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OUR
BELIEFS
As
Christians...
As
Christians we believe in the One True God who makes himself
known in three different persons: the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. We believe God loves us and desires to have a personal
relationship with us. That relationship with God is made
possible through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. A relationship
with Jesus Christ is essential to a Christian life and the
only way to salvation. If you would like to know more about
having a relationship with Jesus Christ click here.
As
Presbyterians...
Presbyterians
are reformed Christians. As
reformed Christians we share the same tenets of faith as other
Christian churches. Our reformed traditions guide our form of
government and our theological beliefs.
The
word "Presbyterian" is derived from a Greek word
meaning "ruled by elders." Bethany as a local
congregation is governed by an elected board of elders, called
the Session, which serves rotating three-year terms. Elders
also share with pastors leadership authority in regional and
national Presbyterian governing bodies. We are guided by our
Constitution, historical confessions of the church, and most
importantly, the Bible which we believe is the written Word of
God.
We believe that
salvation cannot be earned but is a free gift of God that we
receive when in faith we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and
risen Savior. We also believe in the authority of Scripture. The
Bible contains everything one needs to know Jesus Christ. John
Calvin, one of the original founders of the Presbyterian
movement, referred to the Bible as a pair of glasses through
which God comes into focus. Our
watchwords are, "Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture
alone." As reformed Christians we challenge ourselves to
examine our faith and Scripture and we challenge any theology
that does not correspond with our watch words.
We
Are A Confessing Church
Bethany
has joined
with other conservative evangelical congregations in a network
of "Confessing Churches." These churches believe it
is important for Presbyterians, at this time, to clearly
affirm the following three items:
•That Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all and the way of
salvation.
•That holy Scripture (the Bible) is the triune God's
revealed Word, the Church's only infallible rule of faith and
life.
•That God's people are called to holiness in all aspects of
life. This includes honoring the sanctity of marriage between
a man and a woman, the only relationship within which sexual
activity is appropriate.
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