OUR BELIEFS

The following are the core beliefs of Bethany Evangelical Missionary Church based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

We believe the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is divinely inspired, infallible, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. As the Word of God, originally written under the Holy Spirit's guidance, the Bible is the supreme source of truth for Christian belief. It reveals who God is, exposes our nature in light of His holiness, proclaims His merciful salvation, and guides Christ's followers in growing their relationship with God and others.

We believe in the one true, living, and holy God, who is a self-existent, eternal Spirit, existing as a trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These distinct persons are inseparable, sharing one essence, power, and glory. God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. The Father is eternally the Father of the Son, the author of salvation, and the Father of all who are born again through faith in Christ.

We believe in Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He revealed the Father, proclaimed God’s Kingdom, and offered Himself as a sinless sacrifice for the world's sins. After His resurrection, He was exalted to the right hand of the Father. In His first coming, Jesus overcame Satan and sin, provided the only way to salvation, and opened the way to live a holy life in God’s Kingdom. He remains the sole Mediator between God and humanity and will return in power and glory.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, fully God, distinct yet one with the Father and the Son in majesty and glory. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our need for salvation and engages those who follow Jesus in a life-giving relationship. Through His indwelling presence, the Holy Spirit assures believers of their spiritual life, empowers them to fulfill God’s purposes, and equips them with spiritual gifts for God's glory and service to others.

We believe God created humankind in His image, male and female, for loving relationships with Him and each other. He established the family, based on the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman, as the foundation of human community. We value human life from conception, believing that God loves each person at every stage and desires for all to know and love Him.

Through human rebellion, we have fallen and are marred by a sinful nature. Apart from Christ, humanity is spiritually dead and cannot enter God's kingdom without being born again. On our own, we cannot do works pleasing to God or fulfill our purpose. But through Christ's finished work, God's grace, and the Holy Spirit's power, we can choose to accept God's will. Personal acceptance of Christ's redemption restores our relationship with God and empowers us to fulfill our created purpose.

Despite our rebellion, God still loves humanity and extends His grace to us. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers are forgiven, declared righteous (justified), made spiritually alive (regenerated), and set apart in an eternal relationship with Him (sanctified). True belief is marked by repentance, faith in Jesus as Saviour, and surrender to His will as Lord. This spiritual life bears fruit in love for God, others, and the lost. Salvation is God’s gift, accepted through faith, assuring us of forgiveness, a walk with Christ, and future resurrection life. A believer's life, empowered by the Spirit, will increasingly align with Jesus’ Great Commandment and Great Commission.

We believe the true Church is made up of all who have been reborn through faith in Christ's death and resurrection, becoming part of the body with Christ as the Head. The Church reflects God's grace, proclaims His truth, and extends His care to the world. God's people are sent on a mission to love and worship Him, teach His Word, celebrate Baptism and Communion, encourage others to follow Jesus, and participate in the growing Kingdom of God.

We believe that God intervenes in the world, and Jesus will return in power and glory to judge and rule, fully establishing God’s Kingdom. Scripture promises a new heaven and earth as the eternal home for the righteous in Christ. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all humanity for final judgment—those who trusted in Christ will be raised to eternal life in God’s presence and receive their promised reward.