What we believe

At Bethel we have adopted The Baptist Union of Great Britain Declaration of Principle as our key beliefs:

“That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.

That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who ‘died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again on the third day’.

That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.”

The Baptist Union of Great Britain Declaration of Principle

We further believe in:

  • God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Almighty, Perfect, Holy, gracious, merciful and compassionate.
  • The Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, totally human and absolutely divine. We believe in His virgin birth, His perfect life and teaching, His death on the cross in our place, His bodily resurrection and His ascension into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father until He comes again for His Church.
  • The Holy Spirit who brings conviction of sin, who initiates new birth, who leads us in discipleship, who enables us in worship, empowers us in ministry and witness and who is essential in our lives.
  • We believe the Bible to be the Word of God, divinely inspired. It is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
  • We believe that all humankind is sinful by nature as a result of the fall of Adam and that all people are guilty of sin in the sight of our Holy God. We believe that salvation from sin is available to all through faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • We believe in the Universal Church as the body of which Jesus Christ is the head.
  • We believe in the ordinances of baptism and of the Lord’s Supper as both instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • We believe in the priesthood of all believers, sharing in ministry using their God given gifts, giving personal witness to the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ and taking part in the continuing mission of Jesus Christ.
  • We believe Christian marriage is between one man and one woman.