Bethel Covenant Church - Hugh Forbes

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Brief History
Bethel is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, 40 miles inland from the Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 400 air miles west of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 60 degrees 47' N latitude, 161 degrees 45' W Longitude (Sec. 09, T008N, R071W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Bethel Recording District. The area encompasses 44 sq. miles of land and 6 sq. miles of water.

Bethel was first established by Yup'ik Eskimos who called the village "Mumtrekhlogamute". meaning "Smokehouse People", names for the nearby fish smokehouse. There were 41 people in Bethel during the 1880 US Census. At that time, it was an Alaska Commerical Company Trading Post. The Moravian Church established a mission in the area in 1884. The community was moved ot its present location due to erosion at the prior site. A post office was opened in 1905. Before long, Bethel was serving as a trading, transportation and distribution center for the region, which attrated Natives from surrounding villages. Over time, federal and state agencies established regional offices in Bethel.

The Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church was started by a small group of Natives that had moved from the village of Mekoryuk on Nunivak Island in the early 70's. They were all from the Covenant church on the island and began meeting for fellowship, Bible study and prayer. The Lord placed it upon their hearts to start a Covenant Church in Bethel. 

Pastor Profile 
Hugh Forbes has been a bi-vocational pastor in Bethel by choice, not need. The church could support him with full-time wages, but they have elected to continue with this paradigm until led otherwise. He was called to be their past in 2005. Hugh's father is Caucasian and his mother is Inupiaq Eskimo. He was born and raised in Alaska. He finished his BA at Oklahoma University where he met his wife, Lanette. They have three children. Hugh has been a leader within the Covenant at large for several years, including Chair of the ECCAK General Council for six years and presently on the ECC Ethnic Diversity Task Force Team.