About Us

At Bethel Baptist Church, we believe that the clear testimony of Scripture indicates that the church should be led in spiritual affairs by a plurality of elders. They are composed of vocational elders, who earn their living from ministry, and non-vocational elders, who have occupations outside of the church.

Our Leadership

 Jay N. Smith

Jay N. Smith

Pastor

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Jay was born and raised in Kansas City. Although his family attended church every week and he participated in the youth group and choirs, he never heard and understood the gospel during those years. In the Lord’s sovereignty, he joined a fraternity at the University of Kansas where he met two fraternity brothers who shared the reality of sin and forgiveness in Christ. After his first semester, Jay trusted Jesus as his Savior and Lord and became the spiritual brother of the men who witnessed to him. He joined a local church that was focused on the college campus and began studying the Scriptures and teaching Bible studies … and he met his future wife, Jan! They have four adult children and are now empty nesters enjoying being grandparents.

Jay completed a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Kansas, became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), then joined an accounting firm in the consulting division. While pursuing a career in software development and database design, Jay continued to teach Bible studies and Sunday School classes. He most recently worked for BlueCross BlueShield Association for 14 years before moving into ministry full time. He has served as a church elder and pulpit supply speaker at several local churches. He began serving Bethel Baptist Church as pastor in 2018. Jay enjoys studying and teaching Greek and is furthering his education at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dave Kells

Dave Kells

Elder

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Dave was fortunate to grow up in a good Christian home and Bible believing church, building a solid spiritual foundation for him. Saved at an early age, Dave drifted for many years but was never abandoned by God, and the Lord had much to teach him yet. Dave met his wife Lisa in 1990; they have now been married for over 30 years and have two adult children and two grandchildren. They play racquet ball, go snowmobiling and take motorcycle trips. Dave also enjoys golf and woodworking.

Dave and his family have been serving at Bethel Baptist Church for over 20 years, ministering in many capacities such as AWANA Leader, AWANA Commander, teaching Bible Study and Sunday School, and has been an Elder since 2008. He continues to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, eagerly looking for His coming for His church, desiring to serve Him until that day.

Statement of Faith

The Word of God

We believe the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, which consists of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament. We believe it is divinely inspired and without error in the original manuscripts. We believe it to be the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (John 17:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

The Trinity

We believe there is one living and true God, existing in three distinct Persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. These three are equal in divine perfection, have all existed eternally, and they execute distinct yet harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-4; 1 John 5:7)

God the Father

We believe God the Father is an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, and He saves all who come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. (John 3:16-17, 4:24, 14:6)

Jesus Christ

We believe that the eternally existent Word of God, Jesus Christ, is God’s only begotten Son, The Second Person of the Trinity, and who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles and His teachings are truth. He is fully God and fully man, possessing both deity and humanity united in one person, without division of the person or confusion of the two natures. Jesus Christ suffered vicariously, atoned for humanity’s sin through his death and literally, bodily resurrected from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, and will personally, visibly return to Earth to establish His kingdom. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. (Isaiah 7:14; Zechariah 14:4; John 1:1-14; 3:16; Acts 1:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:2-3, 4:13; Revelation 1:7)

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity and came forth to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; to regenerate, sanctify, and empower believers; to indwell, comfort, help, teach, and guide believers. We believe when a person trusts Jesus Christ to be his personal Savior, the Holy Spirit baptizesthat person into the body of Christ (not to be confused with water baptism). We believe there is a distinction between the spiritual gifts given to believers to equip them for the work of the ministry and the “sign gifts” given as manifestations of the Holy Spirit in order to provide credibility in the messenger and the message during the foundational period of the church. Therefore, we believe “sign gifts” are not normal for the present day, and we do not believe speaking in tongues is an evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26, 16:7-15; Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14)

Satan

We believe Satan is a fallen angelic being. We believe that he tried to exalt himself to be God’s equal and was therefore cast from Heaven with approximately one third of Heaven’s angels. Satan is the author of sin and was the instigator for the fall of man. He is the enemy of God and man; he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Genesis 3; Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41; Revelation 20:10)

The Creation & Fall of Man

We believe Jesus created the universe in six 24 hour days. We believe that all people are descendants of a literal Adam and Eve, whom God created personally and individually as perfect human beings. We believe man was created in the image of God, but the first man, Adam, willfully chose to disobey God and so sin entered into the world. We believe each of his descendants and every generation since then has inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God. Man is depraved and utterly unable to remedy his condition without divine intervention. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, 2:21-22, 3:6-24; Exodus 31:17; Psalm 33:6-9; Acts 17:24; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12, 6:23; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19; I Timothy 2:13,14))

Salvation

We believe salvation is the gracious gift of God. By the term salvation, we refer to a specific relationship with God that people enter into when, with a repentant spirit, they put their sole trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to have completed all that was necessary to pay for the penalty of their sin (known as His redemptive work on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead). Those who have received this salvation are also said to be “born again” (John 3:3, 7; Acts 16:31). Salvation is not received on the basis of human merit, work, social position or heritage (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Furthermore, all true believers are kept by God’s power and are thus secure as a child of God in Jesus Christ forever, and their assurance of an eternal home in Heaven. (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30, 14:6; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8, 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:4-5)

The Universal Church & the Local Church

We believe the Church is the spiritual body and bride of Jesus Christ and is comprised of all born again believers. The local church is to assemble for the purpose of worship, outreach, discipleship, fellowship and service. The last command of Jesus before He was taken up into Heaven was to “Go and make disciples”. We believe that the Church has been given the task of spreading the Gospel throughout the world. (Matthew 28:16-18; Acts 2:38-41; Ephesians 2:19-22, 5:25-27)

The End Times

We believe in the imminent calling up to heaven of the born-again, both the dead in Jesus Christ and those still living. This event is called the rapture. Jesus Christ will also visibly and gloriously return to the Earth to defeat the anti-Christ and his followers at the end of a seven-year tribulation. Jesus Christ will then set up a literal 1000-year kingdom on Earth. After the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ and the judgment of the wicked at the Great White Throne, Satan and those who denied Jesus Christ, will be thrown into the everlasting Lake of Fire. Afterward, a new heaven and a new Earth will be created where the believers will live for eternity in paradise with God. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-189; Revelation 20:1-15)

Giving

We believe every Christian should be a wise steward of the resources entrusted to him by God, and generously support the proclamation of the gospel locally and globally. “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7. (See also Genesis 14:20; Matthew 23:23; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Ephesians 4:28; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:15-19; 1 Timothy 5:17-18)

Church Ordinances

We believe that Christ has given His churches two ordinances in the New Testament: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that scriptural baptism occurs after a confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and is a picture and public proclamation of that confession. We believe the observance of the Lord’s Supper is a commemorative celebration of His sacrificial, atoning death. By participating, the body confesses faith in His death corporately. We invite all born again believers to join us in the celebration. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32)

Christian Conduct

We believe every Christian should live in such a manner as to bring glory to God and as not to bring reproach to the Name of Jesus Christ, nor bring disgrace upon the local church to which they belong. Every Christian should strive to grow and develop spiritually in personal holiness, and to edify the body of Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:17-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

Marriage

We believe the institution of marriage was created by the command of God. We believe the only proper union of marriage is the uniting of a man and a woman and that same sex marriages (including those who have altered their original gender) are strictly forbidden by God. Marriage was designed by God and serves several purposes: Procreation (Genesis 1:28); Partnership (Genesis 2:18, 22-24); Picture (Ephesians 5:25-32); Purity (Proverbs (5:17-19, 1 Corinthians 7:1-16)