pastor's corner

Greetings Precious Saints of God:

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Web Site of the Bethlehem Baptist Church of Lawton, Oklahoma.
Lawton is the proud home of the Fort Sill Artillery Post. We welcome each of you who will tour this site; and it is our
prayer that you will be truly blessed after having visited us. So come on in and “we will do you good.”
We have a saying here at Bethlehem, “It happens after prayer.” May the Lord bless and keep you on this pilgrim’s
journey.

The Bethlehem Baptist Church is one hundred four years old. She is the oldest African American Church in the city
of Lawton. We are affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., where our chieftain is the honorable
Dr. William Shaw. Our state affiliation is with the Oklahoma Missionary State Convention where the leader is Dr.
John Reed, Jr., and our district association is with the Western District and the leader is the most capable Dr. Charles
W. Whitlow.

What we believe and preach here at Bethlehem:

A. The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is
a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any
mixture of error for its matter. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.

B. There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent spiritual and personal Being, the Creator,
Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe.

1.   God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His
creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to
the purpose of his grace.
2.   Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He
was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. His personal obedience and His death on the cross, he
made provisions for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a    glorified body and
appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is
now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and
whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the
world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.
3. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures.
Through illumination, He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness
and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior and effects regeneration. His presence in the Christian is the assurance
of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the   believer and
the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
4. We believe in the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, three in One. Amen.

Again, we are grateful that you   have chosen to come and visit us and our prayers are that you have a
wonderful and Spiritual Jesus filled good day!

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Gary Eugene Bender, Pastor