Bethel Baptist Church in Houston, Texas is a Southern Baptist Church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Although we are affiliated with these entities, we are an autonomous group in that no organization or denominational authority guides the work or rules of our church. We use congregational rule of governing in that the local body of believers guides our church.
We Hold the Following Beliefs
1. The Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God’s revelation of himself to men. It has God as its author and is written without any error or contradiction. 2. We believe in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. 3. Salvation is only by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and is free to all who are willing to accept him. 4. Membership comes by salvation through Jesus Christ and as a testimony of that salvation, immersion through water baptism.
Discipleship
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of age,” Matthew 28:19-20
We are a congregation of believers committed to sharing the message of Christ and guiding others towards faith in Him. As a church, we aim to love those in our community with the same love Christ has given to us. The work of our church is aimed at directing others towards the Savior in the hopes that they will encounter the one true God and be transformed by His gracious love for them. Through all we do, say, and preach, we pray that we will shine the light of Christ to all those we encounter.
Service/Outreach
“Love God, Love People, Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself,” Matthew 22: 37-39 Here at Bethel Baptist, we truly take being the hands and feet of Christ seriously and do all we can to serve those around us in all capacities possible. This is a very active church in terms of outreach ministry and rely on all members and volunteers to echo this sentiment as we reach out to the community aspects. We want to be a beacon of hope for our community and have them look to us as a resource for them. Ministering to the “least of them” is our driving force.
Meet Our Staff
Welcome! Our staff at Bethel Baptist Church is a small but dedicated team called to serve God and this congregation with passion and purpose. Each person brings their own gifts and heart for ministry, working together to create a church where faith grows, community thrives, and everyone belongs.
Whether you need prayer, want to get connected, or simply have questions, we're here for you. Ministry is about relationships, and we'd be honored to walk alongside you in your faith journey.
Get to know the faces behind the ministry at Bethel Baptist Church, and feel free to reach out anytime!
Office Manager Jhanely Sanchez
Jhanely Sanchez is our office manager who prior to joining our staff team worked as an educator for 7 years as an elementary teacher. Toward the end of 2019 she felt a calling to leave her profession and fully devote herself to the plans of God. She recalls several cases where Bethel Baptist would appear in her life as a home church. She is very active in the life of this church and involved in many outreach events. Jhanely believes Bethel Baptist is not just any regular church, but a mission minded church that loves God and looks for opportunities to love people. She shares "I loved teaching and am truly thankful for that season in my life, but Jesus remains to be my saving grace, and this has radically changed me. My desire is to abide by his Holy Spirit and know He is always with me. I praise the Lord for his daily mercy and grace."
Lead Pastor James Garcia
Pastor Jaime Garcia has been in ministry for over 30 years. In April of 2012 he went from Bi-vocational Student Pastor to accepting the position of Lead Pastor at Bethel. He is married to his high school sweetheart Claudia and has celebrated over 35 years of marriage. They have two daughters, Aremy and Breanna. Pastor Jaime’s vision is to see a transformed church through discipleship and the embracing of this community with love. Bethel is a fast-growing church reaching this 2nd and 3rd generation English speaking Hispanics. Pastor said “I have been given the greatest honor to serve, lead and challenge people to walk on a journey of obedience and discipleship.” Pastor Jaime is also the founder of Unique Student Ministries which draws over 2,000 students from all over Texas in the summer for Unique Student Conference and Missions.
Youth Pastor Paul Martinez
Pastor Paul Martinez has been a Youth Pastor for 18 years and joined our team as Student Pastor here at Bethel Church Houston in January of 2020. He is originally from Lytle, Texas a small town south of San Antonio. While attending college to become a pediatrician he heard the Lord calling him into Youth Ministry. God’s desire for him became his desire. Paul said, “He has never regretted the Lord’s calling for his life and it brings much joy to him; I am excited for what plans the Lord has for me here at Bethel and to share the Gospel with so many students and teach them to draw nearer to God,”
Minister of Education
Lorenzo Cordero
Lorenzo Cordero is the Minister of Education and Studies. He began serving Bethel Baptist in 2014 and has since seen a tremendous growth in the lives of people at Bethel. Lorenzo believes the cornerstone to any church is discipleship as that is the basis where all the other branches of ministry are born. To have a deep understanding of God and what His purpose is, is the genesis for why we love God and Love People.
Children Leader
Sarah Bartholomy
Sarah Bartholomy is the Children’s Leader over all the ministries that deal with children and toddlers. She is in charge of all Sunday and Wednesday Kingdom Kids activities as well as ETH. Sarah is a great leader, ushering her teaching team to love and teach our little ones each and every week.
Worship Leader
Heather Crump
Heather Crump was born and raised in Houston. She Joined the worship team six years ago and is now Bethel’s new worship leader. Heather’s dedication to people, ministry, church’s mission inspires her to serve in ways that glorify God through music and lyrics. She leads a devoted group of volunteers who demonstrate their love for God and others through their faithfulness and talent. With twenty-five years of music study, Heather brings deep experience to her role. She came to know the Lord at the age of seven and has been seeking opportunities to serve His Kingdom here on earth ever since.
