Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ is a strong progressive church serving White Salmon, Washington and the Columbia River Gorge. Our Congregational roots support us in seeking our own distinct understanding of the church's mission in the world. We believe that God is still speaking to us - challenging us to new understandings of Christ's teachings and the biblical call to justice and peace. We welcome all who would like to join with us to praise God and to seek to discover God's will for us today.

Bethel seeks to serve the needs of families and individuals of all ages. Our Sunday School programs teach positive religious values and help children to explore the Bible and Christian traditions with a sensitivity to the variety of other faith and belief systems. We strive to help adults enrich their own spiritual lives while juggling the demands of work and family. We celebrate our joys together and provide support during times of sorrow.

Worship and music reflect our love of both tradition and diversity. Our music is an extension of our philosophy and faith - a blend of traditional and modern hymns and spirituals in English and Spanish.

Bethel is a small church of abundant welcome. Our size creates a close fellowship of both new and long-time members, young and old - one without bias toward race, gender, age or economic status. We are an Open and Affirming church. We value the full participation of gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities in the life of our church and strive to be accessible and embracing of persons with handicaps. Through worship and outreach we are working to build bridges to the growing Latino population of the area.

Bethel is a leading voice within the Gorge on issues of justice and peace. We work to inform and educate members and the community where matters of social justice are concerned. We provide hands-on opportunities for mission and outreach to the community and beyond. Through sermon and worship we provide a scriptural foundation for our individual and collective search for peace and justice.

Bethel is committed to the enjoyment and protection of God's creation. We make use of environmentally friendly and sustainable products and practices within our church. We invite members to decide how they will protect and enhance the environment.

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Bethel Mission Statement

Bethel Congregational Church, as a member of the United Church of Christ, adheres to the UCC Statement of Faith. Its central beliefs are expressed in the UCC Constitution, which states:

Additionally, Bethel Congregational sets out its beliefs in its Mission Statement, and Open and Affirming Statement presented below to give visitors a sense of our beliefs.

By God's grace, we will be an inclusive church. We commit ourselves to be a chaurch for all people and, in Christ, we celebrate and embrace the rich diversity of God's good creation. We will teach in word and deed the equality and dignity of all God's people, regardless of age, gender, handicap, sexual orientation, marital status, race or national origin or any particular elements of a person's total humanity.

We declare ourselves to be a church open to all who seek to worship God with us. We affirm the worth and dignity of every person created by God and redeemed by Jesus Christ. We accept into fellowship all person who desire renewal in the Sprirt of God. Therefore, we seek to be a fully inclusive community of faith, sharing bread and cup with all who see in Christ the way to our common future. We believe that God desires our oneness with all people, everywhre, and we long for the day we all may be one.

We acknowledge that we are often less inclusive than we are called to be. Therefore, we will intentionally reach out into the community and the world, and lovingly invite all to Christ, and to participate fully in the ordering of our common life.

We acknowledge tht we sometimes find it difficult to accept the gifts that others bring. Therefore, we will seek to be open to those gifts, learn from them, and at the leading of the Holy Spirit, be transformed by them.

We acknowledge that God created the world in great diversity. We celebrate this diversity, and united in Christ, we will reach toward it in anticipation of God's reign.