Bethany Christian Academy started as an idea in 1979 when fifteen families, including Professor Timothy Gyuse and his wife, Elizabeth met to discuss the possibility of starting a private Christian boarding secondary school in Jos.

This idea was motivated by the continued falling standards in the academic, moral spiritual spheres in many private and public schools in Nigeria. The desire was to set up an Prof. & Prof. (Mrs.) Gyuse alternative to these falling standards for children of missionaries generally and those of the Great Commission Movement and their associates in particular. At the first meeting, the talk was centered on the inspection of possible sites. However, the idea fizzled out as the participants went their different ways.