About us
Bethel Evangelical Church East Hanningfield (not associated with Bethel Church Redding in the USA) was founded in the 1910s by the FEBV (Fellowship for Evangelising Britain’s Villages). Their comment all those years ago was that East Hanningfield was a ‘village of appalling need’!
Nearly 100 years later, we know that the need remains for people to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. As a local church we seek to reach out to those in our neighbourhood, and also those further afield, with the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our aim is to see each Church Member growing and maturing in their walk with Jesus. To this end we place a high value on the preaching of God’s Word Sunday by Sunday, knowing that it is ‘the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes’. Dependence on the Holy Spirit, enjoying the blessing of church fellowship, and a commitment to the study of God’s Word and to prayer are central in our desire to encourage discipleship with new and established believers alike.
We understand that ‘Church’ is far more than Sunday attendance at a service, but refers to our corporate identity as brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore our Church programme includes plenty of opportunities to spend time together, both in set meetings but also regular fellowship times, such as meals, film nights or craft sessions. Our hope is that ‘whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we do it all for the glory of God’.
Bethel Evangelical Church is associated with Village Hope – the new name for FEBV, and the Gospel Coalition.
We enjoy a close relationship working with other organisations in East Hanningfield Village.
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CLICK HERE to find out more about what we believe in our Statement of Faith
our pastors:
Roydon Hearne
Lead Pastor
Peter Cockrell
Associate Pastor
Roydon and Kathryn Hearne first came to Bethel Church, East Hanningfield back in 1986 and immediately felt at home. Over a period of thirty years they grew in their knowledge and love for the Lord, serving the fellowship faithfully. Then, in 2006, Roydon took on the leadership of the Church.
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Besides being the Church pastor, Roydon works full-time as a creative director. He has been married to Kathryn since 1983. They have 6 adult children and 10 grandchildren!
Dr. Peter and Emma Cockrell joined Bethel Evangelical Church in 2008, to support Roydon and Kathryn in serving the Church. Peter became an ordained minister in 1990 following completion of a theological degree. Since then his passion has been to teach the whole counsel of God, revealing the Gospel narrative throughout scripture, and to see this transform lives and stimulate discipleship. This emphasis has led him to further theological training, gaining a Doctorate in Theology in 2015, which provides a platform for his teaching ministry at home and overseas.
OUR TRUSTEES:
Roydon Hearne
Trustee – Chair
Gary Saunders
Trustee – Finance
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Chris Evans
Trustee – Maintenance
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