Our Mission

We exist to glorify God by being disciples who make disciples of Jesus.

Who <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">We Are</span>

Who We Are

Bethel has a long and beautiful history of God faithfully leading our church for over 130 years here in Galesburg, IL. As our country, cultures, and communities have transformed over the years our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus remains firm. Our methods and ministries may change but the message of hope in Jesus has never wavered. As a church we want to celebrate our past, embrace the present, and engage the future. Bethel is truly a multigenerational church that recognizes the need to actively bring the hope and healing of Jesus to our community and to the ends of the world.

Our Vision

We seek to fulfill our mission through the four following ways:

Word Centered Ministry

  Relational Community

Next Gen Focus 

Missional Outreach

History of Bethel

How We Started

Over one hundred years ago, on November 22, 1888, the Swedish Baptist Church of Galesburg was organized. O.F. Carlson became its first pastor, at a salary of $25 a month.

In 1898, a plot of land on North Chambers Street was purchased and a tent erected. A new building was dedicated on December 18, 1898. All services were conducted in Swedish until the 1920s, when an evening English service was added.

By 1930, Swedish was used only on the first Sunday of each month. The conversion to all English services was completed in 1937.

On June 2, 1937, the church voted to change their name to “North Chambers Street Baptist Church.” The name changed again to “Bethel Baptist Church” in 1950.

After World War II, the church purchased land at Fremont and Academy Streets, breaking ground at the new site in 1952.

On May 27, 1956, the doors of the new Bethel were opened. Dedication took place in September 1956.

The Christian Education Building was added in 1975.

The most recent building projects in the early 2000s resulted in the new worship center and learning center that were both constructed debt-free. Through everything, the Lord has blessed Bethel to be a blessing to those in our community.

In June of 2014, Pastor Scott Wilson was installed as the new Senior Pastor after the retirement of Pastor Lee Johnson, who served faithfully at Bethel for 26 years.

In May of 2015, the Executive—and beloved—Pastor Kirk Kendall passed away suddenly, shortly before he was to retire. Pastor Kirk and Pastor Lee began ministry at Bethel at about the same time. The church has benefited from their stable leadership. While the sudden loss of our pastor and friend has been difficult for our church and community, the staff and volunteer leaders have rallied together to care for the needs of the church and to set our sights on a new season of embracing God’s calling in this community and around the world.

Bethel has a great reputation in Galesburg for being a family Bible church that serves those around us well. Bethel also holds a deeply rooted commitment to participating in and supporting missions and missionaries around the world for the glory of God.

Our Network

Converge MidAmerica

Our network of churches  Bethel is a member of Converge MidAmerica, a multicultural movement of leaders and churches that multiplies churches in the United States.

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Our Beliefs

Statement of Faith

The following are the core beliefs of Bethel Baptist Church based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these Biblical doctrines.

Download constitution & Bylaws here

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.  

John 4:24; Acts 4:24-30; Matthew 5:48

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth. 

Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-3, 14; John 17:5; Acts 4:12; Romans 8:34; I Corinthians 15:3-8; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 1:17-18

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer in Christ and that He is an abiding helper and guide. 

John 14:26, 16:7-15; Romans 8:9, 26-27; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:13-14

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons; that they are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.

Genesis 3:22; Matthew 28:19; John 16: 14-15; I Corinthians 12:4-6

We believe that the Bible is the word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

Matthew 5:18; John 17:17; Romans 15:4; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21

We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 3:1-24; Psalm 51:5; John 3:16-18, 36; Romans 3:23-24, 5:12-21, 8:28-30; Galatians 3:22; I Timothy 2:5; Titus 3:5-7

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

Matthew 16:16-19, 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; Romans 12:4-5; I Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 3:7-13

We believe in the personal, visible and imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the saved, and the endless suffering of the lost. 

Matthew 24:30; Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15:42-44; II Corinthians 5:10; I Thessalonians 4:15-17

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church; baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for the commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:23-24

We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization. Such an organization whether a regional or district conference exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with inter-denomination fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.

I Corinthians 16:1-4; II Corinthians 8:23-24; Titus 1:5

We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

I Corinthians 4:1-2; II Corinthians 9:6-8; Galatians 5:22-26; Philippians 2:14-15; Colossians 3:17-23; I Thessalonians 5:12-22 

We believe that God created man and woman in His own image to complete one another as husband and wife (Genesis 2:24). We further believe that at the time God created man and woman He created the institution of marriage (Genesis 2:20-24, Mark 10:6-9). Bethel Baptist Church defines marriage as a sacred union ordained by God between one biological man and one biological woman (Matthew 19:4–5).

We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictations or patronage of the other.

Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29; I Corinthians 5:12-13, 10:23-24; II Corinthians 5:9-10

We believe God created humanity in his image with two distinct biological embodiments (XY, XX), as Male and Female (Genesis 1:26-27). God created differences between male and female and for these differences to complement one another (Genesis 2:18-25). The gendered embodiment of each individual as either biologically male or biologically female was God’s good intention in our creation and cannot be altered (Psalm 139:13-16; 1 Corinthians 6:19). 

We believe sex is to be enjoyed between a biological man and a biological woman within the covenant of marriage for the purposes of intimacy, pleasure (Song of Solomon), and procreation (Genesis 1:28). The sexual union is to be kept sacred within the protective covenant of marriage only (Hebrews 13:4). Sexual immorality is strictly judged by God as sin and described and defined in the Holy Scriptures as including but not limited to lust, fornication, adultery, and homosexuality (Leviticus 18-20; Matthew 5:27-30; Romans 1: 26-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9). Those who practice these lifestyles of unrepentant sin are storing up God’s wrath for themselves (Romans 2:5). 

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.

Psalm 139:13-16