Bethel United Church of Christ 

 The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a Protestant denomination resulting from a merger in 1957 of the German Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Church. The UCC seeks to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. It is a progressive mainline Protestant church that encourages members to connect their faith with social justice issues and service to others.

Sharing Love.  Sharing Compassion.  Sharing the Word. 

Being Christ to Our Neighbor  

Bethel's congregation had its beginning in 1960 as a mission church with 52 families, meeting and worshiping for four years in the Lakewood Elementary School.  The present building was constructed in 1964. 

 In keeping with the United Church of Christ's Congregationalist background, each congregation - Bethel included - is free to act in accordance with the collecitve decisions of it's members, guided by the working of the Spirit in the light of the scriptures.

 Bethel is organized around five Commissions, listed below, and a Church Council.  Those five Commissions are:

• Administration
• Benevolence
• Christian Education
• Evangelism
• Membership

The work of the Church is carried out through the commissions, with the Council functioning as the congregation's governing body.

Bethel United Church of Christ is an Open and Affirming (ONA) congregation.  Bethel continues to step forward in building an inclusive church for the 21C.  This quote from our UCC General Minister John Dorhauer is so appropriate, "Adaptability is an essential component to healthy and relevant communities of faith.  It is never a question of will we change-we most certainly will.  It is a question of when, how and under what circumstances."  Today, we have become ONA under the best of circumstances.  It was a vision that was brought forth in our Visioning Plan by the congregation and  moved forward by our Welcoming Team.  How exciting that Bethel continues to find ways to reach out and invite into a covenantal relationship all people, "no matter where they are on life's journey."