Bethany Center is a small group of Christian friends and companions creating a space for spiritual and personal growth according to Jesus’ teaching of nonviolent humanity. Our present core community has gathered over the past dozen years and is committed to the ongoing discovery of what it means to be Christian in this critical moment of history.

Our Story

The Bethany Center for Nonviolent Theology and Spirituality comes out of a long journey, its first steps going back with Tony and Linda Bartlett to Italy and England. The Bartletts had several experiences of Christian community including with the Little Brothers of Jesus (Carlo Carretto) in Spello, Italy. They also participated in a Catholic-Worker-based nonviolent peace activist group in London, and headed up an ecumenical group serving a mission for homeless people in East London. Prior to this Tony was a priest in a Roman Catholic Order and developed a youth retreat center and innovated a small group faith development program (RCIA) in the UK. In 1993 the Bartletts came to Syracuse, New York where Tony gained a Ph.D. in Religion and Linda developed her career as a nurse and later a nurse practitioner. The couple have always sought to create small-group Christian community experience and in 1999 founded an intentional study and prayer community called Wood Hath Hope. This community went through numerous changes and mutations but has existed continuously from then to the present. In 2015 the community gained a permanent home at Bethany House on South Salina Street in Syracuse. In 2019 we changed our name to one that more clearly expressed our character and mission – Bethany Center for Nonviolent Theology and Spirituality.

The heart and soul of Wood Hath Hope and now Bethany Center has always been Bible Study and Prayer. Anyone is welcome, at any stage of their spiritual journey and Biblical knowledge. People come from all sorts of denominational and church backgrounds, low and high, liberal and evangelical. What we share is a thirst for a new understanding of God free of the violence of past theologies and yet with a strong confessional content. Many hundreds have attended out meetings over the years. Some moved on quickly, many have stayed for years. All have grown in knowledge and faith and in return have always helped the community grow and progress. Our growth together has brought us to the physical space of Bethany Center as a sign and expression of peace. Our logo encompasses several images – a cross, a flower, a butterfly, a transformation. Together they demonstrate our experience where each person has been fed by our studies and spirituality, but in turn have helped propagate the life of Bethany Center.

Some people and names indelible to our present experience and story are first and foremost Heather Scanlon, prayer leader, healer and teacher of Jesus yoga; Dana, sister of Heather, massage therapist, overflowing with spirit, faith and joy; Kat Korba, inspirational guide behind the Bethany Garden projects, disciple of faith and nonviolence. Maggie and Jerry, (and Carola fondly remembered), constant presence of faith, love and support; Cathy Morton, long time Valley resident and spiritual seeker with a soul for social justice and the cosmic Christ; Tom Law, life long student of theology and spirituality, always at the service of others; Others who currently claim local Bethany Community membership are Anna, Chris, Zab, Luke, Sophie, Marylyn, Maureen, Jude, Bobbi, Bryson and Stephanie. We also have now a growing number of on-line members - including Reuben, Mack, Gail & Dan, Elli, Ellen, Dixie, Marci, Adrienne, Gena, John K, Julia S, Patty, Laura, Clare & Sheelagh.

As well as those who identify as community members we have others who attend our meetings either via Zoom or in-person, follow us on You Tube or regularly receive our recorded Bible Studies or online monthly newsletter. In addition we have developed strong relationships with other faith communities, including an especially strong link with the local RISE Center - a Muslim community also embracing nonviolent theology and spirituality.

We are grateful to some key individuals who helped us to grow at pivotal moments, but have since moved away - especially Susan Wright, Georgina Hegney, Cynthia Tarbell, Virginia Rodhe, Brad Starring and Melanie Becker, Bill Sachok, Saorsa Wissman, Jessamyn Anderson, & Al Magri.

Bethany Board

We are a non-profit 501.C.3 organization with a Board that, along with the community, helps guide and develop our work and oversee our finances. Board members are legally essential to a nonprofit but we are with particularly supportive individuals who embrace the goals and vision of the community, at the same time offering an objective view and voice.

Our current Bethany Board: Kat Korba, Mack Stirling, Heather Scanlon, Tony Bartlett, Reuben Rios, Luke Cody, Linda Bartlett, John Kubat, & Maggie Carter.

Our Values

Community – We are a community focused on nonviolent relationship; looking towards a new way of being human as taught to us by Jesus.

Education/Bible Study – Our studies center around nonviolent Christian theology, which seeks to deweaponize the text of the Bible, revealing instead the life, the hope and the faithfulness of Jesus; and in so doing to enrich the conversation and life of the community.

Prayer – Our prayer practice aims to deepen our love for Jesus and for each other; create strong minds and soft hearts; and to help us to grow and be led in the Holy Spirit.

Healing – To build a safe space where healing can take place through restored relationships with God, the text, our physical selves and with each other.

Nonviolence - We seek nonviolent relationship in all aspects of our Christian journey including our theology, our prayer and our interactions with the world and with each other.

Our Mission

The Mission of Bethany Center is to be a Spirit-led community seeking to grow, nourish and teach nonviolent Christian theology and life.

Sunday Spirituality…

Bethany Goals for 2026 

Here is the summary of the goal-setting meeting that took place during our annual Community Retreat in January.

  1. Year of Transition

  • 2026 to be a year of transition, settling into the new and discerning the new direction for Bethany House following handover of curation and we plan to keep the months of July and August light in lieu of the house sales and moves.

  • Accent the interconnection between local and online community around the shared gospel message of divine nonviolence. Each community strengthen the other.

  • As a community that teaches the nonviolent God and embraces nonviolence in practice, to explore how we understand our identity in terms of formation, structured learning, practice and liturgy.

2. Spreading the Message - New Audiences/New Teachers

  • Australia Trip in March/April

  • BethFest MidWest in August

  • Re-imagine Bible Study locally and online (encouraging new courses, teachers & presenters)

    3. Seven Stories/Ten Letters Publications

  • Revise Hard Copy 7S and reach out to publishers regarding 3rd edition publication.

  • Replace current Kindle version with text only version.

  • Complete copy of Ten Letters book and reach out to publishers.

4. Youth Ministry

  • Identified as something that the local community would like to give attention to moving forward. The online Survey also noted this as an area of interest. To include on-going teen/young adult outreach but to expand to include young children with storytelling; singing; children J-yoga and crafts etc.

5. Bethany Spirituality

  • Continue Jesus-Yoga and Meditation and further develop spiritual retreats and sharing circles.

  • Daily and Weekly Prayer for Peace online. Open these to all community members tin order to keep a space open for community prayer needs.

Can I be a Bethany Community Member?


The Bethany Center for Nonviolent Theology & Spirituality is based in the belief in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as the living template of a new humanity. The Bethany Center community embraces collectively and personally the belief in the death of Jesus as the revelation of human violence and its transformation into love. His resurrection after three days is God's life-filled revelation of divine non-violence and love.

An individual who wishes to be considered a member of the Bethany community embraces its belief expressed in the statement above. This embrace does not mean individuals do not have doubts or unresolved questions but that they are radically open to the community's spiritual and human reality. The relationship of the individual with the community involves openness to practical personal disciplines including self-giving through the individual's gifts and talents.

It is not necessary to be a member in order to be a friend or companion of the Bethany Center community. A friend or companion is on a journey in company with the Bethany community learning its belief, opening one's heart to its meaning and spirit and sharing in its way of life.

To be a member someone must attend Bethany Center meetings on a regular basis. Regular means frequently enough to learn the essentials of Bethany Center theology and embrace the spirit of its fellowship. On-going membership implies current regular involvement in the meetings and/or life of the community.