We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior

The ELCA’s official Confession of Faith identifies the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (commonly called the Bible), the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds; and the Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord as the basis for our teaching. ELCA congregations make the same affirmation in their governing documents, and ELCA pastors promise to preach and teach in accordance with these teaching sources.

This Confession of Faith is more than just words in an official document. Every Sunday in worship ELCA congregations hear God’s word from the scriptures, pray as Jesus taught and come to the Lord’s Table expecting to receive the mercies that the Triune God promises. Throughout the week ELCA members continue to live by faith, serving others freely and generously in all they do because they trust God’s promise in the Gospel. In small groups and at sick beds, in private devotions and in daily work, this faith saturates all of life.

This connection to all of life is the clearest demonstration of the authority that the canonical scriptures, the ecumenical Creeds and the Lutheran Confessions have in the ELCA. The Holy Spirit uses these witnesses to create, strengthen and sustain faith in Jesus Christ and the life we have in him. That life-giving work continues every day, as Martin Luther explained in the Small Catechism: the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

We believe that God is One, and acts in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created all that exists. God’s Son, Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us a new life. God’s Spirit is working in the world, especially in the ministry of the Church.

Bethel is a congregation of the North Carolina Synod, one of the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.