About Us

Our Leadership

The elders provide pastoral or shepherding care over the church. Their role is not to do all the work of ministry, but to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Ephesians 4:11-12 Elders are not selected per se (as in an election), but are recognized by the local body as men who are doing the work and who meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. A seminary education is valuable, but not required for a man to be a pastor. What is required is the maturity and observed Christian character described in Timothy and Titus.

Our elders are:

• Jim Bailey
• Matt Carr
• Bob Paz
• Joel Stoltzfus

The elders are assisted by deacons, who were selected to enable the elders to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. These deacons are servant officers of the church who meet the qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy and Titus and who oversee the ministry to people's practical and material needs.

Our deacons are:

• Lawrence Banegas
• Jeff Cedar
• Chris Johnson
• Keith Leupold
• Michael Poland
• Jim Thompson
• Wally Thomson

Our Finances

With respect to our finances, Bethel Bible Fellowship's goal in handling the gifts and offerings God has entrusted us with is to glorify God. We do this by accountability and priority.

With respect to accountability, we have taken heed to Paul's remark in 2 Corinthians 8:21, "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men." Therefore, we have more than one deacon count the offerings. Another person deposits the offerings. We have a finance committee who sets the budget and approves special spending.

With respect to priority, we believe the priority of God is to reach the lost. Therefore, we give the largest part of our giving to missions and evangelistic projects within our community.

Our finance information and Finance Committee meetings are open to all members of our body.

Our Vision

We exist to glorify God by loving Him, living graciously, and serving others by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will live this out by emphasizing these seven values:

• Worship,
• God's Word,
• Prayer,
• Lordship of Christ,
• The Great Commission,
• Fellowship, and
• Family.

Our History

Bethel Bible Fellowship was formed in 1970 through the evangelistic effort of Christians sharing their faith by the grace of God. From 1970 to 1975, the church met in the home of Larry and Florine Stockton.

By the late '70s, the church had grown to over 100 people, clearly outgrowing the Stockton's home. From 1975 until 1982, the church changed its location four times, being graciously hosted for a time by both the College Heights Kindergarten and University Presbyterian Church. However, it soon became evident that the church needed its own permanent facility.

In 1980, the church was incorporated under the laws New Mexico for the purpose of building a facility to serve its need. In 1982, church built the chapel at 3890 Stern Drive. The chapel was expanded in 1984, and the mortgage was paid off in 1999.