Bethel Church Celebrates Financial Independence

Posted

Bethel Church's third annual Freedom Sunday symbolized more than just the country's independence, but the church's independence from debt as well.

Hundreds gathered at Bethel's Chehalis location on Kirkland Road on Sunday to celebrate the final payments on the mortgages and, ultimately, financial freedom for both the Chehalis and Centralia locations.

The event included activities that spanned all age demographics, with live music from both Mike Faast & Friends and local product the Voetberg Family Band. Inflatables, a carnivalesque swing ride, a truck packed full of video games and a climbing wall were scattered across the field outside of the church, with an abundance of food and drink coming at no cost.

Even those who had once affiliated themselves with the church traveled long distances to witness the culmination of past efforts. One such traveler was Jodi Detrick, the wife of former Bethel pastor Don Detrick, whose tenure lasted from 1991 to 2004. Jodi and Don made the trek from North Bend to rejoice in not only what the event means to the church, but the surrounding community, as well.

"Burning the mortgages means a chance to invest resources into the heart of Bethel Church — the people," Jodi said. "It will help those who need to experience God's love in a tangible way."

Detrick also remarked that the occasion felt like Independence Day and Christmas all wrapped into one celebration.

"Reconnecting with old and new friendships is the Christmas part," Detrick said. "And of course it's nice to declare independence from a mortgage."

The real reason for the event, the burning of the mortgages, was something to behold in itself. Retired pastor Don Brown, the man responsible for purchasing the 22-acre Chehalis property and opening the church's doors in 1982, was on hand at center-stage with current pastor Kyle Rasmussen while the final two bills representing each property were set ablaze, effectively shattering the chains of debt.

The Centralia property on North Tower Avenue, consisting of both a church and a shelter used as an outreach center, has also been paid off in full.

The event went out in a blaze of glory, with an impressive fireworks show serving as the nightcap for the celebration.

Where the Cascade Mental Health Clinic was previously located in Chehalis is where the original Bethel Church once stood. However, as the church grew, Brown soon realized the need for more space, among other needs.

When Don Brown began the search for land, his criteria consisted of three requirements: visibility, accessibility and expanded parking. The Kirkland location fit the bill.

The Hamilton family, the previous owners of the land, were hesitant to sell their property until they found out the intentions for a church. Their minds were changed and the land was purchased for $86,000.

Brown, now 83, had the opportunity to share in the jubilance of the audience, seeing a payment he began come to fruition.

"I haven't had the inside direct stimulation that the staff has experienced," Brown said. "But it's infectious and it transfers through other people. You think the positivity would die down, but it grows all the time through others."

Fast-forward to 2004. Rasmussen had just begun his tenure, entering the church and taking on a debt that now rang in at a grand total of $1.1 million for both properties. Right away, Rasmussen was making plans to whittle away at the debt at as fast a rate as possible.

"When I became pastor here 11 years ago, we pretty much made a commitment that we were not going to refinance," Rasmussen said. "We wanted to do everything debt free, on a cash basis."

Rasmussen quoted Proverbs 22:7 from the Bible to justify his reasoning, focusing on the phrase, "the borrower is slave to the lender."



Fast-forwarding once more to the beginning of a new tradition just three years ago. With a debt that had been slimmed down to a value of $700,000, Rasmussen shared with the congregation a plan to set aside one weekend a year, dubbed Freedom Sunday, where attendees brought gifts for the sole purpose of retiring the debt. The first year went so well that it was tried again for a second year, and once more people came out with full generosity.

Now, on the third anniversary of Freedom Sunday, the mission has been accomplished.

"We kind of fell into a great situation that we think God had something to do with," Rasmussen said. "We have all this land here and we're using it for the community, which we think is what we're all about."

The process didn't come without its secrets to success. “The Dave Ramsey Show” — a syndicated radio program regarding financial advice that airs on more than 500 radio stations throughout the United States and Canada — served as an inspiration to Rasmussen and other church members, leading to the adoption of some of Ramsey's financial strategies in order to speed up the process. The church has even held over 30 classes over the 11-year span that teach Ramsey's principles, titled Financial Peace University.

Churchgoers and other members of the crowd joined in for a "Debt-Free Scream," a staple of Ramsey's show that condenses the culmination of the arduous journey to financial freedom into one outburst of emotion. The church's story is set to broadcast on the show at a later date.

The payments came so quickly thanks to the implemented financial strategies. Rasmussen estimated about $150,000 worth of savings on interest alone as a reward for the early payoff.

The success has resonated so well in the church community that two other churches have already contacted Rasmussen and have begun to plan their own Freedom Sundays. This, along with the publicity that will come from being featured on Ramsey's show, has Rasmussen and the church excited for the future of other churches and families nationwide.

"The win for us is not only that our church is debt-free, but that people and other churches are debt-free through our influence," Rasmussen said. "If our story can be an inspiration to others, then we are excited to share it."

With almost $9,000 that was once dedicated to payments being saved on a monthly basis, the church can now look toward serving the community even more.

"The bottom line is that we now have more resources to love our community in a deeper way," Rasmussen said.

For starters, Rasmussen noted that the inflatables present — a bounce house and a large inflatable slide — were purchased outright rather than continuing to rent. These will be used to provide recreation for the community.

Rasmussen has already made plans to serve at the Napavine Funtime Festival, the Planes, Trains & Automobiles event in Chehalis, and the Hub City Car Show, providing "Kid Zones" to all areas this summer, as well as working to revamp the child area at the Chehalis location into its own "Kid Zone."

"I want parents to know that when they walk in, there is a space created that is safe and fun for the children," Rasmussen said. "We have already done that at the Centralia location. There are kids now that don't want to leave church because we've created environments that are very kid friendly and provide a great space to learn and worship."

Before taking his leave, Brown praised Rasmussen for their common ideals, as well as his dedication to improve the land that Brown had figuratively built the foundation for.

"The vision is to help smaller churches grow and expand," Brown said. "It's all about giving back. This church has great leadership and Kyle Rasmussen is a visionary that brings such a spiritual influence each and every Sunday. These are just a bunch of great people."

Rasmussen also shared parting words that, while simple, resonated with the core of what the third annual Freedom Sunday represented.

"I would highly recommend these principles to anybody," Rasmussen said. "Simply, it's great to live without the shackles of debt. It's just a great feeling to be free."