own pastor, many times, received Consistory approval to conduct campaigns both in and out of the community.

Along with everything else that was happening we began a radio program, in 1931, called "The Bethany Bible Broadcast., a program which would have several names but would continue for many years.

A new parsonage, located at 111th Place and State Streets, was purchased in 1938.

We close the decade with 1411 communicant members and 741 baptized. It began to look like we had finally gotten God's message.

But wait, already the decade of the Forties looked ominous. Hitler had invaded Poland and the threat of war hovered over Europe once again. Having had our spirit tried in the wants and despair of the Great Depression were we now to have our souls tried in the fires of another war? Time would tell.