Glory Driven, Gospel Passionate, Grace Motivated
Bethel Baptist Church sits on Briarfield Road in Hampton, Virginia, where it has long been known as a congregation anchored by a clear three-part vision: to be driven by the glory of God, passionate for the gospel, and motivated by grace. The phrases "Glory Driven, Gospel Passionate, Grace Motivated" are central to who Bethel is and what it aims to do. Senior Pastor Brandon Hudson leads the church alongside Assistant Pastor Joel Achenbach, Administrative Pastor David Lavoie, and Pastor of Hispanic Ministry Jorge Paez.
Sundays on Briarfield Road
Sunday mornings at Bethel begin at 9:30 AM with Sunday school for every age, followed by the 10:45 AM morning worship service. The morning gathering brings together the full range of Bethel's ministries - children in nurseries and children's church, youth and adults in Bible study, and the wider congregation in the worship hour. A livestream is available so members and friends can worship with the church from home, and a photo gallery keeps a visual record of life at Bethel. Visitors who want to learn more about a first Sunday can reach the church office at 757.826.7710 or bethel@bbmva.org.
Wednesday Nights for Every Age
Bethel's midweek schedule is built around three rooms running at the same moment. Awana clubs for children in K3 through sixth grade meet at 6:30 PM, the youth group for grades seven through twelve meets at the same hour, and adults gather at 7:00 PM for Bible study. The arrangement lets families arrive together, drop off their children at age-appropriate programming, and then take part in their own study - a rhythm that has shaped the church's weeknight ministry for years.
A Bilingual Church on the Peninsula
Spanish-language ministry is woven into Bethel's life. Pastor Jorge Paez, born in Colombia and saved at twenty-one, leads the Hispanic ministry. A founding member of the first Hispanic Baptist ministry in Antigua and Barbuda, he was ordained at Fairfax Baptist Temple in Fairfax, Virginia, and now oversees Bethel's Hispanic work, which includes Sunday Bible studies, worship services, fellowships, outreach, and an annual soccer tournament. The ministry's anchor verse is Nehemiah 8:8: "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." The Hispanic ministry also has its own site at ibbhampton.org.
Reaching the Deaf Community
Sign language is used in all of the church's services, and a dedicated Deaf ministry gathers for Sunday Bible study, fellowship, and sign language instruction. The ministry is woven into Bethel's life as a whole rather than treated as a separate program: the Young Adult ministry lists ministry to the deaf among its core activities, and the Youth ministry does the same. Bethel sees the Deaf community as a partner in the church's wider mission, not a side ministry.
Raising the Next Generation
Children's ministry at Bethel stretches from nursery through high school. On Sunday mornings, kids attend their own graded Bible study classes while a nursery cares for the youngest children. Children's Church runs alongside adult worship, and the Awana program on Wednesday evenings serves K3 through sixth grade. Bethel Christian School, an academy that runs from K4 through twelfth grade, is also part of the church's ministry. The school offers a college-prep curriculum with music, drama, and competition in athletics, and several Bethel staff members teach Bible and coach athletics there. Administrative Pastor David Lavoie serves as the school's administrator alongside his church role.
Young Adults, Singles, and Adult Fellowship
Beyond the school-age years, Bethel makes room for college-aged adults and singles. The Young Adult ministry offers a singles class, fellowship activities, choir and orchestra, mission trips, and a community and college outreach. The Adult ministry gathers for Sunday Bible studies, ladies' and men's groups, fellowships, the choir and orchestra, community outreach, and mission trips. Together these ministries make Bethel a place where adults in any stage of life can find a small group, a choir robe, or a mission team.
Music, Drama, and the Arts
Music and drama are not a corner of Bethel but a thread running through every age group. Choirs and orchestras serve children, youth, young adults, and adults, and the church periodically stages drama and music productions. Special music and outreach opportunities give musicians a way to serve beyond the Sunday morning hour, and the music program is one of the church's most visible shared ministries.
A Heart for the Nations
Bethel supports sixty-one missionaries and six mission organizations, and the church hosts mission conferences and missionary speakers throughout the year. Mission trips are part of the rhythm for kids, youth, young adults, and adults. The Missions ministry is the largest outward-facing arm of the church and the way the congregation puts into practice the Great Commission it professes to be fulfilling.
What Bethel Believes
Bethel's doctrinal commitments are stated plainly. The church holds that the Bible is the verbally inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, and that God is eternally existent in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church teaches that man was created in God's image, that Jesus Christ was deity born of a virgin, lived without sin, performed miracles, died a vicarious and atoning death on the cross, rose bodily from the grave, and will return again. Eternal life, the church teaches, belongs to those who repent and place their faith in Jesus Christ. The local church, made up of baptized believers, is God's means of carrying out the Great Commission, and Bethel believes in a literal heaven for believers and a literal hell for those who reject Christ.
Joining the Bethel Family
Bethel offers several ways to engage with the church. Membership is handled through a secure online portal, and online giving is available for regular tithes and offerings. The church welcomes newcomers who want to know more about its vision, beliefs, and ministries, and invites them to contact the office at 757.826.7710 or bethel@bbmva.org, or to stop by at 1647 Briarfield Road in Hampton.