Our Lord commanded his disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Later the apostle Paul was given an equally important instruction—to establish New Testament assemblies wherever he would go (Eph. 3:9). Nearly one hundred years ago, a group of believers in Indianapolis, Indiana, took this instruction as their own commission. In 1915, in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis, four families began to meet for worship and the preaching of the Word. An immigrant from Switzerland, who had recently moved into area served in the teaching the Scriptures and shepherding this new group of believers.
This group of believers began to grow, and in the early 1920s, the assembly moved into a storefront building in northern Indianapolis. Over the years, Bethany Christian Fellowship has met together in rented facilities in a number of locations. After years of gospel preaching, faithful teaching of God’s Word, and personal gospel work, God formed a strong and vibrant assembly of His people.
In 2005, Bethany Christian Fellowship purchased four acres of land for $95,000, in view of constructing a chapel. Over the next three years, the assembly was able to repay its property loan and save other funds in order to begin their chapel building project. An architect designed an attractive 3,375 square-foot metal building, (45’X75’) which seated 100 people. The structure also contained a kitchen, nursery, and Sunday School classroom. After securing a loan from Stewards Foundation for $120,000, construction of the building was begun. There was much planning, sacrifice, and countless hours of working with local and county officials. The building project, with a total cost $180,000 was completed in 2010. The assembly was soon granted a certificate of occupancy and has been meeting together in this building since 2010.
Godly elders have shepherded the ministries and the spiritual needs of the believers since the beginning of the assembly. Today Robert Rankin, Timothy Dunham, and Ryan Caldwell have all been recognized and serve as elders in Bethany Christian Fellowship. These elders lead in outreach activities, serve in discipleship, conduct evangelistic home Bible studies, direct Vacation Bible School, and oversee various other ministries.
Today Bethany Christian Fellowship continues to meet as a local church for worship, prayer and Bible study, as well as reaching out to its immediate community for Christ. This assembly is composed of believers from many nationalities and diverse cultural backgrounds, together sharing the love of Christ and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The assembly is pleased to have commended three full-time workers to the mission field.
If you are traveling to the Hoosier state and have the opportunity to visit the believers at Bethany Christian Fellowship, you will receive a warm welcome. Bethany Christian Fellowship is located at 6455 Churchman Road, Indianapolis, IN. For information about the times of the meetings or contact information, please visit the website at indybcf.org. The assembly contact representative is Robert Rankin, who can be reached at [email protected]. Remember these believers in prayer as they faithfully serve the Lord and reach out to the unsaved in Indianapolis, Indiana.