Bethel is an evangelical church, which means that we’re not ashamed to say we believe the Bible is entirely trustworthy and without error, and we live in the light of that. Our statement of faith in our church constitution puts it like this:
The doctrinal basis of The Church shall be the whole counsel of God contained and expounded in the scriptures, which as originally given are held to be both infallible and authoritative. Recognising them as our sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, we believe the doctrines taught therein including in particular the following:
- We believe in the only true and living God, the Holy Trinity of Divine Persons in perfect unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each of whom is equal and co-eternal and sovereign in creation, providence and redemption.
- We believe in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is holy, righteous, full of mercy, compassion and love. In His infinite love He sent forth the son that the world through Him might be saved.
- We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, whose true humanity and full deity were mysteriously and really joined in the unity of His divine Person. We believe in His virgin birth, in His perfect life and teaching, in his substitutionary atoning death on the cross, where He triumphed over Satan, sin and death, in His bodily resurrection and His ascension into Heaven where He now sits in glory at the right hand of God.
- We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, whose work is indispensable to regenerate the sinner, to lead him to repentance, to give him faith in Christ, to sanctify the believer in this present life and fit him to enjoy fellowship with God. For spiritual power and effectiveness His ministry is essential to the individual Christian and to the Church.
- We believe that as a result of the Fall all men are sinful by nature. Sin pollutes and controls them, infects every part of their being, renders them guilty in the sight of God and subject to the penalty which in His wrath and condemnation, He has decreed against it.
- We believe that through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose death was a perfect oblation and satisfaction for our sins, the sinner is freely justified by God who, instead of reckoning to us our sins, reckons Christ’s righteousness to our account. Salvation is therefore by grace and not by human merit.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return personally, visibly and gloriously to this earth, to receive his saints to Himself, and to be seen of all men. As the righteous judge, He will divide all men into two, and only two, categories — the saved and the lost. Those whose faith is in Christ will be saved eternally and will enter into the joy of the Lord, sharing with Him His inheritance in heaven. The unbelieving will be condemned by Him to Hell where they will be eternally punished for their sins under the righteous judgment of God.
We also accept the 1823 Calvinistic Methodist Confession of Faith (except article 38 re: baptism), as expressing the doctrinal basis of the church.