About Us

God’s Kind of Church…
“In the beginning, God…” Genesis 1:1

God figures first and foremost in all of life at Bethany.  We seek to know Him, to love Him, and to walk in His ways.
Because God reveals Himself through His Word, we study it, live by it, and in this way, build God’s kind of church.

 

Where God is touching lives…
“That you may know what is the hope of His calling…” Ephesians 1:18

The hallmark of God’s Presence in our midst is lives that are touched and changed through walking with Him in a real and personal relationship, a deepening trust in Him, and a growing knowledge of Him.

 

Where people care for people.
“…love one another, as I have loved you.” John 13:34

At Bethany, we have been abundantly blessed, cared for, and loved.  We seek to grow deeper in this love for God and for one another as a community of faith.

Our Faith

Our Faith

  1. We believe in the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, their consequent inerrancy and infallibility, and as the Word of God, the final authority in faith and life.

  2. We believe in one God existing in three co-equal and co-eternal persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

  3. We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, is truly God and truly man.

  4. We believe that Man was created in the image of God, but sinned through the fall of Adam, and therefore all human beings are born sinful and become sinners in thought, word and deed.

  5. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, His ascension to heaven, His exaltation on high and that He is now our High Priest and Advocate.

  6. We believe in the visible and premillennial return of Jesus Christ to judge this world and to bring peace to the nations.

  7. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, and all who are saved are born again by the Holy Spirit and have become the children of God.

  8. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ and to convict, regenerate, indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service.

  9. We believe in the practice of the Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

  10. We believe in the eternal security, bodily resurrection and eternal blessedness of the saved.

  11. We believe in faithfully maintaining the purity of the Church in doctrine and life according to the Word of God.

Our Heritage

Our Heritage

Bethany 1

1973 - 1992


The day of small things
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” Zechariah 4:6

Bethany began in 1973 in a single-storey terrace house at 20 Jalan Lakum, Seletar Hills, having grown from a neighbourhood Sunday School ministry.

Our development was modeled after that of the early Church in the Book of Acts in the Bible.

The Word of God and Prayer were our pillars of faith.

We focused on developing a dynamic faith-relationship with God and cultivating oneness with each other.

We sought to fulfill the Great Commission by being involved in making disciples and soul-saving work.

These principles were demonstrated in the establishment of the Pulpit ministry, Sunday Schools, camp ministries, fellowship groups, Bible studies, and music ministries.

Even as God added to the church, we ventured into overseas missions work.

1974

Sunday School Ministry

1974

Formation of Young People’s Group

1975

Formation of Bethany’s first choir

1977

Differentiation of Sunday School Ministry into Junior and Senior Sunday School

1981

Addition of Intermediate Sunday School

1981

First Junior Camp

1982

Commencement of Junior Fellowship

1983

Addition of Beginner Sunday School

1983

2 worship services

1983

Wednesday Bible Study for young people

1984

First Intermediate Camp (the precursor to Teens’ Camp)

1984

First Christmas Concert

1984

Formation of Older Adults’ Group

1987

Formation of Single Adults’ Ministry

1989

First discussion of building of Bethany 2

1989

Commencement of overseas missions (IPC India)

1991

The first student pastor

1991

Dedication of new church grounds

Bethany 2

1992 - 2003

The new and bigger premises allowed us to explore many new ministries, including camp ministries and overseas missions.

We became a small IPC Family, bearing witness for the Lord in India, Perth and Myanmar.

1992

Bethany 2 Dedication Service

1994

Establishment of IPC Perth, Australia (Bethel)

1994

First Youth Conference (including overseas brethren)

1995

Establishment of Bethany Theological Seminary, Singapore

1995

Establishment of IPC Myanmar

1997

Establishment of Bethany Theological Seminary (Yangon)

1998

First IPC Conference

2000

Bethany web ministry begins

2000

Establishment of Bethany Orphanage, now Bethany Children Development Center

2000

Ordination of Pastors Mark Tan and Mitchell Tan

2001

Pastor Charles starts writing Daily Devotions

2001

Commencement of Young Adults’ Group

2001 - 2002

Transition period – at Ah Hood Road

Bethany 3

2003 - 2016

It was necessary to expand our premises to accommodate growing ministries. With Bethany 3, we focused on training and equipping many more, locally and overseas, both lay and full-time ministers, to love God’s Word, to defend our faith, and to reach out with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

2003

Bethany 3 Dedication Service

2004

Bethany Kindergarten is established

2005

First YAG retreat

2007

Commencement of discipleship classes

2013

Poetry Ministry begins (weekly bulletin, poetry books, greeting cards, eCards, comfortingwords.com)

2014

Bethany Kids’ Club

Bethany 4

2017-present

As the congregation and ministries continued to grow, it was necessary to expand our physical premises in tandem. We embarked on Additions and Alterations work from 2015-2017 to have what is Bethany 4 today.  With an additional floor, a bigger sanctuary and additional auditoriums and spaces, ministries grew and new ones developed.

2017

Dedication Service 18 March 2017

2017

Special Needs Ministry begins

Our Leaders

Our Leaders

Pastors

Missions work

Missions work

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20

About Missions

In line with the Great Commission, Bethany has been involved in making disciples, training servants of God, and planting churches overseas since 1989. We studied how the church at Antioch sent and supported Paul on his missionary journeys, so that we may do the same for our missionaries.

Our IPC Family now includes churches in India, Australia and Myanmar.  Pastor Charles Tan has been God’s special servant in the mission field, preaching the Word, training pastors, teachers and leaders, and providing leadership and guidance to the IPC Family.

Able young men who have proven themselves in ministry and theological studies are given the opportunity to further their training at Bethany Theological Seminary (Singapore). Short-term attachments are also available at the seminary.

India

We answered the Macedonian call to minister in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1989.  Sathiyam IPC was established in 1989 under the care of Pastor Baskaran.  (indsathiyam, Indbaskaran) Jayam IPC followed in 1991 (indjayam) and Visuvasam in 1994, located in the growing education hub of Trichy in Tamil Nadu (indvisuvasam).  In 2004, Kirubai IPC was established in the rural village of Ramagiri, Andhra Pradesh. (indkirubai) (indkirubai1) In 2014, we started building another church in Trichy, as well as a study centre in Chennai.

Each year, Bethany’s pastoral team visits India to minister to the IPC Family there. The pastoral team meets with church leaders and teaches at camps, conferences, and anniversary celebrations. We thank God for the faithful Indian pastors who keep in touch with Pastor Charles about the growth of the churches and their various ministry developments.

Sathiyam IPC
Sathiyam IPC

Australia

Bethel IPC began in 1994 as a few families meeting in rented premises each Sunday. Through Pastor Charles, Bethany provided the means and vision to develop the church ministry in a small church on Mint Street in Perth, Western Australia (Bethel I).

In 2005, Bethel moved into their current premises on Milford Street (Bethel II). The relationship between Bethel and Bethany has grown over the years.  Bethel models itself closely after Bethany, just as Bethany has sought to follow the biblical model of the Church.

Myanmar

IPC Myanmar was established in 1995.  Bethany’s engagement in Myanmar has primarily been in the training of pastors, teachers and missionaries, and in a Children’s Development Centre.

Our Ministries

Our Ministries

Camps and retreats are highlights in the church calendar. The time set aside for the intensive study and meditation of God’s Word is rewarded with enlightenment, renewal, and a closer walk with God.

Family Camp (yearly, March school holidays)

Every year, we gather at a hotel resort in Johor for a week of studying God’s Word and strengthening bonds of fellowship. Different programmes cater to the diverse needs of our members, even as we come together as one. Pastors and members from our IPC Family would also join us at Family Camp.

Junior Camp (yearly, June school holidays)

Through a meaningful week of games and activities, we seek to reach out to children with God’s love. The Junior Camp is also an opportunity for the Camp Committee to grow in their service.

Youth Conference (yearly, December school holidays)

The Youth Conference is where young people learn the relevance of faith. Here they discover the reality of God to help them face the challenges of an increasingly treacherous path towards adulthood. Young people from Australia and Korea also join us for this.

YAG Retreats

The YAG retreats take place biannually. These retreats offer short periods of focused instruction, with themes targeted at Christian workers and servants of God.