Questions we often hear...
Q: I don't feel that I fit in at most Christian churches that I visit. It is not that I don't believe in God or Christ and all that, but I am pretty sure that I don't believe in exactly the same way that they all say they do. There is an odd way of talking that goes on in these churches and I continually feel that I am being "tested" to determine whether or not I believe the "right" way and I worry that one day I will be "found out" and someone will try to "save" me.
A: Bethel is an open kind of place where you are free to believe what you believe and think what you think and everyone else is free to do so as well.
Now, this doesn't mean that individually our members aren't concerned with beliefs or are wishy-washy. Indeed, just the opposite: for us, belief is too personal and important for it to be the type of thing that we could ever hope to all be in agreement about. As such, we talk about beliefs in ways that challenge each other's thinking, but ultimately, the right interpretation is between you and God.
Q: My partner and I have attended other churches only to be prayed over and condemned for our sexual orientation. Will we be "welcomed" at Bethel, as in merely tolerated, or truly welcomed?
A: As a denomination, the UCC has been at the forefront of being Open and Affirming (OnA) to the LGBT community. What this means is that all people welcome in the FULL life and ministry of a UCC Church.
Bethel has officially decided to begin the process of becoming Open and Affirming. As of January 2010, we are embarking on a time of prayer, study, and conversation that will result in an "Open and Affirming" declaration. Your voice would be welcomed in this conversation, joining our current GLBT members, as well as our pastor.
Q: Is Bethel a Bible-based church?
A: One must remember that the Christian Church was already in existence during the time that the New Testament scriptures were being written. Many books were written during this time, but it was the Church that determined which books were to be included in the canon as Holy Scriptures. This is to say that the Church wrote the Bible or, alternatively, that the Bible is "Church based" rather than the other way around.
Tradition, reason, and inspiration were the guides to what was scriptural during Biblical times and they remain so today. Churches today that claim to be "Bible-based" overlook this context and treat the Bible as some magical icon dropped out of the sky that is to be adhered to rigidly, but read only superficially. So, in that sense, we are not "Bible-based."
On the other hand, we do affirm that the Bible is an authoritative witness to the Word of God. Furthermore, every Sunday we read at least two scriptural passages and our pastor relates these to the topic of his sermon. We also have Bible study during the week and our Sunday School curriculum is based on one or more passages from scripture.