The United Church of Christ is a "union" of two Protestant denominations: the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Churches. Each of these was, in turn, the result of a union of two earlier denominations. In 1975, Bethel Church became a member of the Central Pacific Conference, which represents UCC churches in Oregon, Southern Idaho and Southeast Washington. More information about the beliefs, history, and diversity of the United Church of Christ can be found at the UCC Website, or at their companion site, "God is still speaking".

Members of Bethel call a variety of communities in the area home, including the Washington towns of White Salmon, its neighbor to the south Bingen, and the surrounding areas of Husum, and Trout Lake. Members also travel from the south side of the Columbia River, from the communities of Hood River, Mosier and The Dalles, Oregon.

The comments below are from some of our members, reflecting on what has drawn them to the church from around the area.

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We were drawn to Bethel Church because of its peace and justice ministries. We stayed because of the warmth and openness of the congregation. We support each other to become better people, spiritually and relationally, and to live spiritual principles in the world. Plus, we’re a lot of fun and make the best potluck suppers around!

Husum, Washington

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We moved to the Gorge in 2002 and looked at several churches before settling on Bethel as our church home. Bethel's open and affirming stance towards gays and lesbians and its progressive voice on social justice issues were an important part of our decision. The real clincher for us was the warmth we felt within the congregation and its welcoming embrace of new people. Worshiping at Bethel has helped us become a part of the Gorge community.

Rowena Dell, Oregon

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We were attracted to Bethel because we wanted a church that was active in the community and with issues of peace and justice. We respected the work that had been done to decide to be an Open and Affirming church and hoped that our multicultural family would find place in the church family. It has, and as our family has grown, we have stayed at Bethel learning more each year from the unique perspectives and experiences of others. We appreciate the high-quality of the children's education program that engages our son in a non-dogmatic introduction to the Bible and what it means to be a part of God's creation.

Hood River, Oregon

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For more information about where Bethel came from, see our history page.