About Us

Church History

Bethel Christian Fellowship was founded in September 2000. The first service was held on September 10 in a rented meeting room at Sunny Crest Home. John Lee Stoltzfus preached the first sermon entitled “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” On March 18, 2001, Elmer Smucker was asked to lead out in a dedication service for the new church. 

Services were held at Sunny Crest home until the fall of 2016 when the church was moved to its current location in Churchtown, PA.

Our Mission

Our mission is to honor and glorify the Lord God, our Creator and Redeemer. We purpose through prayer and the direction of the Holy Spirit to live in obedience to Gods Word by literally following the teaching and examples of Jesus and the apostles. We are committed to building a brotherhood unified in Christ, which bridges the barriers of race and culture. We intend by word and action to demonstrate the Gospel in our families, our communities, and the whole world.

Statement of faith

We accept the 18 articles of the Dordrecht Confession of Faith adopted and confirmed on April 21, 1632, and the Mennonite Confession of Faith, 1963.

 

Statement of Beliefs – Concise Overview

Adopted by the members of Anabaptist Disciples of Christ on June 30, 2018, in Belleville, OH. To view the full statement of beliefs, visit the Anabaptist Disciples of Christ website.
  1. God and His attributes: we believe in one eternal God existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
  2. Divine revelation: we believe that God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inspired Word of God, and supremely in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
  3. God’s creation and providence: we believe that in the beginning God created all things by His Son. He made man in the divine image with free will, moral character, and a spiritual nature. 
  4. Man and his sin: we believe man was created holy but chose to disobey and caused separation from God. Now since man is born with a sinful nature he has no power to be holy without Christ.
  5. Christ, the Savior from sin: we believe that there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who suffered and died to redeem us from sin and arose for our justification. 
  6. Salvation by grace through faith: we believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, a gift bestowed by God on those who repent and believe. 
  7. The Holy Spirit and the Christian life: we believe that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, gives guidance in life, empowers for service, and enables perseverance in faith and holiness. 
  8. The church of Christ: we believe that the church of God is the body of Christ, the brotherhood of the redeemed, a disciplined people obedient to the word of God, and a fellowship of love, intercession, anointing and healing. 
  9. The mission of the church to society: we believe that Christ commissioned the church to go into all the world, making disciples of all the nations, and ministering to every human need. 
  10. The ministers of the church: we believe it is the will of God that there should be ministers to teach the Word, to serve as leaders, to administer the ordinances, to lead the church in the exercise of discipline, and to serve as pastors and teachers. 
  11. Christian baptism: we believe that those who repent and believe should be baptized with water as a symbol of baptism with the Spirit, cleansing from sin, and commitment to Christ. 
  12. The Lord’s supper: we believe that the church should observe the communion of the Lord’s supper as a symbol of His broken body and shed blood, and of the fellowship of His church, until His return. 
  13. Symbols of Christian brotherhood: we believe in the washing of the saints’ feet as a symbol of brotherhood, cleansing, and service, and in giving the right hand of fellowship and the Christian salutation as symbols of Christian love. 
  14. Symbols of Christian order: we believe that God has established unique roles for man and woman, symbolized by man’s uncovered head in praying and prophesying and by woman’s veiled head. 
  15. Marriage and the home: we believe that Christian marriage is intended by God to be the union of one man and one woman for life, and that Christians shall marry only in the Lord. 
  16. Discipleship in the kingdom of Christ: we believe the kingdom of Christ is composed of those who have been born again and follow Jesus Christ as His disciples, who are not to be conformed to the kingdom of this world but seek to conform to Christ in every area of life. 
  17. Holiness and simplicity of life: we believe that as members of the kingdom of Christ, we must live a lifestyle of holiness and simplicity, showing Christian stewardship in every area of life, modesty and economy in our appearance, as becomes those professing Christian faith. 
  18. Holiness and Christian integrity: we believe that Christians are to be open and transparent in life, ever speaking the truth and employing no oaths.
  19. Holiness and media: we believe media has the potential to bring broad-based adaptation to the secular culture and values of the kingdom of this world. Since the point of conflict has shifted from devices themselves to the media content they broadcast, we refrain from the use of ungodly forms of media and content.   
  20. Love and nonresistance: we believe that it is the will of God for Christians to refrain from force and violence in human relations and to show Christian love to all men. 
  21. The Christian and the state: we believe that the state is ordained of God to maintain order in society and that Christians should honor rulers, be subject to authorities, witness to the state, and pray for governments. 
  22. The final consummation: we believe that at death the unsaved enter into everlasting punishment and the saved into conscious bliss with Christ, who is coming again, and will raise the dead, sit in judgment, and bring in God’s everlasting kingdom.

 

Covenant of Bethel Christian Fellowship

Having been born again by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and being justified on the ground of His shed blood and having confessed our faith before men, we do in the presence of God and this local body, most solemnly and joyfully enter into agreement with one another as one body in Christ. We commit, therefore, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to
walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, and doctrines according to the Bible.
 
We will strive to maintain family and private devotions; to educate our children in God’s Word; to seek the salvation of our kindred, our acquaintances, and all those with whom we come in contact, as the Lord enables. We will also live out our commitments to the church in all places, at home and in our travels, living a life of integrity as an example to our families.
 
We endeavor, by the grace and power of God, as strangers and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. We will live our lives separately from all sinful and worldly practices. We will put away from us all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking. We will be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us (Eph. 4:31-32). We further commit to watch over one another in brotherly love, to remember each other in prayer, and to aid each other in sickness and in distress. 
 
We will strive to be open and sensitive to the physical and financial needs that may arise from within the church body, giving assistance to our brother whose needs are made known to us (1 John 3:17-18). 

 

Commitment of Support

As a member of Bethel Christian Fellowship, I hereby covenant:
 
  • To be in agreement with our mission, vision, and core values
  • To be in agreement with the ADC Statement of Beliefs 
  • To support and promote our brotherhood agreement of lifestyle and practice
  • To cultivate a personal devotional life by regular Bible reading and prayer
  • To receive discipleship from the brotherhood regarding my personal conduct and in every way to guard the testimony of Jesus Christ in the world
This covenant is kept by faithfully performing the obligations to which I have committed myself. I understand that my membership at Bethel Christian Fellowship can be terminated by an official transfer to another congregation or forfeited by disfellowship through discipline of the church due to unconfessed sin or by neglecting obligations of this covenant.

 

Brotherhood Commitments

We believe that Jesus is the head of the church. Therefore, all who wish to be members must be born again and have a relationship with Jesus, our Savior and Lord. We also ask that members live in commitment and close fellowship with the brotherhood for their own spiritual vitality and for the strength of the local body (John 3:1-21, Hebrews 10:22-25).
 
We believe that our body is to be a holy and living sacrifice and God’s temple where the Holy Spirit dwells (Rom. 12:1, 1 Cor. 3:16-17). Therefore, we ask our members to refrain from any harmful addictions such as smoking, vaping, drinking, drug abuse, etc.
 
We believe that divorce and remarriage is outside the will of God and is not acceptable. A second marriage, with the first spouse still living, constitutes a state of adultery, requiring repentance and separation (Mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18).
 
We believe God’s gift of sex is to be reserved only for marriage. All forms of adultery, pornography, homosexuality, and all other sexual activities outside of marriage are sinful perversions (Rom. 1:18-32, Rev. 21:8). 
 
We believe that the personal appearance of the true Christian believer must present a clear witness to biblical teachings on modesty, gender distinction, and simplicity. 

 

The Lord’s Day

We believe that the Lord’s day should be set aside for the body of Christ to rest from our labors, to come together as a church to receive spiritual nourishment, and to encourage one another in a time of collective worship. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). Worshiping together as the body of Christ and sharing our joys and sorrows will increase our faith and draw us closer together as a church body. Faithful church attendance is essential, and we desire to utilize the gifts that God has given each one of us for His glory. 

 

Christian Morality

We believe that human life is a special gift of God. Abortion constitutes the inexcusable taking of unborn human life; thus, it is murder. This includes termination of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother. Infanticide and euthanasia, including assisted suicide, are also to be recognized as murder.

 

Dress Guidelines for Men

For church services, we encourage dressing in respectful and reverent attire. This includes wearing a suit or dress shirt and dress pants for church services. We also ask that men are always mindful of dressing modestly, and we encourage sensitivity to the brotherhood when choosing what is considered dress shirt and dress pants. Long pants are expected to be worn at church, youth group, and ministry related activities, and we expect modesty to be practiced in all areas of life. We are committed to be mindful of and always convey the spirit of honor when we choose our attire.

 

Dress Guidelines for Ladies

We are committed to the preservation of femininity, simplicity, and modesty, both in our attitudes and how we dress.
 
1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-5 teach us that it is important for women to have modest appearance, to adorn the inner spirit with holiness, and to display a countenance of peace and humility rather than drawing attention with gold, pearls, and costly clothing.
 
We agree not to wear sheer materials or tight fitting, sleeveless, or low cut garments. Women are expected to wear dresses or skirts. Dresses and skirts should be of sufficient length to cover the knees while standing and sitting. Blouses should be of sufficient length to cover while in any position. We expect modesty to be practiced in our dress and in all areas of life.

 

Prayer Veiling and Headship Principle

We agree that the proper application of the headship order is for the Christian man to take seriously the Biblical commandment to be a Christ-like leader in the home and congregation and for the woman to compliment him as his helper. 
 
The Bible teaches Christian women to cover their heads as a sign of their acceptance of God’s order of authority and power and as a visual symbol both to the visible and invisible realm of created beings (1 Cor 11:1-16). This practice has been God’s plan for all cultures, and we embrace it as such (1 Thess. 5:17). We encourage parents to teach their daughters the significance of the covered head according to 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.
 
Because we believe the covered head is the symbol (1 Cor. 11:5) and not the veiling itself, the veiling should be of substantial size to serve as a witness to God’s protection and headship order.
 
We believe that as Christians, we should not be conformed to the world but should seek to conform to the will of God in all areas of life. This includes practicing modesty, simplicity, gender distinction, and stewardship in our dress and avoiding unnecessary adornments in the use of wedding bands or jewelry of any kind. For further study on Biblical principles of non-conformity (Matt. 6:25-34, John 17:11-16, Rom. 12:1-2, 2 Cor. 6:14-18, 1 Tim. 2:9-10, 1 Peter
3:3-4).  

 

Media and Entertainment

No leisure activity should take priority over personal worship, church services, or family life. The media content available on our devices, including our phones, has the potential to destroy our relationship with Jesus Christ, our marriages, and our relationships with each other by robbing us of the time that God has given us to use for His glory.
 
Most media is used to communicate a message or philosophy of life. Whenever media promotes an ungodly world view or promotes and distributes sinful immoral content, it needs to be avoided. We encourage filtering software and personal accountability to each other in either a personal accountability partner or a small group. However, filters and blocking devices are not sufficient. We encourage fathers in the home to be responsible for teaching and preserving the home as a safe place for his family and to create an environment where the voice and the presence of the Holy Spirit can be heard. Fathers need to be vigilant of the content that is being streamed on the devices in their household (Rom. 1:28-32, Psalm 101:3).

 

Church Assembly and Worship 

All members are to be active members in the church. Faithful church attendance is expected and necessary. Our methods of worship and choice of music should draw us into true worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). God has given gifts and talents of singing and playing instruments that we desire to utilize from among us. We choose a cappella congregational singing at our Sunday morning services and reserve instrumental accompaniment for our evening services.