We believe that faith is best lived out in community. At Gretna Brethren Church, we are more than just a congregation—we are a family.
Through small groups, fellowship events, and serving together, we support and encourage one another in our walk with Christ.
Join us at Gretna for a relaxed, welcoming worship gathering with live music, prayer, and practical Bible teaching. KidsChurch offers a fun, safe space for children during the service, and there's a place for you here—no matter where you are on your faith journey.
Our address is 1564 Twp Rd 46 S, Bellefontaine, OH 43311.
We are located at the corner of County Rd 11 & Township Rd 46, just west of Bellefontaine, Oh.
NOTE: If you are using Google Maps to get you here, we recommend you put in the name of the church - Gretna Brethren Church - rather than the address. Though Google Maps is an awesome tool, it's not God - and sometimes using just the street address doesn't work.
As you're walking to the building, the greeting team will meet you and give you the lay of the land - including where to find essentials like children's ministry, restrooms and COFFEE. If you need anything throughout the day — mints, a Bible, or a pen — feel free ask one of our Greeters. We’re a friendly bunch, and we’d love to serve you.
All of our worship services have a casual and informal atmosphere, and usually last around an hour.
Generally we spend time singing, praying, and listening to practical Bible teaching. The worship and music style varies depending upon which of our worship teams is leading. You may hear traditional hymns, country, contemporary, southern gospel, a choir or something else!
Most of the time Pastor Rob teaches a Bible lesson, but we often hear from members of our church and other followers of Christ as well. The goal is to lift up the name of Jesus, and encourage each other.
Most people dress casually, but you are welcome to wear whatever makes you comfortable.
In KidsChurch, children from 3 years to 5th grade experience Jesus at their level. KidsChurch is a safe, age-appropriate environment where kids have their own service with singing, a Bible lesson, and small group time. Generally, we start KidsChurch about halfway through our Worship Gathering. If you would like to attend with your child the first time, please let us know.
For children younger than 3, we there is a nursery/playroom available for your use. The audio from the Gathering is available in this space, and we are happy to help however we can.
Oh my, yes! If you wish, you can even grab some coffee in our lobby before the worship gathering starts (though Dunkin does make some pretty good stuff!).
Fill in the blank with whatever fear you have about not being accepted: divorced, a single parent, broken, an addict, a skeptic, etc. Everyone is welcome to explore Jesus with us at Gretna. So come as you are, and we’ll see you on Sunday!
Looking for the perfect church? That’s not us. We’re a community growing in grace, living out a real faith, building transforming relationships, and finding ongoing restoration in Jesus — together.
We invite you to explore our beliefs and join us in our pursuit of living out our faith in boldness and passion.
Brethren doctrine centers on Jesus Christ as the living Word of God. The Holy Spirit progressively revealed God’s one plan of salvation in Christ from its first promise in the Old Testament to its fulfillment in the New. Given in human words in history, the Scriptures of both Testaments are the inspired Word of God, authoritative, trustworthy, and true in every respect. The New Testament, witnessing to the climax of that history, is the final rule of faith and life for the church. As an expression of grateful love to God, Brethren believe and obey the Bible, for only the written Word reveals to us Jesus Christ, the living Word.
Scripture References:
John 1:1-4; John 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:10-11; Gen. 3:15; Matt. 5:17-20; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; John 10:35; Heb. 1:1-2; John 14:15; John 14:21-23; 1 John 5:3; John 5:39; John 5:45-47; Luke 24:25-27; Luke 24:44-47
The Bible reveals one true and living God in three equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This one God is eternal, infinite, personal, and perfect. The description and reality of the trinity transcend human reason, logic, and proof; they remain matters of revelation, confession, and worship. In holy love, the triune God by an act of sovereign will, created the universe and all living things. In this activity, as in everything touching the world of space and time, all three persons of the Godhead participated.
Scripture References:
Deut. 6:4; 1 Tim. 2:5; Gen. 1:26; Gen. 3:22; Matt. 3:13-17; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Tim. 1:17; John 4:23-24; 1 Cor. 13:12; Gen. 1:1-23; John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 11:3; John 14:9-12; John 16:13-15
Scripture reveals the first person of the trinity as the Father. The created world testifies to Him in both the external order of nature and the internal working of conscience. As the Father of Old Testament Israel, He led the nation with parental love and care, with warnings, chastenings, and promise of inheritance. He sent His beloved Son into the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. All who confess Him as Lord, the Father makes a new creation and adopts as His children.
Scripture References:
Psalm 19:1; Rom. 1:20-21; Rom. 2:14-16; Isaiah 63:15-16; Isaiah 64:8; Ps. 78:1-72; Ps. 105:1-45; Ps. 106:1-48; Deut. 7:6-16; Matt. 3:16-17; John 6:57; John 8:42; John 17:8; John 1:12; Rom. 8:12-17; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 4:4-7
God created humanity, male and female, in His own image with freedom to obey or disobey Him. As a result of their disobedient choice, sin entered our race and its effects of guilt and corruption have passed on to every person. The image of God, though not destroyed, is now distorted. Sin dwells in all people, making them unable to please God or to escape its power in their lives. The penalty of sin is death, but a new, right relationship with God is promised to those who accept life in Christ Jesus.
Scripture References:
Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 2:16-17; Gen. 3:17; Rom. 5:12-19; Gen. 9:5-6; Matt. 7:11; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 7:18-25; Rom. 8:6-8; Rom. 6:23; John 1:12
The second person of the trinity is the Son. He is the living Word, the revelation and revealer of the unseen Father. Although He possessed the divine nature from eternity, the Word became flesh for us and for our salvation. He was born of a virgin and lived the perfect human life upon earth. As Man and God, Jesus lovingly gave Himself for others in a ministry of service and reconciliation. His obedient life led to His sacrificial death in fulfillment of prophecy. Upon the cross He bore sin and its penalty in our place. He was raised and glorified in the body in which He suffered and died. He ascended as Lord and Savior into heaven, where He continually intercedes for those who are His and from which He will return in glory. Therefore He is the source of eternal salvation for all who believe in Him, submitting to His Lordship.
Scripture References:
John 1:1-4; John 1:14; John 1:18; John 14:5-10; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:3-4; Phil. 2:5-11; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; Mark 10:45; Rom. 5:10-11; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Phil. 2:8; Isaiah 53:4-12; 1 Pet. 2:24; John 20:24-29; Phil. 2:9; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 8:33-34; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 9:24; Heb 9:28; Matt. 24:30; Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:9-10; Heb. 5:9
Salvation is both an event and a process: it is an accomplished fact, a continuing walk, and a future hope. Always the gift of God, salvation is received by repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, both witnessed to through water baptism. In faithfulness to His promises, God adopts believers as His children, forgiving their sins and giving them His Holy Spirit. They in turn demonstrate their faith by obeying the commands of Christ and following His example in daily living. Scripture uses various terms to describe aspects of salvation, but ultimately it means Christ-likeness conformity to the image of God’s Son by the work of His Spirit within us. To that end we are kept by the power of God, which operates through our faith.
Scripture References:
Phil. 1:6; Col. 2:6; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9-10; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; John 1:12; Gal. 4:4-5; Acts 2:38; Matt. 22:34-40; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 John 2:4-6; Rom. 8:28-29; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Pet. 1:5
The third person of the triune God is the Holy Spirit. He was active in creation, the history of Israel, the inspiration of Scripture, the ministry of Jesus, and the birth of the church. The Spirit likewise acts today, opening the mind to understand Scripture, calling forth the response of repentance and faith, and giving the desire and ability to grow in Christlikeness. The New Testament portrays His activity as both event and process: It describes the event using the terms receiving, being filled, sealed, and baptized to indicate that the Holy Spirit comes to the believer at conversion. It describes the process as the Holy Spirit filling and equipping Christians at numerous times for special tasks. He joins them to Christ’s church, directs them to a local congregation of believers, and bestows on them spiritual gifts for the church’s ministry. The Spirit’s indwelling is to make a visible difference in the lives of Christians as they yield to, and cooperate with, His transforming power.
Scripture References:
Gen. 1:1-2; Num. 11:16-30; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Matt. 3:13-17; Acts 10:38; Acts 2:21; 1 Cor. 2:12-14; John 16:7-11; 1 Cor. 12:3; Gal. 5:16-25; Acts 8:15; Acts 8:19; Acts 10:47; Acts 19:2; Acts 2:4; Acts 9:17; Eph. 1:13; Eph. 4:30; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16-17; 1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 4:8; Acts 4:31; Acts 13:9; Acts 13:52; Eph. 5:18; 1 Cor. 12:7-11; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Cor. 12:7; 1 Cor. 6:17-20; Gal. 5:16-26; Eph. 3:14-19
God’s purpose in human history is to form a people for His own glory. This purpose, begun in the Old Testament nation of Israel, is continued in the New Testament church, which is founded upon Jesus Christ. He calls it to be a visible body of His followers, extending His own ministry in the world. It is composed of all who have received Him as saving Lord and have committed themselves to being His faithful disciples. This one body finds expression in local communities of believers who are responding to the call of God. Through mutual submission they covenant together for the purposes of worship, nurture, evangelism, and service.
God in His gracious love gave to the church special gifts through His Spirit. These gifts, varied and numerous, have but one purpose: to strengthen the body by equipping each member for ministry. Love is the framework in which the gifts operate and guides their use for the common good.
God also gave to the church ordinances, symbolic rites established by the command and example of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles. They are pledges of our faithfulness to Him, visible declarations of the gospel, and necessary expressions of an obedient faith. The ordinances include baptism by trine immersion; confirmation by the laying on of hands; the threefold communion service consisting of the washing of feet, the love feast, and the bread and cup; and the anointing of the sick with oil. The ordinances uniformly testify to the gracious work of the triune God for His people in the past, in the present, and in the future.
Scripture References:
Deut. 7:6-8; Isaiah 43:5-7; 1 Pet. 2:9-10; 1 Cor. 3:11; Matt. 5:13-16; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; Acts 2:28-41; Matt. 16:24-26; 1 Cor. 1:2; Col. 1:2; Eph. 5:18-21; Acts 2:42-47; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31; Eph. 4:7-16; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; 1 Cor. 12:7; 1 Cor. 14:26; Eph. 4:12; 1 Cor. 13:1-13; Eph. 4:15-16; John 13:16-17; 1 Cor. 11:26; John 13:15; Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 6:3-4; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 9:10-19; John 13:1-17; 1 Cor. 11:20-22; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Matt. 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Mark 6:13; James 5:13-16; 1 Cor. 11:26
By the sending of His Son, God inaugurated the last days. Therefore the church waits eagerly for the consummation of the divine plan in Christ. Prior to that, the human body at death returns to the dust from which it came. The soul of the Christian goes immediately to be with the Lord, while the souls of the unsaved enter into torment. The climax of God’s plan will include the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ from heaven as King of kings and Lord of lords; the bodily resurrection and judgment of believers unto eternal life; the bodily resurrection and judgment of the wicked unto eternal punishment; and a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells, where the saved will live eternally with the Lord. The Bible does not focus so much on the details and order of final events as on how believers are to live in light of these things.
Scripture References:
Heb. 1:1-2; Rom. 8:22-25; 1 Cor. 15:20-28; Gen. 3:19; Ps. 104:29; Luke 16:19-31; Luke 22:43; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:21-24; Matt. 16:27; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Tim. 6:14-15; Rev. 19:16; Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Isaiah 65:17; 2 Pet. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:9-10; 2 Pet. 3:11-15; 1 John 3:2-3