In 1922, R. H. Barwick, an Elder in the Primitive Baptist denomination, formed a Board of Trustees to establish The Bethany Home for Ladies, for homeless senior women in Vidalia. The ten-room wooden cottage was completed in 1923. By 1964, the facility had grown into a comfortable, pleasant facility for 177 guests. During the early 1990s, The Bethany Home for Ladies was completely rebuilt and renamed Bethany Nursing Center of Vidalia. Today, it is home to 168 men and women.

In 1951, the Dr. Thompson Hospital was purchased and converted, and the Bethany Home for Men in Millen, Georgia, was founded as an extension to the healthcare mission of Bethany. Today, it is known as Bethany Nursing Center of Millen and is home to 100 men and women.

Recognizing the need to expand the continuum of care to provide for assisted living, the Board of Trustees established Bethany Assisted Living, Inc. in Vidalia, completing the facility in 1999. This facility features a state-of-the-art, home-structured environment for the residents of twenty-four units.

In 1999, cognizant of the need to provide financial support for the skilled nursing facilities and the assisted living facility, the Board of Trustees formed Bethany Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, to accept contributions and encourage gifts.