On a corner of Capshaw Road and Bledsoe Road, between Athens and Madison, the Bethel Church of Christ gathers a congregation that takes the New Testament as its only guide to worship and church life. Three assemblies on Sunday and a Bible class on Wednesday fill the week with study, a cappella singing, the Lord's Supper, prayer, preaching, and giving. A wide-ranging missions program carries the work from Limestone County to the Congo, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands, and beyond.
Worship in Spirit and in Truth
Bethel teaches that the Bible, and especially the New Testament, sets the standard for what the church does when it meets. Creeds, prayer books, and denominational manuals have no authority in the life of the congregation. Each element of worship is tied to a passage of Scripture.
The Lord's Supper is observed every Lord's Day because Acts 20:7 records first-century Christians doing so. Members eat unleavened bread, representing Christ's body, and drink the fruit of the vine (grape juice), representing His blood. Prayer is offered to the Father through the authority of Jesus, and members sing "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" with the human voice alone, since the New Testament authorizes only that instrument for worship. A collection is taken up as members have prospered, and a sermon opens the Word of God for teaching and admonition.
Salvation, the church holds, comes through obedient faith: hearing the gospel, confessing Christ, repenting of sin, and being baptized by full immersion in water. Bethel teaches that the saved must remain faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10), that each local congregation is autonomous under Jesus Christ as its Head, and that the correct form of local church government is a plurality of elders with deacons serving under them.
A Threefold Lord's Day
Sunday at Bethel follows a steady pattern that has shaped the congregation for years. Bible classes for every age meet first at 9:30 a.m., giving families a chance to study a single passage or book together before the main service. The worship assembly gathers at 10:30 a.m., and a second service meets at 5:00 p.m. in the evening. Each gathering follows the simple order set out in the New Testament, with the Lord's Supper observed at the appointed hour and an invitation extended at the close of each sermon.
On Wednesday evening at 7:00 the doors open again for another Bible class. The midweek study lets members keep working through books of the Bible together and gives visitors an unhurried chance to ask questions about the church's teaching in a smaller setting.
Classes for Every Age
The education program reaches from the youngest members in "cradle-roll" classes for infants and toddlers, through the teenage years and into adulthood. Lessons are drawn straight from the Bible, and the curriculum used in adolescent classes is reviewed and approved by the elders of the congregation before it goes into the classroom.
Young People at Bethel
Bethel takes seriously Jesus' words about children in Matthew 18:1-6 and is determined not to let the influences of the world pull its young people away from the church. The youth program gives young people a place for friendship, fellowship, and growth in Christian faith. Activities include the Challenge Youth Conference, mission trips, a week at Camp Ney-A-Ti, community help projects, monthly devotionals, and regular area-wide gatherings. Blake Johnson leads the youth group, Kyle Massengale oversees the wider family ministry, and Jeff Woods coordinates youth missions.
A Worldwide Mission Field
The church follows the threefold pattern of mission work described in the book of Acts: evangelism, edification, and benevolence.
Bethel supports missionaries working to evangelize the Congo, Nigeria, Guyana, the Philippines, Saipan and the surrounding Pacific Islands, Thailand, and Zimbabwe. Members also work to strengthen small and struggling congregations in Australia, France, Romania, Switzerland, and parts of the United States, and underwrite periodicals along with radio and television outreach. Benevolent giving flows from the church to individuals, orphan homes, and disaster relief efforts around the world. The church site links directly to several of these mission efforts, including the Ghana Mission Fund and the Gospel to Africa, so members can follow the work they support.
Shepherds and Servants
Four elders share the shepherding of the Bethel flock: Jimmy Clark, Larry Swindell, Craig Ledbetter, and Tom Runnion. Steve Taylor oversees international evangelism under the eldership. Deacons serve with specific assignments across the life of the church. Brad Beasley leads Fellowships, Bob Cantley manages the Treasury, Nathan Durham oversees Buildings, David Hunt handles Audio/Visual, Matt Lemay sets the Order of Worship, David Nunley oversees the Baptistry, Daryl Brackeen handles Special Projects, Patrick Carder tends the Grounds, Mark Hatfield supports Facilities, Kim Hill handles Electrical, Ray Keimig directs Benevolence, Mike Mathis oversees Technology, Keith Dillard welcomes Visitors and Newcomers, and Jerry Bradley cares for the Sick and Bereaved.
A Corner in Limestone County
The meeting place sits at 26772 Capshaw Road, on the corner of Capshaw and Bledsoe Roads between Athens and Madison. Visitors driving in from either direction can find their way using Google Maps from the directions page on the church site. A live stream of the services is hosted through churchworld.io for those who cannot attend in person, and recorded sermons are archived online, with a long-running study through the book of Acts collected into its own playlist.
Recommended Resources
For members and visitors who want to keep studying on their own, Bethel points to a wide circle of outside ministries. Apologetics Press, the Light Network, In Search of the Lord's Way, and the Gospel Broadcasting Network offer radio, television, and print teaching. Podcasts and lectureships such as the Big & Tall Show and the Truth in Love Lectureship dig deeper into Bible topics. Periodicals like the Christian Courier and House to House are recommended reading, while mission efforts supported or recommended by the church include World Mission Radio, the Ghana Mission Fund, the Gospel to Africa, and Mission Pacific. The Jenkins Institute, the Widowhood Workshop, Crisis Evangelism, Challenge Youth Conference, and Limestone Bible Camp round out the list, giving members and visitors a wide selection of trusted places to keep learning.