Christian faith and doctrine
A congregation grounded in Scripture and willing to enter serious doctrinal conversation with Beth-El leadership.
Covenant fellowship
There’s Healing
At Beth-El
All pastors and congregations are welcome to inquire about Beth-El fellowship. The affiliation process is prayerful and thorough because fellowship, accountability, leadership, and the safety of God’s people must be handled with care.
Fellowship with purpose
A shared commitment to Scripture, pastoral care, and the work of Christ.
Beth-El is a voluntary fellowship of churches and ministries. Affiliation joins a congregation to a wider covenant community while honoring its local history, pastoral leadership, identity, and God-given calling.
The relationship includes spiritual fellowship, responsible accountability, access to episcopal and pastoral support, participation in diocesan and national life, and opportunities to serve alongside other churches. Each request is considered prayerfully and no application is accepted automatically.
Our purpose
To fulfill the Great Commission, strengthen churches and ministries, uphold sound standards for affiliated leadership, and help pastors and congregations carry out their God-given work.
Our history, purpose, and covenantInitial requirements
What a congregation should be prepared to affirm.
The National Office may request additional records or clarification according to the circumstances of the church and the requirements in effect at the time of review.
Pastoral and governing approval
The senior pastor and the church’s authorized board or governing body must support the request.
Accountability and good order
A willingness to participate in pastoral, episcopal, administrative, and ethical review.
Accurate church records
Current contact, legal, governance, credential, ministry, and organizational information.
Active fellowship
A commitment to diocesan and national worship, learning, service, communication, and shared ministry.
Formal approval
Acceptance occurs only after the authorized Beth-El leadership body completes its review and acts on the request.
Safeguarding and leadership eligibility
Welcome is open. Leadership carries a higher standard.
Beth-El receives every inquiry with dignity. Affiliation and leadership, however, are not automatic. The fellowship must be able to place confidence in the spiritual, ethical, and legal fitness of those entrusted with pastoral authority.
Every pastor, minister, or leader considered for affiliation, recognition, appointment, credentialing, licensing, ordination, or episcopal relationship must complete Beth-El’s Statement of Truth, Disclosure, Acknowledgment and Consent before final approval.
Sexual-offense convictions and leadership
Beth-El will not knowingly credential, appoint, recognize, or permit a person convicted of a sexual offense involving abuse, exploitation, or predatory conduct to serve in any pastoral, episcopal, credentialed, supervisory, fiduciary, children’s, youth, or other leadership capacity within the fellowship.
This leadership restriction does not deny a person’s dignity or the church’s call to pastoral care. It establishes a firm boundary for positions of authority, trust, access, and representation.
Required screening for incoming pastors
Every senior pastor seeking affiliation must consent to identity verification, a criminal-record check, a sex-offender-registry search, credential verification, and reference review. Additional state, local, ministry, or safeguarding checks may be required according to the circumstances and applicable law.
- Refusal to authorize required screening ends the affiliation review.
- False, incomplete, or misleading information may result in denial or removal.
- Screening information is requested later through a secure, authorized process—not through this public form.
- Churches remain responsible for their own lawful screening, supervision, reporting, and safeguarding duties.
The affiliation process
Prayerful, orderly, and personal.
The process creates room for the congregation and Beth-El leadership to understand one another before a covenant relationship is established.
Submit information
The pastor and church provide a complete initial application.
Initial review
The National Office checks the application and requests needed records.
Leadership conversation
Pastoral and episcopal leaders meet to discuss doctrine, history, governance, and expectations.
Formal consideration
The authorized Beth-El body considers the request. A site visit or further consultation may be required.
Decision and onboarding
Approved congregations receive written next steps, diocesan placement, and fellowship guidance.
Church affiliation application
Pastor and congregation information.
This form begins the review. It is not an agreement, credential, appointment, or notice of acceptance.