Bethany Christian Assembly sits at 2715 Everett Avenue, in the heart of downtown Everett, where it has gathered people since 1910. From that single block the church now operates as a multilingual community of faith with services in English, Spanish, Marshallese, and American Sign Language, an on-site compassion network that serves Snohomish County through more than thirty programs, and a global missions effort that sustains over eighty missionaries across the world. Lead Pastor Rob Carlson, who has served the church since 1995, often summarizes the calling in four words: Live, Love, Lead, Like Jesus. That motto shows up everywhere, from the church logo to the vision page, and it shapes a congregation that is just as committed to feeding a hungry child in Everett as it is to planting churches in Eswatini.
A Church Built on Compassion, Not Just Worship
Long before BCA added contemporary lighting and livestream cameras, its identity was forged by serving people in need. The church has been engaged in compassion ministry in Snohomish County for more than thirty years, and that work now flows through the Bethany Compassion Center, a separate facility at 1421 Broadway in Everett. The Compassion Center houses over thirty outreach ministries that range from feeding hungry children and stocking food pantries to distributing clothing, offering personal counseling, walking alongside single moms, and providing ESL classes to adult learners. Outreach Pastor John Simpson, a Pacific Northwest native who has served in local church ministry for over twenty-five years, leads this work, with Christy Browning serving as Program Director. Simpson has been at BCA since 2009 and brings the same calm steadiness to a Wednesday night food distribution that he brings to a Sunday sermon.
For BCA, compassion is not a department - it is the church's reason for being. The mission statement frames Christian discipleship in four movements: Know God through worship and fellowship, Grow in relationship with Jesus through small groups and Bible studies, Serve others with the gifts God has given, and Share faith with those seeking truth.
Five Sunday Worship Expressions Under One Roof
On any given Sunday morning, the building at 2715 Everett Avenue hosts two distinct English-language services plus youth and children's programming running alongside them. The first is the Live and Online service, a contemporary gathering with full worship band and Bible teaching held in the Worship Center at 9:30 AM and again at 11 AM. The 11 AM hour is simulcast on the church's Online Campus so that travelers, shut-ins, and friends far away can join through live.bcachurch.com. The second is Traditions, a softer service held at 11 AM in the BCA Chapel that centers on the hymns and choruses of the church's faith heritage, with responsive readings, prayer, and the sermon shown on a large screen.
For families, both hours include children's programming. The nursery welcomes children from birth through age two on the main floor of the Children's Center. Preschoolers (ages two through pre-K) gather downstairs in the Early Childhood Center, where a brightly decorated wing and a playful Fish Slide are part of the room. Elementary children in kindergarten through fifth grade head upstairs to the Elementary Kids Center for multimedia teaching, worship, and interactive activities. A Nursing Mothers' Room sits next to the nursery with a live feed of the service and one-way glass for checking on babies, and a Family Room with closed-circuit TV lets parents of restless little ones worship together without leaving the sanctuary.
The youth ministry, called True Life, runs Sunday Life Groups from 9:30 to 10:30 AM in the Youth Attic, where students in grades six through twelve meet in small groups with adult leaders. After the second service, the building stays open: from 5:30 to 7 PM, the Young Adults group gathers for a shared meal, conversation, and Bible discussion aimed at people in their late teens, twenties, and early thirties. Throughout the morning, two additional adult options run concurrently with the services: a Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study and a round-table Discuss this Week's Sermon group over coffee.
Three Strategic Ministries: Spanish, Deaf, and Marshallese
BCA's most distinctive feature is that it is, in effect, four congregations sharing one campus. The Strategic Ministries wing includes Betania (the Spanish-speaking church), the Bethany Deaf Assembly, and BCA's Marshallese Church, each with its own pastor and its own language of worship.
Betania offers services, Bible studies, and community events entirely in Spanish, led by Pastor Zain Paloalto. The church celebrates the cultural heritage of its members with lively worship, heartfelt preaching, and a close-knit family atmosphere where language and faith meet. Bethany Deaf Assembly (BDA) provides services in American Sign Language, plus Bible study groups, fellowship events, and family ministry designed for the deaf community throughout the Everett area. BCA's Marshallese Church, led by Pastor Rodney Anni, serves the large Marshallese community in the region with services in the Marshallese language, traditional music, culturally relevant teaching, and gatherings that help families stay connected to their heritage while growing in Christ. The three strategic ministries share the main campus and the church's wider mission but keep their own worship rhythms.
Kids' Ministries From Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children are central to life at BCA, and the Kids' Ministries are designed to carry them from infancy through elementary school in a nurturing, age-appropriate environment. The nursery, led by Coordinator Brooke Chubinsky, uses a unique numbering system so staff can contact a parent at a moment's notice, and parents are welcome to peek through one-way glass in the adjacent Nursing Mothers' Room.
Preschoolers gather downstairs in the Early Childhood Center, where Coordinator Sierra Longsine oversees a bright, playful space designed for ages two through pre-K. On Wednesday nights during the school year, preschoolers return at 6:30 PM for the midweek program.
Elementary children (K through 5) meet upstairs in the Elementary Kids Center for age-specific teaching and worship. On Wednesday nights at 6:30 they join the BCA Kids Club, a Bible-based, Christ-centered program with separate spaces for the two age groups. Children's Ministries Pastor Carrie Fowler leads the team, with Madison Simpson coordinating Sunday and Wednesday support. Every Kids' volunteer is background-checked and goes through an onboarding process that includes a leader's manual and a video walk-through of the check-in system.
BCA also runs several high-impact annual events for kids. BCA Kids Summer Camp is a multi-day resident experience for students entering grades three through five, with swimming, team games, worship, and small-group teaching. Kids' Camp (the church's Vacation Bible School) is a free, half-day program held in late June, with a closing Family Night that features a missions offering competition and a dunk tank. Trunk or Treat, held in the BCA parking lot on October 31, draws hundreds of families from across the area for a safe, candy-filled alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating. Egg Blast is the church's Easter celebration for kids, and Kids' Christmas Sunday takes over the services one Sunday each December with a children's musical, hot cocoa bar, falling snow, and photos with Santa.
True Life Youth Ministries for Grades 6 Through 12
Teenagers at BCA are welcomed into True Life Youth Ministries, led by Youth Pastor Jacob Davis and Creative Coordinator Kennedy King-Davis. The flagship weekly gathering is the True Life Youth Ministries Gathering, held every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Youth Attic. There, students in grades six through twelve find a place to connect with God, with one another, and with older leaders dedicated to mentoring them. On Sunday mornings, True Life Sunday Life Groups meet from 9:30 to 10:30 AM for a smaller-group experience focused on conversation, questions, and prayer.
The youth calendar is built around more than weekly meetings. True Life Winter Camp and True Life Summer Camp are overnight experiences that combine recreation, worship, and teaching. Throughout the year, the youth group also participates in service projects, retreats, and seasonal events such as Trunk or Treat and the annual Egg Blast.
Adult Ministries for Every Stage of Life
Adult Ministries Director Deb Lucas oversees a wide range of ministries tailored to adults in different seasons. The Family Life ministry exists to help adults grow in Christian maturity, strengthen marriages, and equip parents to teach their children to root their lives in Jesus. It runs midweek classes, small groups, serving opportunities, and annual events like the Young Families Pumpkin Patch Day and the summer family hikes.
Men's Ministries, inspired by 1 Timothy 2:8, centers on prayer, fellowship, and service. The men meet weekly on Wednesday evenings for a Bible study led by Patrick Davis, walking through a book together and praying for one another.
Women's Ministries, directed by Cheri Goit, gathers women of all ages for Bible studies, small groups, and special events. The signature annual gathering is the Ladies Christmas Dessert, held on the first Friday of December in the BCA Activity Center, with tours of decorated tables, dessert, special music, and a guest speaker.
Young at Heart is BCA's ministry for seniors sixty-five and older, coordinated by Pastor Rod Boyd. Every Wednesday at 10:30 AM, seniors gather for Bible study and fellowship, then share lunch together in the BCA Cafe. The seniors also enjoy quarterly Hymn Sing afternoons, a cherished tradition that draws Christians from many local churches to sing together.
The Single Moms' Support Group meets Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM, offering a hope-filled environment for healing and restoration through God's Word, with childcare available. The group provides resources and encouragement for women pursuing their God-given purpose while raising children on their own.
Music, Arts, and a Creative Team
BCA's Music and Arts Ministry is more than a worship band. The team brings together singers, instrumentalists, sound engineers, visual artists, dancers, and actors who serve in Sunday worship services, the Christmas musical, Easter productions, and community events. Volunteers can serve on the worship team, in the choir, behind the soundboard, or in drama and dance. Pastor Danny Butcher oversees Creative Arts as part of his portfolio.
Classes, Groups, and the Journey of Discipleship
Pastoral Intern Noah Holaday and the Adult Ministries team curate a regular catalog of classes designed to help people explore Christianity and grow in faith. Basic Christian Beliefs, held Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM, is the foundational course for new believers or anyone wanting a refresher. Water Baptism Classes prepare people for baptism during a Sunday service. A multi-week Explore BCA track introduces newcomers to the church's vision, beliefs, and the four movements of Know, Grow, Serve, Share.
Beyond classes, small groups meet in homes and at the church throughout the week. The Groups page lets visitors browse open groups by topic and contact a leader directly, and a small-group interest survey helps staff match newcomers to a community that fits. Each Sunday, two sermon-based options run during the first service: the Adult Bible Study and the Discuss this Week's Sermon round-table.
Global Missions: Eighty Missionaries and Counting
BCA's commitment to missions extends far beyond Everett. The church sustains over eighty missionaries and numerous projects through its monthly General Missions Fund. Rod Boyd, the Missions and Senior Adults Pastor, walks the congregation through the work of these partners at a monthly Global Missions Highlight, where missionaries share stories and prayer requests.
The church's flagship international effort is the Global Church Partnerships (GCP) program, a collaboration with Assemblies of God World Missions that connects BCA's people and resources with pastors, churches, and communities in Eswatini, Sumba (Indonesia), Cuba, Albania, and through Medical Missions. These partnerships involve team deployments, property acquisitions, church construction, water projects, pastoral training, children's and youth ministries, and health education.
Anyone can join a STORM Team (Short-Term Outreach Missions). STORM trips send youth and adults to countries where BCA missionaries serve, doing construction work, providing medical aid, and hosting outreach events. The BCA Missions Handbook, available online, lists every supported missionary and project.
Bethany Compassion Center and Community Outreach
The Bethany Compassion Center, located at 1421 Broadway in Everett, is the operational hub for BCA's local outreach. With more than thirty ministries under its roof, the Center serves children, youth, and adults in need through food programs, clothing distribution, shelter support, and personal counseling. Jennifer Simpson, BCA's Food Director and Director of Food Outreach for Schools, oversees the feeding initiatives that reach children in area schools.
The Compassion Center also runs the church's ESL program, offering beginner-level English classes for adults in free six-week sessions on Saturdays. Classes and materials are free, with instruction in one-on-one and small-group formats. GriefShare, a thirteen-week support group for people grieving the loss of a loved one, meets on Thursday evenings during the fall and winter sessions.
Every volunteer role at the Compassion Center - from food packing to mentoring - is staffed by people who started by filling out the church's volunteer interest form and going through orientation. The Center is supported by the BCA congregation's monthly giving and by special campaigns.
Leadership College: A Path to a Degree and a Ministry
For students who feel called to ministry, BCA partners with Northwest University to offer the Leadership College. Students can pursue an AA, BA, or master's degree through NU's online programs, earning two free NU credits by participating in the BCA internship track. Internships are available in Children's Ministry, Youth Ministry, Missions and Compassion, and Administration.
Degree pathways include an AA in Ministry Leadership, a BA in Ministry Leadership, a BA in Business Management, a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, a BA in Organizational Leadership, a BA in Organizational Management, and a BA in Psychology. Various master's degrees are also available, and financial aid is accessible through NU's accreditation. Applications are submitted through both the NU Partnership Program and the BCA Internship Application.
What BCA Believes
The doctrinal foundation at BCA is rooted in the Assemblies of God tradition. The church believes in the Trinity: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, eternally existent as three distinct but equal persons. It teaches that humanity was created in God's image but marred by sin, and that every person will exist eternally - either separated from God in Hell or united with God in Heaven through faith in Jesus Christ.
BCA affirms the full deity of Jesus Christ - His sinless life, His death on the cross, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, and His promised return. Salvation is received by grace through faith, not by self-improvement or good works. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son, lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation, and empowers believers to live, understand, and apply spiritual truth. The Bible is God's Word to humanity, written under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living.
Getting Connected: Classes, Groups, and Serving
Newcomers are warmly welcomed. The I'm New page outlines what to expect on a first visit - strong Bible teaching, engaging worship, a relaxing atmosphere with coffee, and friendly people at the Connection Center who can answer questions about groups, events, and meeting a pastor. There is no strict dress code; the church encourages people to come as they are.
Parking is available in the main lot on Everett Avenue, with reserved guest spaces for first- and second-time visitors near the entrance and senior parking on the west side of the building near the Chapel. The church is centrally located in downtown Everett, easily reached from anywhere in Snohomish County.
After a few visits, the recommended next steps are the four core pathways: attend a New to BCA class, join a small group, start serving on one of nine teams, and download the BCA app for event registration, sermon notes, and giving. The F1Go account, the church's online hub, lets members sign up for classes, register for events, join groups, and give online in one place. Volunteers are encouraged to use the Serve Resources page, which includes background-check information, volunteer manuals, training videos, and the Planning Center scheduling system.
The church offers multiple ways to give, including online through F1Go, by texting GIVE to 425-428-5307, by stock or cryptocurrency transfer, and by traditional cash or check during services. An Impact Tomorrow Today campaign supports capital and ministry expansion. The BCA Weekly eNews keeps subscribers informed of upcoming events, and an SMS text-update list keeps volunteers and members connected on the go.
From Downtown Everett to the Ends of the Earth
Bethany Christian Assembly is, at its heart, a downtown church with a global footprint. In the same week, members may gather in the Worship Center for the Sunday sermon, host a Deaf Bible study in sign language, lead a Spanish-language service at Betania, serve Marshallese families in their native tongue, pack food boxes at the Compassion Center, mentor a middle schooler at the Youth Attic, support a missionary in Albania, and pray for an ESL student learning English at 1421 Broadway. The motto - Live, Love, Lead, Like Jesus - is less a slogan than a daily rhythm.
Whether a person walks through the doors for the first time or returns after years away, the welcome is the same: a cup of coffee, a friendly face at the Connection Center, a seat in the Worship Center or the Chapel, and an invitation to discover what God might be doing next through this community that has been rooted in Everett since 1910.