How we are organized?

Independently, like the early church, and grassroots democratic!

The Bethelkirche is self-supporting and with regard to contents autonomous. As a local Evangelical Free Church we are no part of a hierarchical structured organization where a doctrine is handed down from the top to the bottom.

Our highest decision-making body is the parish assembly: Here the members and friends of the Bethelkirche decide about all essential aspects regarding the congregation work. To deal with all the manifold ongoing tasks, the parish assembly elects the congregation council. In addition, the parish assembly appoints the congregation leadership. The congregation leadership deliberates and steers the congregation work. In a pastoral way, they endeavor to care for the congregation and to give it direction.

We avow ourselves to the fundamental values of the baptism faith and we are a member of the Baptist Union in Germany which is recognized as a Christian Church (public body). The Union comprises about 800 local congregations and assumes tasks which extend outside the local congregation and which a congregation on its own could only accomplish with great difficulties; e.g. training of pastors and deacons, world evangelistic activities or disaster assistance.