A Northwest Portland Congregation Since 1879
Bethany Baptist Church has stood on the same stretch of NW Kaiser Road in northwest Portland for more than 145 years. Founded in 1879, the congregation is one of the older Baptist bodies in the region, and over the decades its members have been sent out as pastors and global workers to places both near and far. "Multiple continents have been blessed by God's faithfulness through our church." Generations of missionaries called Bethany home before they left.
The church identifies itself in its constitution as "an independent and autonomous Baptist church presently incorporated and shall remain incorporated." Authority within the body rests with the members, who govern themselves congregationally under Christ. Elders provide spiritual oversight and policy direction, and deacons are appointed to carry out specific ministries of mercy and service. A plurality of male elders, including the Lead Pastor, shepherds the flock, while men and women serve together as deacons. Membership is open to anyone who professes repentance and faith in Christ and has been baptized upon that profession, with a vote of the members confirming each new member.
Pastor Trevor Binkley, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, a Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies, and a Master of Theology, leads the church alongside three lay elders: Jim Rhodes (who chairs the elder board), Joseph Kilada, and Tim Jantos. Deacons include Wayne Howden (Treasury), Rick Gassner (Outreach), Myra Gassner (Fellowship), and Jon Pham (Worship). The staff is rounded out by Sam Valladares, the church's Youth Director, and Jeff Watts, who serves as Pastoral Assistant.
Sunday in Portland: Classes, Worship, and Prayer
A typical Sunday at Bethany runs from morning to night. The day begins at 9:00 AM with Sunday morning classes, a time set aside to grow in the understanding of life in Christ. The current adult class is focused on a biblical understanding of the church.
At 10:30 AM the congregation gathers for the main worship service. Preaching God's Word is central to what happens when the church comes together, and the church teaches regularly through books of the Bible, working passage by passage through both Old and New Testament texts.
Evenings are given over to prayer. From 6:00 to 7:00 PM the church meets to pray, for one another, for the local community, and for missionaries serving around the world. Sunday ends with the youth group, which meets from 6:00 to 8:00 PM for middle and high school students.
Preaching Through Books of the Bible
At Bethany, preaching is not a series of disconnected talks but a sustained walk through Scripture. Pastor Trevor works through Genesis, Exodus, Ezekiel, Daniel, Jonah, 1 and 2 Chronicles, John, Acts, Galatians, 1 Peter, and Revelation, with many of those series running for dozens of sermons at a time. The John series alone includes more than thirty individual expositions, and the Acts series stretches past twenty.
Alongside the book-by-book exposition, the church has also worked through topical series. One such series, "How Jesus Builds His Church," walks through the way Jesus builds, cleanses, sends, leads, and loves His body. The approach is the same whether the text is a short prophetic book like Jonah or a sprawling narrative like Chronicles: read carefully, preach expositionally, let the text set the agenda.
A Mix of Hymns and Contemporary Songs
Music at Bethany flows out of a conviction that worship is the right response to the God who has revealed Himself. "We choose music based on how it aligns with God's revelation through His word." "The music style is a secondary concern as long as the songs serve to facilitate worship in accordance with His revelation."
In practice that means a blended service. A mix of contemporary songs and older hymns are sung each Sunday, with music, scripture readings, and sermon all pointing in the same direction. The church's Constitution and Statement of Practices both reinforce the same idea: that singing, prayer, and preaching are all responses to God's Word and should be consistent with the sermon text for the day. As a result, visitors should expect a service shaped by the passage being preached, with music chosen to fit the message.
Children, Nursery, and Youth
Bethany takes seriously its calling to pass the faith to the next generation. During the Sunday morning worship service, nursery care is available for children from birth through age four. The nursery is staffed by trained volunteers, and check-in is located just outside the auditorium so a parent can settle their little one before things begin.
For children ages three through six, the church offers a Children's Teaching Time. Kids stay with their parents for the first part of the worship gathering, then are dismissed to a classroom in the gym for a Bible story, a craft, and time to play. Children seven and up are encouraged to remain in the main service alongside their parents. Notebooks called Sermon Treasures and other quiet activities are provided to help older children follow along and begin to participate in corporate worship. The church points to a long-standing conviction that the Christian faith is "caught" as well as taught, and that children benefit incalculably from sitting through the service with their families.
On Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, the middle school and high school youth group meets for its own time of fellowship, teaching, and fun under the direction of Youth Director Sam Valladares. Vacation Bible School rounds out the children's ministry each summer. The 2025 VBS, themed "The Great Jungle Journey," took children on a cruise through the seven C's of biblical history, Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation, connecting the whole story of Scripture to everyday life.
Community Groups: Life Together in Portland Homes
Bethany's community groups are the backbone of its ministry outside of Sunday morning. Throughout the week, members open their homes and gather for fellowship, prayer, and the kind of transparent discussion that helps the truth of God's Word land in real lives. The church's aim is simple: "anchored in Scripture and pursued through prayer, study, and transparency."
Three rhythms mark these groups. They are marked by hospitality, the willingness to open a home and let others in. They are marked by reflection, honest conversations about how Scripture applies in the present. And they are marked by prayer, lifting one another up in dependence on God's plan and purpose. The groups are intended as a complement to Sunday gathering, not a substitute for it. Anyone interested in joining can contact the church office and indicate when and how they prefer to be reached.
Women's Ministry
The women of Bethany pursue discipleship together through Bible study and life application, seeking to encourage one another through the various seasons and stages of life. Rooted in Titus 2, the ministry aims to train and teach one another, with older women encouraging the younger in love for their husbands, love for their children, and a sensible, kind, and reverent walk with Christ.
Two convictions shape the women's ministry. The first is one hope: the women at Bethany seek God in His Word together. The second is all seasons: the women of Bethany enjoy life together in Christ through every stage of life.
Men's Ministry
Bethany's men gather around a shared conviction that they are called to lead as Christ-followers, not in their own strength but in humble dependence on the Word. Following the model of Christ who washed His disciples' feet, the men's ministry is built on three pillars: wisdom drawn from God's Word, humility that listens as others point them to Jesus, and accountability that builds men up together in Christ.
For those wanting a regular touchpoint beyond the small groups that meet during the week, the men gather on the third Saturday of each month for breakfast, a relaxed setting where newcomers can get to know others and be known.
Senior Saints: Carried by God's Promises
Bethany takes seriously its calling to honor the older members of the body. The seniors' ministry is grounded in Isaiah 46, the promise that God carries His people from the womb to their graying years. "Later stages of life provide unique conditions to experience God's faithfulness. The Church is God's provision for all saints in all seasons in Jesus Christ."
Three convictions mark this ministry. The seniors have experienced God's covenant promises over many years. They grow through discipleship with believers of all ages. And as integral members of the body, they both serve and are served. Beyond the regular Sunday gatherings and community groups, the seniors meet monthly for a luncheon, one more place where newcomers can find friendship and belonging.
What We Believe
Bethany's Statement of Faith is anchored in historic, evangelical, Baptist conviction. The Bible is the written Word of God, revealed by the Holy Spirit through human authors, without error in its original documents, and the sole standard for belief and conduct. There is one living and true God, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, distinct in personal attributes but undivided in nature, essence, and being.
The Son, Jesus Christ, took on human nature, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the sufficient payment for the sins of the whole world, was buried, rose again on the third day, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now intercedes as High Priest. The church confesses His imminent return, the bodily resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the eternal state in a new heaven and a new earth.
The Holy Spirit is the giver of life, who inspired the Scriptures, illuminates believers through them, convicts the world of sin, and indwells, seals, and empowers every Christian. Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works; repentance and faith are the only path to life in Christ.
Two ordinances mark the church: water baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, an outward sign of an inward change that identifies the believer with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord's Supper is a reminder, celebrated until He returns, of Christ's body and blood given for His people.
Bethany teaches that marriage is the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive, lifelong union, and that sexual intimacy is to be reserved for that union alone. Every person, the church affirms, is to be treated with compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity, regardless of background or struggle.
Leadership and Congregational Governance
Bethany Baptist Church practices what is sometimes called "historic Baptist congregationalism." Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth, and He exercises that authority through the members of the local church. The members govern themselves by vote on all matters of doctrine and discipline, and they elect elders to oversee the spiritual health of the church, manage its affairs, and serve as officers of the corporation.
Elders are men who meet the qualifications set out in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. They are elected for a three-year term that may be renewed once; after two terms, an elder must step down for at least twelve months before being considered again. A majority of the elders must be members not in the regular employ of the church, ensuring that lay leadership carries significant weight on the board.
Deacons, who may be men or women, are appointed to specific areas of ministry under the authority of the elders. Their qualifications come from 1 Timothy 3 and the model in Acts 6. Like elders, they are elected to three-year, once-renewable terms.
The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, with annual, quarterly, and special member meetings scheduled throughout the year. Robert's Rules of Order guides the meetings, and a two-thirds vote is required for constitutional amendments and the purchase or sale of real property. The Constitution, Statement of Practices, and Statement of Faith are reviewed every five years by the elders.
Sunday School and Adult Education
In addition to the regular Sunday morning classes, the church maintains an active Sunday School archive with classes for those who want to dig deeper. Past studies include:
- Church History, a ten-part survey of how the church grew from the apostles through the early creeds, the church fathers, and the lead-up to the Council of Nicaea.
- Spiritual Disciplines, an introduction to the ordinary means of grace, prayer, Scripture, and community.
- Kingdom Through Covenant, an examination of how the biblical covenants give the framework for systematic theology.
- The Millennium: Five Views, a careful look at the various ways Christians have understood Revelation 20.
- Advanced Bible Reading, teaching the SCOEMA method (Structure, Context, Observation, Emphasis, Meaning, Application).
- Textual Criticism 101, a class that addresses questions like why some verses appear in brackets in modern translations.
- Biblical Theology, showing how the whole Bible holds together as one story pointing to Christ.
- Church By The Book, a study of the New Testament's design for the local church.
Recommended Reading
Pastor Trevor publishes an annual list of book recommendations, sorted into categories that include Bible and theology, church history, biography, apologetics and culture, and, for those who enjoy a lighter touch, fiction. Recent selections have included works by Matthew McCollough, Dane Ortlund, Kevin DeYoung, Tim Keller, John Piper, Iain Murray, Carl Trueman, and many others. The lists run from 2021 through 2025 and offer a window into the kinds of books shaping the church's teaching and discipleship.
Giving as Worship
At Bethany, giving is described as an act of worship. "Our earthly giving is meant to glorify God for His surpassing grace in His people," citing 2 Corinthians 9. "To that end, we give as an act of worship in response to the good news of the Gospel of Christ Jesus in whom we have all things."
All gifts go to promote the faithful gospel ministry of the church, sustaining its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines. Members and visitors can give online through Planning Center or use the offering box just outside the auditorium on Sunday morning.
Visiting Bethany Baptist Church
First-time visitors will find the church easy to locate at 4545 NW Kaiser Rd in northwest Portland. Once you turn into the property, parking is just ahead on the left, right by the front doors. There is no dress code: members come from many peoples, places, generations, and life experiences, so on any given Sunday you may see suits and shorts in the same room.
The people of Bethany prioritize being a family rather than a program. Visitors are welcome whether they are exploring Christianity for the first time or transferring from another church, and questions are encouraged. The doors are open to all who come.
For children, nursery care is available for ages 0-4 during the worship service, with check-in just outside the auditorium. Children ages 3-6 are dismissed after the first portion of the service for Children's Teaching Time in the gym. Older children can stay in the service with their parents, using the Sermon Treasures notebooks provided.
The church's regular rhythm includes Sunday morning classes at 9:00 AM, the worship service at 10:30 AM, evening prayer from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, youth group from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, community groups throughout the week, a men's breakfast on the third Saturday of each month, and a seniors' luncheon each month. Sermons are published online, and an archive of book recommendations is available for those who want to keep learning between Sundays. The church office can be reached at office@bethanybaptistportland.com or (503) 645-2106.