DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:45)
Bethel is an evangelical, Bible-believing church. Our desire is to correctly interpret and faithfully communicate God’s plan of salvation and His message of faith, hope, and love. We continue to seek understanding, meaning, and direction in life through the study and application of the Bible.
We believe the writings of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, the final authority in faith and life. The doctrinal beliefs of our congregation reflect the historical teachings of Christianity and our Baptist heritage.
GOD
We believe there is only one living and true God. He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. He is working providentially to fulfill His eternal plan and redemptive purposes. He deserves our highest love, reverence, and obedience.
God is eternally existing in a loving unity of three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person in the Trinity is equally and fully divine. God has always demonstrated His desire to be our God and to have a personal, eternal relationship with us.
JESUS
We believe Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He became man without ceasing to be God when He was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of everyone by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven. He is the Christ—Israel’s promised Messiah, the Anointed One. He is the Savior of the world, the only Mediator between God and man.
HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity. He exists eternally and was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to make people aware of their need for forgiveness and salvation. At the point of saving faith, He permanently indwells every person who puts their trust and hope in Jesus. He endows all believers with spiritual gifts and empowers them in worship, prayer, service, evangelism, and godly living.
MAN
We believe man is the special creation of God, made in His own image and designed for dignity. However, Adam’s transgression caused the race to fall. Every person has inherited a sinful nature and is separated from God. Mankind’s problems caused by sin can only be overcome by God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation. Each person can experience new life in Jesus by turning from their sins and trusting in Him as their Savior, Forgiver, Shepherd, and Friend.
SALVATION
We believe man can never make up for his sins by self-improvement or good works. Salvation is “the gift of God” (Romans 6:23). It is received by children, teens, and adults through personal faith in Jesus. Eternal life begins the moment someone believes in Jesus. Everyone who genuinely puts their trust in Him are kept eternally secure by the power of the Holy Spirit and the intercessory work of Jesus.
CHURCH
We believe that the church is the body of Christ; Jesus is the Head and members are those who have truly accepted Jesus as their Savior. We believe the local church is a visible expression of the body of Christ in a particular location. We believe every church is responsible for doing God’s will and sharing God’s Word. Therefore, we prioritize worship, prayer, instruction, fellowship, service, and evangelism in our community of faith.
BAPTISM AND COMMUNION
Jesus mandated two sacred practices or ordinances to be observed in the local church. Although they are not the means of salvation, they visibly express the gospel. Baptism by immersion testifies to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is a public declaration of a person’s faith in Jesus after trusting in Him for forgiveness and receiving the gift of eternal life. Communion is a special time when the followers of Jesus remember and honor the sacrifice He made to reconcile us to God. The elements of bread and juice are symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood.
MARRIAGE
God created marriage. His union of Adam and Eve illustrates God’s ideal for marriage—one man and one woman joined together in a life-long commitment to each other. Although people haven’t always followed that idea, God’s way is still the best way.
God’s unique gift of marriage provides couples the appropriate framework for personal enrichment and intimate companionship including sexual expression according to biblical standards. God richly blesses the marriage between a husband and wife when they focus on honoring God and serving each other in love, devotion, and faithfulness.