Bethany is a member of the ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
15460 TRISKETT ROAD, CLEVELAND OH 44111
Weekly Sunday Morning Services are at 8:30 and 11:00 am.
Live Sunday Service streaming at 11:00am each week.
Education Hour and Adult Forum is at 9:45 am,
A professionally staffed nursery has resumed and is available for our young worshipers during the 8:30 and 11:00 am worship services.
Summer Worship Schedule
May 26, 2024 – One Service 10:00am
We will begin our summer worship schedule on Sunday, May 26th. We will have one service at 10:00am!
The church office hours: 9am to 4pm Tuesday - Friday. You can call the office 216-941- 7880
Happy Anniversary
And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one...so that they may have my joy made complete among themselves. John 17:11, 13b
On June 2 we will celebrate the ten-year Anniversary of the “marriage” of St. Thomas and Bethany English Lutheran Church. On that day we will be joined by Pastors Susanne Carter and Ken Jones for a Festival worship Service at 10am followed by a Reception in the Assembly Hall.
The past ten years have truly seen two congregations becoming one. The original merger of Bethany and St. Thomas made sense given our shared past. St. Thomas’ predecessor, Teusch Lutheran, had purchased Bethany’s original building at 89th and Willard and over the years there had been many points of contact between the two congregations. In addition, the two congregations were also a good “fit” given our similar worship styles and congregational cultures. But despite these things in our favor, congregational mergers are always risky proposals and often do not yield to a true melding of two becoming one.
One of the hallmarks of the merger of Bethany and St. Thomas was the excellent working relationship between Pastors Carter, Jones, and I. Pastor Carter continued to lead the monthly German language worship service for six years and visit several homebound members from St. Thomas until the pandemic and declining attendance brought it to a close and Pastors Carter and Jones covered ministerial duties when I took a three-month sabbatical during the summer of 2015.
In addition to pastoral leadership, members from both churches are active in the life of the congregation with several former St. Thomas members serving on the Church Council, Endowment Committee, Altar Guild, and Choir. Although some St. Thomas members never made the leap to Bethany, for the most part, the majority did and continue to be a vital part of our congregation.
The framed stained-glass windows and large gold cross in the Welcoming Room and the Communion table and trays in the Sanctuary are just some of the physical reminders brought over from St. Thomas that adorn our building and worship space. The yearly church picnic held at Lena Park is one St. Thomas tradition that I am glad to see continued.
In the May 2014 Bethany News, preceding the merger, I wrote, “But more than physical artifacts and praising God ‘auf Deutsch’, the greatest gift will be the joining together of faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. At the Last Supper Jesus prayed that his disciples ‘may be one’ so that the world might come to believe in Him. This is also His prayer for us that ‘they may be one ... so that they may have my joy made complete among themselves.’” I can truly say that God has answered that prayer over these past ten years and I believe that God will continue to answer that prayer for many years to come.
I hope to see you on June 2 as we joyously celebrate this wonderful milestone in the life of our congregation.
In His Love,
Pastor Ferro
Join us From Your Home
Bethany English Lutheran Church is proud to offer Live Sunday Service streaming at 11:00am each week.
God’s Work - Our Hands
There is good work to do and we need your help!
Committees have dedicated members who do so much but often need more hands. Together, with more help, we can do more
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WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF FAITH THAT HAS BEEN WORSHIPING, LEARNING, SERVING, AND SOCIALIZING FOR OVER 100 YEARS.
The beautiful stained glass window sanctuary is accessible to all, and we encourage children to worship there as well or utilize the professionally staffed nursery. Communion is an important part of all Sunday services, and all who believe are invited to partake in the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We look forward to welcoming you soon.
Come back to our website often, as we are making updates weekly. For even more information you can download this month's Bethany News below.
Whether you are returning or visiting for the first time, we are excited to have you join us.
