A Summary
The Bible
We believe that the Bible (the 66 books that make up the Old and New Testaments) is the word of God given through apostles and prophets, that it is without error, and it is the only infallible rule of faith and life.
God
We believe that God is before all things and that all other things are his creation. There is one God who exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Human Beings
We believe that human beings were created, male and female, in the image and likeness of God, and thus every person has great worth and dignity. We also believe that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, and are separated from him now and for eternity, unless there is some remedy, which must come from outside of us.
Jesus Christ
We believe that the eternal Son of God became a human man about 2,000 years ago in order to live a life of obedience to God for us and to die on the cross for our sins. Three days later he rose from the dead and is the basis for our acceptance by God so that we could begin a new life now that will last forever.
Faith
We believe that God calls us to trust in Jesus Christ and that through faith in Christ, God forgives us of our sin apart from any work, effort, or merit on our part; it is a gift of his free grace. We further believe that those who are forgiven by God are also changed so radically that it can be said that they are "born again" so that now in Christ we desire to and are enabled to live a new life of fellowship and harmony with God, and with other believers in Christ as brothers and sisters.
In More Depth
The Source of Our Beliefs
The Bible is our final authority in life and faith. If you ask what Bethel believes, that is the short response. But that answer also raises a question: what does the Bible teach? To give the briefest summary, the church throughout the ages has used the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds.
To describe our doctrine in greater detail, we turn to the Westminister Confession of Faith. It more fully answers the question: “What do we believe the Bible says?” It states most fully what Bethel and historic Presbyterian churches believe.
Why Bethel?
The name comes from ancient Hebrew and means house of God. Jacob gave the name to a place where he had an awe-inspiring encounter with God, yet was offered the hope that his people will have a promised land (Genesis 28).
How Bethel acts on these beliefs:
Bethel Presbyterian Church was established by God and continues to exist and work by the power of God’s life-giving Spirit. Our task and great joy is to bring people closer to God and one another through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and the on-going work of Christ through his Holy Spirit who is actively at work in our lives individually and together as his church. We meet each Sunday to worship together and to learn about God, what he has done to restore us to his fellowship, and how he wants us to respond to him in every aspect of our lives. We are delighted at opportunities to introduce people to Jesus Christ and the hope God offers through Him.
An important part of our mission in Leesburg is to assist Christians in their spiritual growth by providing clear teaching, prayer, counsel, and other resources. Our love for all people compels us to protect our heritage and religious liberty. We do this by encouraging the application of biblical principles to all spheres of our life and culture. In the application of these principles, Bethel Church extends a caring hand into our local community through various ministries.
Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This Great Commission is given on Christ's authority. Since Christ's dominion is universal, the gospel must go to the whole world.
Such a task begins with each individual in his or her own sphere of influence among family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. At Bethel Church, we seek to equip the saints to communicate the good news of God to others with love.
Our Denomination
We are a part of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which seeks to communicate the life-giving message throughout the world, both at home in North America through our Home Missions, and abroad through our Foreign Missions. The gospel - the good news – is for all to hear. Through it, sin is forgiven, God and human beings are reconciled, and a foundation is established to live a life devoted to loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind, and our neighbors as our selves.