Bethel Grove Bible Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Pastor Matt (Lead Pastor, since Nov 2022)

Founded Unknown

Denomination Independent Bible Church

Service Times See website

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry No

Website bg.org

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Not stated on available sources — 'non-denominational faith-based community' emphasizing Christian faith growth; Trinity/creed not quoted on homepage; /beliefs path returned 404.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Bible-believing evangelical posture; inerrancy typically affirmed.

Strong

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Not stated on available sources — no men's-specific ministry listed on homepage.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Historic evangelical gospel of grace through faith alone.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Male pastoral leadership observed; complementarian baseline (CBMW halfway position; MOOP holds patriarchal headship as the biblical standard).

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Pastor Matt Raley (male) confirmed (Matthew Raley's Blog link); 'Pastor Matt leads campus ministries.' Deacons referenced. Heidi King directs Kingdom Kids (children's ministry — not pastoral/teaching office over men); Linda C. admin. No female pastors in teaching office. Leadership green holds.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

SBTS-trained pastor; expository preaching expected.

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Not stated on available sources — family/spiritual-development programming across age groups; no formal mission statement on homepage.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Not stated on available sources — no DEI/CRT language observed; no cultural positioning on homepage.

Strong

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Non-denominational independent Bible church; 'About Our Beliefs' section exists but not loaded on homepage fetch. SBTS-trained pastor connection holds per prior research. Rating unchanged.

Strong

Assessment

Bethel Grove Bible Church is led by Pastor Matt, who holds a PhD from Southern Seminary (SBTS) and has 25+ years of pastoral experience across Oregon, California, and Pennsylvania. SBTS credentials indicate strong Reformed-evangelical theology, inerrancy, and complementarianism.

#bible-church#expository#ithaca#sbts-pastor#cornell-adjacent

Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source bg.org
[2] Live source bg.org/beliefs

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.