Bethel Christian Center

What Bethel Christian Center does

Bethel Christian Center is a non-denominational Charismatic Christian church headquartered at 2425 Van Buren Blvd in Riverside, California. Founded in 1955 as a house church under a Pentecostal denomination, the church became non-denominational in 1981 and has served the Riverside community continuously since relocating to its current Van Buren Blvd campus in 1980. The organization offers weekly worship services (Sunday mornings, Tuesday Ladies Bible Study, Wednesday nights) available both in-person at the Riverside campus and online via a YouTube live streaming channel. It is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Mike Crites and Associate Pastor Dr. Ronda Crites, who assumed leadership in January 2019 following the retirement of founding Pastor Ron Halvorson.

The church operates an affiliated education vertical through Bethel Christian Schools, which provides Christ-based education from preschool (opened 1983) through 12th grade (expanded 1984), creating an integrated ministry that spans multiple generations of member families. Technology infrastructure is limited to a content website, the YouTube live stream, and a dedicated online giving application (app.bethelchristiancenter.com). The organization employs approximately 53 staff across pastoral, administrative, and school functions.

The business model relies entirely on voluntary donations and tithes from congregation members, supplemented by tuition revenue from the affiliated school. There are no formal pricing tiers, published fees, or contractual revenue arrangements. Marketing and outreach are conducted primarily through word-of-mouth, the website, YouTube streaming, and a published events calendar, with the entire operation anchored to a single physical campus in Southern California.

Name

Bethel Christian Center

Legal name

Bethel Christian Center

Website

https://bethelchristiancenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bethel Christian Center is a non-denominational Charismatic Christian church in Riverside, California, founded in 1955, serving local families through weekly in-person and online worship services, and operating affiliated K-12 Christian education via Bethel Christian Schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Christian church services
• Worship services
• Christian education
• Bible study programs
• Religious organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bethel Christian Center is a non-denominational Charismatic Christian church that delivers weekly worship services (Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and Tuesday Ladies Bible Study) both in-person at its Riverside, California campus and online via YouTube live streaming. The church also operates an affiliated K-12 Christ-based education system (Bethel Christian Schools) and accepts voluntary donations through an online giving platform.

Product overview

Bethel Christian Center operates as a non-denominational Charismatic Christian church in Riverside, California. The organization offers a unified portfolio of religious and educational services centered around its main church ministry (weekly worship services available in-person and online via YouTube streaming) and its affiliated Bethel Christian Schools (preschool and K-12 Christ-based education). The organization also provides an online giving platform for tithes and donations. Founded in 1955, the church became non-denominational in 1981 and is currently led by Senior Pastor Mike Crites and Associate Pastor Ronda Crites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bethel Christian Schools: A Christ-based education system offering preschool through 12th grade, preparing students for the life God has planned for them.

Products and services

• Bethel Christian Center Worship Services A Spirit-filled, non-denominational Charismatic Christian church offering weekly worship services (Sunday 10 AM, Wednesday 7 PM, Tuesday Ladies Bible Study 10 AM) for families and individuals in the Riverside, California community. Services are available in-person and online.
• Bethel Christian Schools A Christ-based education system operated by Bethel Christian Center, offering preschool through 12th grade academic programs with a Christian curriculum, serving students seeking faith-based schooling.
• Online Giving Platform

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• North Point Community Church: Large non-denominational church known for strategic programming and lay leadership development. Comparable non-denominational model with a strong focus on operational excellence.
• Saddleback Church: One of the largest non-denominational churches in the U.S., headquartered in Southern California. Comparable non-denominational identity and multi-generational programming; much larger scale and multi-site footprint.
• Elevation Church: Large non-denominational charismatic church with strong digital presence and contemporary worship. Comparable identity; significantly larger scale and digital infrastructure.
• Cross Church: Multi-site non-denominational church with affiliated Christian school. Closest structural analog — combining congregational ministry with Christ-based K-12 education under one organization.
• Vineyard Churches: Network of charismatic-leaning, non-denominational churches sharing theological alignment with Bethel. Comparable in tradition and congregational approach; broader geographic footprint.
• Prestonwood Baptist Church: Large Southern California/Texas-rooted non-denominational church with affiliated academy. Comparable in combining congregational ministry with a Christian school and multi-generational programming.
• Calvary Chapel: Network of non-denominational churches with similar charismatic-leaning theology and worship style. Comparable congregational model, distributed across many independent campuses.

Direct peers

• The Grove Community Church: Non-denominational Christian church based in Riverside, CA, competing directly with Bethel for Inland Empire congregants through contemporary worship and family-oriented programming.
• Harvest Christian Fellowship: Large non-denominational charismatic church headquartered in Riverside, CA — the same city and tradition as Bethel. Direct competition for the same congregation base with substantially greater scale and broader programming.

Regional players

• Rock Church: Large non-denominational charismatic church in San Diego, CA. Same Southern California region, similar worship tradition, and similar multi-generational family ministry approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRImDVrraK9rSDMePQ6m4cg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bethel-christian-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bethel Christian Center