Company Profile
Bethany College
Company Overview
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop, and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead lives of faith, learning and service.
The Bethany Oratorio Society, since its first performances in 1882 has brought together campus and community for widely-acclaimed performances of Handel’s Messiah each Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.
The academic quality of Bethany College has been widely recognized. Bethany boasts an extremely strong faculty and excellent educational and recreational resources. Students who attend Bethany College can enjoy the Swedish culture that Lindsborg has to offer. Although the town is small, there is always an event, either on campus or in town that students have the opportunity to attend. The campus calendar is chock-full of activities such as intramurals, lectures, theatre productions, concerts, Student Activities Board sponsored events and entertainers, and many other events.
Company History
Every year since 1882, the Bethany Oratorio Society has presented Handel’s Messiah at the college – the longest-running annual performances in North America. The society has performed Messiah across the plains, in Carnegie Hall and on national television. Now, Messiah is performed Palm and Easter Sundays, and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is performed on Good Friday. The festival also includes art exhibitions, theatre performances and ensemble concerts.