wHO wE ARE
We are a Baptist congregation which holds to the tenets of the Baptist Confession and historic Christian worship. The preached Word is the main focus of our worship services. We strive to uphold a God-centred, balanced form of worship with adequate time given to singing, reading of Scripture, prayer and the preaching of God’s Word.
Our Vision
To delight in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour and to proclaim His glory in worship, witnessing and working for the extension of His kingdom in Centurion and beyond.
Our Mission
To equip the body of Christ at Bethany Baptist Church through the teaching of God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit so that as we grow in love toward Christ, our vision is realised.
We welcome you to join us on a Sunday as we worship the Lord together and sit under the ministry of His Word. We pray that you will feel welcome and that you may be blessed by your visit to Bethany.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
What is our purpose as a church?
The church exists to glorify God and to fully enjoy Him by worshipping the triune God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 15:5-6; 1Co 10:31; 1Pe 2:12; 1Pe 4:11)
To Fulfil the Great Commission
The church will strive to fulfil the “Great Commission” (Mat 28:18-20) by the proclamation of the Gospel and through discipleship, baptising and teaching of believers, which includes:
- Regular proclamation of the Gospel at scheduled services.
(1Co 9:16) - The faithful witness of individual members.
(Mat 5:16; Phm 1:6; 1Pe 3:15) - Prayer and practical support for church-based evangelism, church-planting and related outreach endeavours.
(Lu 10:2; 2Co 8:17; Col 4:3-4; 2Th 3:1) - Bible-based teaching ministries for all sections of the community.
(1Ti 4:11; 2Ti 2:2; Tit 2:1) - Mentoring and guidance through the personal example of members.
(Php 3:17; 1Th 1:6-7; 1Ti 4:12) - Mutual edification and encouragement of one another for all to play their part as active members of the body.
(Rom 14:19; 1Th 5:11, 5:14)
To Mutually Edify and Encourage
Members of the church will encourage one another and build one another up under the leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ and under the direction of the Holy Spirit (1Th 5:11). This includes the following:
- To walk in accordance with the principles of Christian conduct as given through the Moral law and taught by Jesus Christ and His Apostles and set forth in the Bible through inspiration by the Holy Spirit.
(1Co 12:25-26; Col 3:17) - To be equipped for the work of ministry, the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God and to grow in maturity as followers of Christ.
(Eph 4:11-14; 2Ti 3:16-17) - We believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to heaven where He is now ruling as King and will return in the near future to judge the world and establish a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
To Endeavour Socially
To display the love of Christ by promoting, establishing, participating in and encouraging efforts to help and support the spiritually as well as physically needy, through sharing the Gospel of Christ and meeting practical needs where possible. (Acts 2:44-45; Gal 6:10; Tit 3:14; Jas 1:27; Jas 2:15-16)
To Co-operate in Ministry
To promote and encourage co-operation with other organisations that share our Biblical convictions and beliefs. (Rom 15:25; Php 4:3, 4:16; 3Jn 1:8)
Our Beliefs
- We believe that the Holy Bible is God’s word, completely and totally without error. It is necessary to come to a true saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to direct us in our worship of God and in the way we are to live our lives for His glory.
- We believe in the Triune God, one God in three persons, namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- We believe that the death of Jesus Christ was not an accident, nor just an example of self-sacrificial love, but a deliberate act of God to deal with sin by punishing sin in His own perfect Son who died in the place of sinners upon the cross.
- We believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to heaven where He is now ruling as King and will return in the near future to judge the world and establish a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
- We believe that there is no other way to be reconciled to God except through personal faith and trust in Jesus Christ. We believe that all will give account before Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment when He will return in glory and raise the dead.
- We believe that those who have repented of their sin and trusted in Jesus Christ will receive eternal life, while others who have rejected Jesus Christ as Saviour will be punished for their sin eternally in hell.
- We believe that until that day the gospel will be preached and that through the Holy Spirit all those whom God will call to Himself will believe and be saved.
- We believe that as Christians we are called to live lives of faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as well as to be His witnesses on earth.
Our confession of faith
As a church we hold to the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. Although the Scriptures alone remain authoritative in faith and life, we believe the 1689 Confession is a faithful reflection of Biblical truth. Affirming the 1689 Confession isn’t a requirement for membership, but it is a requirement for elders and teachers within Bethany. We echo the words of Charles Spurgeon when he said this of the 1689 Confession: “This little volume is not issued as an authoritative rule, or code of faith, whereby you are to be fettered, but as an assistance to you in controversy, a confirmation in faith, and a means of edification in righteousness…Cleave fast to the Word of God which is here mapped out for you”.
Chapter 1 – The Holy Scriptures
Chapter 2 – God and the Holy Trinity
Chapter 6 – The Fall of Mankind, and Sin and Its Punishment
Chapter 8 – Christ the Mediator
Chapter 10 – Effectual Calling
Chapter 15 – Repentance to Life and Salvation
Chapter 17 – The Perseverance of the Saints
Chapter 18 – Assurance of Grace and Salvation
Chapter 20 – The Gospel and the Extent of Its Grace
Chapter 21 – Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience
Chapter 22 – Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day
Chapter 23 – Lawful Oaths and Vows
Chapter 27 – The Communion of Saints
Chapter 28 – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Chapter 30 – The Lord’s Supper
Chapter 31 – The State of Humanity after Death and the Resurrection of the Dead
Chapter 32 – The Last Judgment
Extras
- For understanding the value of Confessions, Dr. Tom Ascol has written a short but persuasive article that “Healthy Christianity is Confessional”.
- For an extensive history behind the 1689 Confession, we recommend the article “Confessing the Faith in 1644 and 1689” by Dr. James Renihan.