Who We Are
Our Statements
LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD
With the universal Christian Church, The LCMS teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God:
– the Father, creator of all that exists;
– Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan;
– the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments.
The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
OUR MISSION
Declaring the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, calling them into faith, while sharing and strengthening the faith of our members and fellow believers.
WE BELIEVE
What We Believe as Christian Lutherans:
Grace Alone – salvation is the free gift of God the Father’s grace (undeserved mercy).
Faith Alone – God the Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior who paid the price for our sins by dying upon the cross and then rising from the dead. God the Holy Spirit leads us to trust Christ and keeps us faithful in our Christian life.
Scripture Alone – the Bible is the Word of God and the source of all we believe, teach and do.
Our Story
Bethel is a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) worshipping around 400 souls a weekend over three services. We have ministries for all ages and strive to be a welcoming church fellowship.
Bethel’s first service was conducted at the Carnegie Library in downtown Bryan in 1938. The first church building was dedicated on June 28, 1942. Since then, our congregation has grown as we have reached out to meet the spiritual needs of our community. We have resided in three different properties, having moved into the current location in 2011.
Our Senior Pastor
Rev. Randall C. Bard was installed as Bethel’s pastor on July 13, 2008. Pastor Bard graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1987. He earned his Master of Divinity from Concordia Lutheran Seminary, St. Louis, MO in 1997. He also has training from the Pastoral Leadership Institute in 2000. He has served at Lutheran churches in Bowie and Ft. Worth, Texas, prior to coming to Bethel. He and his wife, Connie, have three daughters.
Our Called Staff
Rev. Tim Eden
Associate Pastor
Mr. Jeff Bellach
Director of Christian Education
Mr. Tetsuya Sugita
Director of Parish Music
Our Staff
Mrs. Ruthann Stroud
Church Secretary
Mrs. Joyce Sutherland
Director of Operations & Human Resources
Mrs. Autumn Helton
Office Assistant
Mrs. Terry Frazier, CPA
Accountant
Mr. Jeremy Shilling
Facilities Manager
Mrs. Connie Bard
Children's Ministry Coordinator
Mrs. Shelly Schultz
Director, Preschool Lutheran Preschool
Miss Emma Schmeling
Asst. Director, Bethel Lutheran preschool
Rev. K. Lynn Stroud
Pastor Emeritus
Mr. Randy Moerbe
Director of Christian Education Emeritus
Our Facilities
The facilities of Bethel Lutheran Church exist for the sole purpose of serving Jesus Christ and ministering to His people by providing a place to worship, witness, teach and have fellowship.