Membership

At Bethany we take membership seriously as a commitment to care for and help one another towards maturity in Christ.

To Become a member at Bethany you must do the following:

  1. You must be a believer in Christ. This means you have repented of your sins and put your faith in Christ alone for your salvation.
  2. You must be a baptized believer. This means you were baptized, by immersion, after coming to faith in Christ. If you are not, we would be happy to baptize you.
  3. Schedule a meeeting with the pastor to learn about Bethany, and he will give you the necessary information to make a thoughtful decision about joining. 
  4. To become a member of Bethany, you must affirm the church covenant.
  5. Assuming the above requirements have been met, you would then present yourself to the church at the end of the any regular worship service.

 

Church Covenant:

Having been led, as we believe, by the Holy Spirit, to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully renew our covenant with one another, as one body in Christ (John 1:11-12; Mark 1:15; Matt. 28:19-20).  

We will strive, therefore, by the aid 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, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations (Luke 12:33; Acts 2:42; 2 Cor. 9:7).   

We will strive to maintain family and private devotions; to religiously educate and shepherd our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk carefully in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct. We also agree to abstain from any practice that brings unwarranted harm to the body or damages our own or another's faith (Prov. 22:6; Rom. 12:21-22; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 6:4). 

We will strive to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress, to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to humbly submit to the church’s discipline, graciously repenting when approached about personal habitual sin, and lovingly restoring others who become entangled in sin (1 Pet.1:22; Gal. 6:1-2; 1 Pet. 3:8; Matt. 18:15-17).

We also agree that when we leave from this church we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word (Acts 11:19-21; Acts 18:24-28).