Membership

Membership at Bethany means more than signing on the dotted line, but it is not required to worship with us and it does not get you to Heaven. Rather, becoming a Bethany member expresses your commitment to this local church, "spiritual family" that worships together, grows in faith together, holds each other accountable and serves one another.

We are commited to connecting with you and desire to help you solidify your faith and find your place at Bethany. The membership classes are open to anyone who is a follower of Christ and is at least 18 years old.

In the Membership Class, we spend half a day teaching you about God's design for the church. We provide a review of the history of the EFCA and of Bethany. We teach about our organization, our finances, our Statement of Faith, and our core values. Finally, we review the commitment we are making to each other as fellow believers in Jesus Christ.

After you complete the Membership Class, we will schedule a short personal interview with you and a couple of our pastoral staff or elders. This is a time to get to know each other, hear about your spiritual journey, and allow you to ask specific questions.

We want this to be an easy, yet meaningful, process. Still have questions? Ready to register for the next class?
Either way, call us at 503-266-9307, or contact Pastor Ron online.

We view baptism as a celebration, not as a requirement for salvation or church membership.

The Bible teaches that when a person has invited Jesus to be Savior and Lord of their life, they should follow the example and teaching of Christ regarding baptism. Water baptism is an important step in the early walk of a believer.  It is not an insignificant ceremony or ritual, but is a powerful experience in the life of a true believer.  Along with the Lord’s Supper (Communion), we recognize that baptism is one of the two ordinances that Jesus asked the church to follow until He returns. We prefer the symbolism of full immersion, but we are open to other modes of baptism if necessary due to a physical limitation, illness, etc.

Parents:

Since infants cannot make a personal decision to believe in Jesus, we do not practice infant baptism. Instead, we offer you the option of child dedication for children of any age. For older children, we leave it to the parent’s discretion to counsel their child when they express an interest in being baptized. We suggest the child be at least 12 years old.

We traditionally conduct baptisms in the river at our August picnic. Other baptisms are scheduled indoors as the need arises. For any baptism at Bethany, we require attendance at a short class led by a staff pastor. The class helps you understand the meaning and process of baptism and make wise decisions about your own baptism. The class is held several times throughout the year, a few weeks prior to each baptism service.