Phoenix
Arizona
Add an Article
Add an Event
Edit
Bethany Bible Church
What We Believe
- We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as being verbally inspired and completely inerrant in the original writings and of supreme and final authority in faith and life.
- We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man.
- We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood.
- We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate.
- We believe in that "blessed hope" the personal, premillennial and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God, a relationship in which they are eternally secure.
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.
History
In 1954, a group of people had a desire to establish a non denominational Bible church in north central Phoenix. Andrew and Mary Tell donated land at Seventh Avenue and Bethany Home Road, and ground was broken on Thanksgiving Day. The building dedication service, for what has become Bethany Bible Church, was held on Easter Sunday in April 1955, with Dr. J. Vernon McGee preaching the dedicatory message.
The church called Dr. McGee's associate, Dr. John L. Mitchell, to be their pastor. He began his ministry at Bethany on September 1, 1955. The next 28 1/2 years were to be a fruitful time for God's work under his leadership. Dr. Mitchell retired as senior pastor on March 31, 1984.
During these years the church grew rapidly and had an impact on the community. It helped start several other Bible churches: Camelback Bible, Scottsdale Bible, Trinity Bible, Grace Bible, Biltmore Bible, Faith Bible, Desert Springs Bible, and Community Bible Church in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
A strong interest developed in world wide missions. As a result, a number of people from the church have gone into missions service. Financial support for missions has grown each year.
Under Dr. Mitchell's leadership, five more buildings were constructed. The first was a small education building in 1957. This was followed by two more education facilities in 1958 and 1962. Continued growth caused the auditorium to be too small, so a new building was erected in 1964 and the old building became the Fellowship Hall. The church continued to expand and had to institute two morning worship services in 1967. A combination education and nursery building was constructed in 1975.
Following Dr. Mitchell's retirement, Dr. David R. Walls was called to be the senior pastor. Under his dynamic preaching, the church grew rapidly to the point where it was necessary to start a third Sunday morning service. As the facilities were packed, discussion began about moving or expanding on our present location.
The Board decided to stay. So planning was begun for a new worship center, another education building, and an administration building. Ground was broken in July 1988. The administration and education buildings were put into use in May 1989. First services in the new worship center were held January 21, 1990. The dedication service with Dr. Joseph Stowell, President of Moody Bible Institute, was held on Palm Sunday, 1990.
- We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as being verbally inspired and completely inerrant in the original writings and of supreme and final authority in faith and life.
- We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man.
- We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood.
- We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate.
- We believe in that "blessed hope" the personal, premillennial and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God, a relationship in which they are eternally secure.
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.
History
In 1954, a group of people had a desire to establish a non denominational Bible church in north central Phoenix. Andrew and Mary Tell donated land at Seventh Avenue and Bethany Home Road, and ground was broken on Thanksgiving Day. The building dedication service, for what has become Bethany Bible Church, was held on Easter Sunday in April 1955, with Dr. J. Vernon McGee preaching the dedicatory message.
The church called Dr. McGee's associate, Dr. John L. Mitchell, to be their pastor. He began his ministry at Bethany on September 1, 1955. The next 28 1/2 years were to be a fruitful time for God's work under his leadership. Dr. Mitchell retired as senior pastor on March 31, 1984.
During these years the church grew rapidly and had an impact on the community. It helped start several other Bible churches: Camelback Bible, Scottsdale Bible, Trinity Bible, Grace Bible, Biltmore Bible, Faith Bible, Desert Springs Bible, and Community Bible Church in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
A strong interest developed in world wide missions. As a result, a number of people from the church have gone into missions service. Financial support for missions has grown each year.
Under Dr. Mitchell's leadership, five more buildings were constructed. The first was a small education building in 1957. This was followed by two more education facilities in 1958 and 1962. Continued growth caused the auditorium to be too small, so a new building was erected in 1964 and the old building became the Fellowship Hall. The church continued to expand and had to institute two morning worship services in 1967. A combination education and nursery building was constructed in 1975.
Following Dr. Mitchell's retirement, Dr. David R. Walls was called to be the senior pastor. Under his dynamic preaching, the church grew rapidly to the point where it was necessary to start a third Sunday morning service. As the facilities were packed, discussion began about moving or expanding on our present location.
The Board decided to stay. So planning was begun for a new worship center, another education building, and an administration building. Ground was broken in July 1988. The administration and education buildings were put into use in May 1989. First services in the new worship center were held January 21, 1990. The dedication service with Dr. Joseph Stowell, President of Moody Bible Institute, was held on Palm Sunday, 1990.