WHO WE ARE

Bethany is an Independent Evangelical Church that means we believe the message of the bible which is the Word from the only true and living God to all people.

The message of the Bible is true, that means that it is good news. The message of the Bible changes people’s lives, God is a living reality, and He loves the world that He made, He can and does change people’s lives completely for the better.

Our lives are sinful, we naturally do no not love God, but he created us to love Him.

The Bible tells us what Christianity is about, what God has done for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not a message of rules and regulations, but of great hope and freedom for eternity. Many people that meet at Bethany are local to the village, with others that come from surrounding towns and villages.

We come from different backgrounds, different parts of society, but we are all united by the life changing experience of Jesus Christ. He is the Saviour of those who truly love Him and trust Him with their lives; he died to take away our sin not just for now, but for eternity. For that reason we love and worship Him and seek to make Him known.

WHAT WE PREACH

We are a people with a message… Jesus Christ and Him crucified for sinners; God’s free grace; justification before God by faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from our own works.

Our message comes from the Holy Bible- God’s infallible and inerrant Word. We preach creation, man’s sin, redemption, and new birth, that is knowing God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can read more in our brief Statement of Faith.

 

WHAT WE DO

  • We use the New King James Version Bible.
  • We worship by singing from the New Christian Hymns book.
  • As a fellowship we have an interest in overseas mission, and we support six missionaries. Prayerfully and financially, they come from various societies. NTM, UFM, OMF, Silk Road & AIM
  • We support other societies that bring God’s Word to other areas of the world including Open Doors, Christian Witness to Israel and  Middle East Reformed Fellowship. We also support the Christian Institute.
  • We hold a coffee morning at 10am on the second Thursday of every month, which  is a way of reaching out into the community to build bridges with the local people.
  • We invite people in the area to special meetings to hear a clear gospel message several times throughout the year.
  • We have Holiday Bible Club in the summer for children and young people, also during the late spring we have a Games on the Grass afternoon for younger children.

WHO’S WHO

At the present time we do not have a pastor, but continue to seek the Lord for His servant to lead the work with the eldership.

The elders Norman Rees and Rowland Hicks have been in office since 1975, both live in the village of Clarbeston Road.

Both elders served the church under its original pastor, Peter Trumper also under Gareth Edwards who was pastor from 1990-1997. Both elders are now retired from work; they care for the church and still serve the Lord in their office as elders.

EARLY HISTORY

Bethany was formed in 1970. It seceded from a local Welsh Presbyterian Church in 1968.

The pastor first came to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church in 1962, during that time the Lord saved many people, the gospel being preached for the first time in many years. A small outreach commenced in the village of Clarbeston Road in a little disused chapel owned by the Presbyterian church of Wales called Penuel, this was reopened and used for special preaching services, and gospel outreach. The believers joined together with other Christian groups from around Pembrokeshire to encourage the ministry, there was a hunger for good preaching of God’s word in the area.

That fellowship was known as the Friends of Penuel, this work started in 1966 and was the forerunner of Bethany Evangelical Fellowship.

On April 7th 1968 there was a seceding from the denomination by the pastor and a group of Christian believers. The people met in the old village institute (became vacant the previous week!) The people met there for two years whilst the present building was erected. The Lord wonderfully supplied for the needs to build the new building and to furnish the church, there were amazing gifts given from many people towards the work. The building was opened in September 1970.

Pastor Peter Trumper was used to take care of the fledgling fellowship and was used to establish it as a church, and there were many added to the work, Peter Trumper was called in 1982 to a pastorate in Hollywell in North Wales.

God kept the church through the period after Peter Trumper left, until the church called Gareth Edwards in 1990. Our brother Gareth Edwards was called to a pastorate in 1997 in Cardigan town. In that time the church was consolidated and had grown under God’s blessing.

Since 1997 the ministry in the church has been fulfilled on Wednesday evenings by the elders and other able members of the church.