For Marion and Stephanie Dalton, ministry has been a part of life for over 20 years.
Marion started out in volunteer roles at his local church in eastern Kentucky; for Stephanie it started out singing in her small Methodist church amidst the cornfields of Ohio. Their paths met while attending World Harvest Bible College in Columbus, Ohio.
Marion began full-time ministry as the youth pastor of World Harvest Church, building the youth ministry from 18 to over 1,000 youth. Eventually, Marion served the entire church as the Local Church Director teaming with thousands at the world-impacting Columbus campus under the direction of Pastor Rod Parsley for 3 years. Marion was on staff at WHC for 9 years.
Stephanie started singing at the age of 7 in her local church and continued to develop her gifts while studying privately for 10 years. Her heart for worship and song continued to develop while at World Harvest Church. Stephanie sang for a global audience from the platform of World Harvest Church, the Breakthrough studios and also traveled abroad internationally for the television program “Breakthrough”, a ministry of WHC. Stephanie also taught classes at World Harvest Bible College in the Music program for 5 years.
In 1999, Pastor Rod released and blessed Marion and Stephanie. Knowing they had heard clear direction from God, the Dalton’s headed to Lexington, KY to establish a church. For 7 years, the city and people of Lexington had been laid on the hearts of the Dalton’s to plant a church, but while in Columbus they served and allowed God to prepare them for their next step.
“A Church of the Gentiles” was the word God spoke to the Dalton’s for Bethel. A church that reflects the society it lives in – men, women, and children from all walks of life and different ethnic backgrounds is what we see in society, and that is what the Dalton’s believed Bethel would become.
Since the first service in a renovated warehouse in February of 1999, Bethel has experienced accelerated growth. Bethel is now in its third location: A 9 million-dollar facility which seats over 1,200 people located on US 27, one of the most newly developed interstate corridors in the state of Kentucky.
More important than the buildings, are the countless lives that have been transformed by the grace and power of a loving God. With the visionary leadership at Bethel and a passion to see the Great Commission fulfilled, thousands of people have made the decision to become a follower of Christ. Many at the altars of Bethel and others in our local outreaches, our 2 regional church plants in Eastern Kentucky, and our 3 international church plants in India and the Ukraine.
Today over 1000 people call Bethel home. God continues to expand our capacity to be a distribution center of the good news of Jesus in the earth. Each Sunday morning service is marked by powerful praise and worship music, as well as relevant messages that challenge us to develop our relationship with Jesus at new levels. At our Wednesday night services, we gather to study the word of God together and welcome the presence of God to minister as Pastor Marion operates in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And every week, small groups gather together at the church and across the various communities represented by the Bethel family to offer opportunities for folks to fellowship, study the Bible, become better leaders, and serve together.