Here at Bethel Community Church, we believe in:

 

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of life, faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31, 32; 20:31; Acts 20:32)

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The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and

Holy Spirit. They are equal in every divine perfection, and execute distinct, but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1,3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19, 20; Ephesians 4:5,6)

 

God the Father

We believe in God the Father, the infinite, personal, and perfect head of the Trinity. He is perfect in power, wisdom, holiness, and love. We believe He cares for His creation and the lives of mankind that He created. We believe that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him in faith through Christ Jesus. (Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1,2; 2:5,6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6).

 

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth through Mary, His sinless life, His miracles, and His teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death on the cross, bodily resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven, continual intercession for His people, and His visible return to earth. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 9:5; 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30,31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; 9:28; 1 Timothy 3:16)

 

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an aiding helper, teacher and guide. We also believe in the proper use of the spiritual gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ. (John 14:16,17,26; 15:26,27; John 16:9-14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26)

 

Regeneration

We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual, and eternal death, which is separation from God. As a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life. (Genesis 1:26; 5:2; Genesis 3; 2:17; Eccl. 2:11; John 3:14; 5:24; 3:20)

 

The Church

We believe in the universal church, a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We also believe in the local church, constituting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has called the members of the local church to worship, preach the Gospel to a lost world, and help them grow towards mature discipleship. (Ephesians 2:19-22; 5:19-21; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 10:23-25)

 

The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism is a physical picture of what has happened spiritually in the new life of a believer, being crucified, buried, and raised again from the dead with Christ. Therefore, in order to be baptized, the person must understand what has happened and what he/she is doing. The means of immersion would be preferred, but acknowledge that other methods may also be used such as sprinkling and pouring. (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) We believe the Lord’s Supper is open for all believers to share in, knowing Christ has given us this example to follow in order to remember the greatest life, death, and resurrection in human history. We believe the elements to be symbolic of His blood and body that was given for us at the cross.

 

The Last Things

We believe that Christ will return the same way He arose, to establish His Kingdom fully here on earth. We believe in the resurrection of the body of all believers, the final judgment, the eternal life of the righteous in Christ and the eternal damnation and suffering of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15)

 

Exclusive Truth

We believe that the orthodox Christian faith is the only spiritual truth and that truth is absolute and exclusive. We reject spiritual pluralism and the notion that truth is relative to the individual. We believe that faiths and religious systems that do not conform to traditional creeds (such as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed) and the articles in our Statement of Faith are heretical and counted among the “other gospels” that the Apostle Paul warns about in Galatians 1:6-9. We make this statement in a spirit of humility and love, not out of arrogance or combativeness, as we simply seek to honour the authority and singularity of Scripture.

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Note: In order to hold a teaching or leadership position within Bethel Community Church, one must agree to and uphold the beliefs found within this statement of faith. Violation or contradiction of these beliefs will terminate one’s position of service. Verbal and/or written agreement may be requested upon the start of a new term or ministry.

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(Credit: The above stained glass window depicting Jesus Christ and the Last Supper is attributed to Nancy Bauer at Shutterstock.com)