This statement of faith serves as the foundation for the beliefs and practices of Bethlehem Camp.
This statement serves to guide us in our mission to provide a Christ-centered environment where all attendees can grow in their relationship with God, build meaningful relationships with one another, and be equipped to live out their faith in the world. Our foundation is rooted in the tenets of The Apostles' Creed:
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen"
Bethlehem Camp, Inc. and its Board of Directors hold fast to the tenets within the creed as outlined in the following principles by which we operate and establish this ministry:
We believe the Bible, both the Old and New Testament, to be the inspired and infallible Word of God, without error, and the ultimate authority concerning truth, morality, the proper conduct of mankind and the sole and final source of all that we believe.
Our conviction is that everything we do have a foundation on the Word of God. Preaching, teaching, and all forms of discipleship should be centered on the Word. Any principle preached or taught should be kept in context of the biblical passage used and applied to everyday life true to the text. The Word is central to who we are and keeping us focused on biblical Gospel ministry.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone, and that all who believe in Him are justified by His shed blood and forgiven of their sins. Salvation is impossible apart from Jesus Christ, All true believers endure to the end by the power of God.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, atoning death on the cross, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer, empowering them for godly living and equipping them with spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ.
We believe in the universal church, the body of Christ, composed of all believers, and in the local church, gathered for worship, edification, and mission.
We believe that Christians are called to live a life of holiness, love, and obedience to God’s Word, reflecting the character of Christ in all areas of life.
We are committed to provide an environment where the Gospel is shared, taught and lived out in all of our activities and ministries, demonstrating God’s love in action.
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Psalm 139).
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25).
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4).
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including but not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Bethlehem Camp (BC) as the local Body of Christ and to provide a biblical role model to BC members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by BC in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31).
Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Bethlehem Camp.
Bethlehem Camp was established in 1931. After the crops were harvested, families of all Christian denominations drove their horses and wagons to the camp for fellowship, revival, and Godly inspiration.
Over the decades, the camp’s facilities have been enhanced and now include five two-story dormitories, various meeting areas, an open-air youth pavilion, swimming pool, sports field, full dining facilities, RV sites, as well as our open air-conditioned tabernacle which seats 500.
The camp has maintained the vision of these pioneers who, after being secluded for a year, wanted to hug their friends’ necks, admire their calico dresses, brag on their new grandchild, or discuss the weather’s effects on the crops.
The women shelled peas, husked corn, and made biscuits while the men prepared the cook fire, took care of the horses, and built the brush arbor, which served as the church during the two weeks of camp.
Representing a variety of Christian denominations, preachers would arrive at the camp ready to proclaim God’s Word. Each day after meals, they took turns preaching to the people.
The history of Bethlehem Camp is rich with fascinating stories of people finding Christ, being called into the ministry, delving deeper into their walk with Christ, and being healed of spiritual and physical ailments. Even though we now drive cars to the camp instead of wagons, no longer have to shell peas for supper or take care of the horses, God’s word has remained constant and has touched the lives of thousands of people over the years.
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