About

Core Values

Worship of God

Through the ministry of Jesus, God is redeeming worshipers of lesser things*1* into worshipers of Him*2*. Our initial design and our chief end is to worship God*3*. We worship God in all of life*4* and corporately as the local church in obedience to God*5* and preparation for our eternity, where we will worship God forever*6*.

Scripture

Because God has all authority in heaven and on earth, we submit ourselves to His inspired Word as our supreme and final authority.*7* We want the Word of God to be the foundation of everything we believe and do.*8*

Discipleship

God's grace saves us as we are. But by his grace he doesn't leave us as we are. God desires our spiritual growth for the benefit of ourselves, the edifying of the church, and the glory of Jesus.*9* Discipleship is a means to this end, in which Christians instruct, teach, and set examples for other Christians.*10*

Christian Community

God has always been calling people to himself. Though he works individually in our lives, no one is meant to walk the Christian life alone. In meaningful Christian community, we live out the "one another" commands of Scripture.*11* We value this type of community because through it, not only does the individual find benefit, but the cumulative effect it has on the church is even greater.*12*

Evangelism

One of the highest callings of the church is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.*13* Though some may be more directly gifted than others, we believe everyone has a part to play in the advancement of the gospel.*14* We embody an evangelistic heart that strives to be a beacon of light in a world lost in sin and darkness.*15*

*1* Romans 1:21-23

*2* John 4:23

*3* 1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36; Ps. 73:25-28.

*4* Romans 12:1-2; Deut. 6:13

*5* Hebrews 10:24-25; Colossians 3:16-17

*6* Rev. 4:10-11; 5:11-14; 21:3; 22:8-9

*7* Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:1-11; John 17:17

*8* 2 Tim 3:15-16

*9* Phil. 1:6-11; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 3:11-13; Eph. 5:25-27; 2 Peter 1:5-8

*10* 1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 2 Tim. 1:13, 2:1-2, Heb. 13:7

*11* Phil. 2:1-4

*12* 1 Cor. 12:4-27

*13* Matt. 28:18-20

*14* 1 Peter 3:15; Phil. 1:27

*15* Matt. 5:14-16

Our Statement of Faith

The Word of God
We believe that the Old and New Testaments were verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings; and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.

The Trinity
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.

The Holy Spirit
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ; convict men; regenerate the believing sinner; and indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.

Sin
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and become sinners in thought, word, and deed.

Justification
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who receive Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood.

Function of the Risen Christ
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord; in His ascension into Heaven; and in His present life there for us, as High Priest and Advocate.

Christ's Return
We believe in "that blessed hope" - the personal, premillennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Regeneration
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.

Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust; the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved in Heaven, and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost in Hell.

Perseverance of the Saints
We believe in the perseverance of the saved.

The Church
We believe in the universal church, a living and spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated in worship, work and fellowship.

Ordinances
We believe that baptism and the Lord's Supper are the ordinances to be observed by the church; that baptism is the immersion of the believer in water, signifying death to the world and new life in Christ; that the Lord's Supper is a memorial observance and is open to all who have trusted in Christ.

Angels, Satan, and Demons
We believe in the existence of angels, Satan, and demons.

Our History

Our church was originally founded by the Norwegian Baptist Convention in 1888 in the town of Edinburg, DT (Dakota Territory - before it was a state). Bethel began a process of merging with the First Baptist Church of Park River, ND which was completed by about 1910. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1920 and a new one built in the exact place. Bethel became a part of the Baptist General Conference in 1964. In 2008 The Baptist General Conference changed its name to Converge. Bethel fellowships with the Converge North Central District, which is made up of churches in Minnesota & Iowa. The people of Bethel have always had a great missions emphasis. We have sent out and generously supported some of our own members in foreign missions. We are known for the love of our Bible Camp & our missionaries. Everyone has their share of failures in life and so do we. Our desire is to grow in faith to be more like Jesus Christ. We believe everyone should know Jesus personally, because He is the answer for all of our needs.

Our Mission

Our Vision